Legendary F1 and automobile designer Gordon Murray took the wheel of the T.50’s XP2 prototype for some low-speed working at Dunsfold aerodrome – the identical web site the place GMA’s groups of engineers and designers are based mostly, and likewise the place the T.50 will go into manufacturing. The automobile’s Cosworth-developed V12 engine was restricted to just some thousand revs, however Murray stated he was inspired by his first impressions.

“The prototype is at present working at significantly lower than its 12,100rpm restrict,” Murray, stated, “but it surely felt implausible on my first drive. The automobile was responsive, agile and rewarding to drive. It was a implausible expertise to be sitting within the centre of the automobile as soon as once more with nice all-round visibility and I can see how a lot the house owners will get pleasure from this. Clearly there’s nonetheless a number of growth miles to be accomplished and plenty of extra prototypes to construct, however the trajectory of the T.50 growth is the place we wish it to be.”

Murray admitted to Auto Categorical earlier this 12 months that restrictions on journey due to Covid had pressured his workforce to rethink the logistics of when the T.50 would possibly get entry to the take a look at amenities in continental Europe required for high-speed working. Nevertheless, the undertaking nonetheless goals to ship the primary of the restricted run of 100 T.50s in 2022.

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50: design and specs

Famed automotive engineer Murray describes the T.50 as a real analogue supercar and the right antidote to more and more heavy trendy hypercars.

Solely 100 shall be produced, costing £2.36million every earlier than taxes, and virtually two thirds of the manufacturing run has already been offered.

Murray explains that the T.50’s design is an train in purity, emphasising the absence of enormous wings, flaps or vents, discovered on up to date supercars and hypercars. As such, the low nostril of the automobile is clean and unspoilt by a big splitter or canards, and is paying homage to the McLaren F1.

“It seems even higher than I hoped,” he advised us throughout a walkaround with the automobile. “There’s not a single floor on this automobile that I’m not pleased with. It seems actually cool, and a large change from the present crop of supercars. There appears to be a warfare to see who can take advantage of outrageous-looking automobile with swoops and ducts and wings. This one’s fairly pure just like the F1.”

In opposition to the tape, the T.50 is 4,352mm lengthy, 1,850mm extensive – giving it a footprint that’s a little bit bigger than a Volkswagen Golf’s – and 1,164mm tall. Crucially, weight is stored beneath one tonne, at 986kg with fluids. The chassis is bonded carbon-aluminium, whereas the bodywork is carbon fibre.

Nevertheless, the T.50’s most evident revision over the McLaren F1 is on the rear, the place a big fan is discovered. It’s an engineering characteristic Prof Murray has used earlier than, most notably on the notorious BT46B Fan Automobile that raced  – and received – the one occasion it competed in in the course of the 1978 F1 season. Its success ensured that the know-how was subsequently banned from the game.

The fan gives the T.50 with true ground-effect aerodynamics, with out the necessity for any giant wings or splitters. It operates in lots of configurations, growing downforce by one hundred pc in ‘braking mode’, permitting the T.50 to come back to an entire cease 10 metres shorter from 150mph than it may in any other case. A small constructive aspect impact of the fan is that it additionally gives an additional 15kg of thrust. Murray revealed to Auto Categorical {that a} twin-fan association was thought-about in the course of the McLaren F1’s growth, however that point constraints dominated it out.

The drivetrain is one other nod to analogue supercars of the previous. Professor Murray has commissioned Cosworth to develop a high-revving, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V12 for the T.50 creating 654bhp and as much as 690bhp with ram induction. Most energy is produced at 11,500rpm, with the redline set at 12,100rpm.

The mid-mounted motor is totally on present within the engine bay, unobscured by covers. “That is such a killer engine Cosworth has executed. It’s to this point forward of anything that’s ever been produced in its weight, structure, most revs and energy density. Particularly, the responsiveness is light-years forward,” Murray advised us.

No efficiency figures have been revealed simply but; in line with Murray, they aren’t the purpose of the T.50. “The truth of chasing high speeds solely provides weight, notably by means of ever-more highly effective engines, which improve the requirement for bigger, heavier ancillaries. We’re taking a really completely different method,” he defined. 

