New Gordon Murray V12 Supercar: the T.50
This is going to be something special, and it ought to be for £2m a pop. Designer of the still-amazing McLaren F1, Gordon Murray, has released the initial sketch for the T.50.
The specs sound awfully familiar – 650 horsepower V12, mounted behind a three-seat cabin with a central driving position. Target weight of 980kg, manual transmission, no turbos, nothing superfluous.
Basically, it’s the F1 II, but this time Gordon is totally in charge rather than having to worry about what Ron Dennis or Peter Stevens wants.
Drivetrain
The V12 is from Cosworth, displacing 3.9-litres and hooked up to a six-speed manual. No electric assistance, not a single battery in sight apart from the one that fires the starter motor and runs the lights.
GMA says the V12 will rev to a stratospheric 12,100rpm while developing that 474kW (650bhp, 659PS) and 450Nm. That’s going to be an amazing racket and I for one am here for that alone. A ram air induction snorkel on the roof is claimed to add another 38kW (50bhp), obviously when you’re on the move.
The company also commissioned Xtrac to supply a six-speed, H-pattern gearbox – Murray says he wants this to be an analogue sports car. No flywheel, lightweight clutch, should be a hoot.
“I have absolutely no interest in chasing records for top speed or acceleration. Our focus is instead on delivering the purest, most rewarding driving experience of any supercar ever built – but, rest assured, it will be quick.”
Gordon Murray
Chassis
Obviously, we don’t know much, but the press release was very keen to point out the presence of a 400mm ground effect fan. Basically, the fan will suck the car on to the ground. Murray first pulled this stunt in Formula 1 when he worked for Brabham and it was promptly banned, so it must be a) good b) better than whatever Ferrari can dream up.
The chassis is, of course, made from carbon fibre, something Murray has also been working with for decades. Given its clearly an evolution of the F1, it’s going to be wild. We don’t know much else about it, so that’s all I can really say.
The brakes are carbon ceramics, with low boost assist but they do have ABS.
How much and when?
I’ll take a punt and say that all 100 will go in the snap of a finger to well-heeled folks with McLaren F1 fetishes. They’re at least £2m each, but that seems like chump change after the furiously vulgar Bugatti Merde Noir or whatever it was called (La Voiture Merde…no, La Voiture Noir)(Bugatti are never going