Drive is shipped to the rear wheels, and the T.50 encompasses a bespoke six-speed guide gearbox developed by specialist Xtrac. A number of drive modes have been confirmed, together with a streamline setting that creates a ‘digital longtail’, a high-downforce mode to benefit from the fan’s floor impact, and a V-Max setting for top-speed runs, utilizing ram induction to spice up energy to 690bhp. Alternatively GT mode restricts the engine, making the T.50 extra user-friendly.

The characteristic most paying homage to the McLaren F1 is discovered inside, with a three-seat structure putting the driving force centrally and forward of two passengers. Behind the wheel is a rev counter flanked by two giant screens, and Murray guarantees a driver-oriented atmosphere with easy, tactile controls. Creature comforts embody a 10-speaker stereo, smartphone connectivity and a pair of screens as an alternative of wing mirrors.

And, there’s already a more durable, track-only model – the T.50S Niki Lauda, which is lighter, options the downforce producing, however imposing wings and flaps Murray wished to keep away from on the street automobile, and options 725bhp. 

The T.50 shall be constructed at a manufacturing facility in Dunsfold, Surrey, however as soon as the manufacturing run has ended, the Gordon Murray Group will transfer into a brand new £50 million campus down the street in Windlesham, a transfer that will even create 100 new jobs. 

The Windlesham campus will include three new buildings. The primary part of building will create a automobile manufacturing centre, buyer gross sales division and the Gordon Murray Group heritage assortment. Additional buildings, due for completion by 2024, will embody a analysis and growth hub, plus gross sales and advertising centres for the GMA merchandise that comply with the T.50.

A street course for effective tuning merchandise will even be constructed on web site. It will embody a tough part of Belgian Pavé – a stretch of stone cobbles used to check a automobile’s construct high quality and the endurance of suspension elements to their limits.

Gordon Murray Q&A

Gordon Murray launched his automobile personally to media forward of its reveal. Our deputy editor John McIlroy caught up with the legendary designer – and the T.50.

Q: Why are you making any such automobile – an oblique successor to in all probability your most well-known creation, the McLaren F1?

A: “Effectively, should you look again, I actually don’t suppose anyone’s executed an F1 for the reason that F1 – that a lot absolute give attention to the driving enjoyment and the sunshine weight. And a automobile with no targets – no high velocity, 0-62mph or lap time on the Nürburgring to think about.

“There are many automobiles on the market which can be rather more succesful than the F1 – the turbos, the hybrids – however none of them provides me the spine-tingling sensation that the F1 provides me. Some individuals nonetheless say that you may’t beat the driving expertise of an F1. However I can let you know that is going to maneuver the sport on once more.”

Q: That is the launch automobile for Gordon Murray Automotive. What are your model’s core values?

A: “Our three targets are to be the lightest automobile, the perfect driving expertise and the perfect engineering in whichever sector the automobile is positioned.”

Q: And also you’re positively going to stay to not more than 100 automobiles per 12 months?

A: “By no means greater than 100. Of something. We’ve particularly not gone for capability past that determine.

Q: You’re in all probability not going to inform us what sort of automobile is coming subsequent, then…

A: “Effectively, we have now an eight-year plan, however I’m eager to get the T.50 out of the door first. We’ll begin delivering automobiles to clients at first of 2022.”

Q: Are you able to resist the temptation to make an SUV?

A: “Sure.”

Gordon Murray’s street automobile catalogue

McLaren F1

Cash-no-object hypercar rewrote benchmarks in 1993. Simply 64 street automobiles have been made; values at present exceed £15m.

LCC Rocket

Monitor-day flyer had the seems of a fifties racer however superior tempo, with a Yamaha bike engine pushing simply 380kg.

Mercedes SLR McLaren

Supercharged V8 super-coupe was an homage to Merc’s 300 SLR. It was produced at McLaren’s manufacturing facility in Surrey.

Yamaha Sports activities Trip

Curvy coupe surprised showgoers on the 2015 Tokyo present, however manufacturing model by no means made it past planning.

Motiv

Earlier T.25 and T.27 metropolis automobiles failed to succeed in consumers, however single-seat quadricycle seems extra related by the day.

Ox

Flat-pack automobile is designed to be shipped to creating areas after which assembled there utilizing native labour.

What are the perfect supercars on sale proper now? Click on right here for our high 10…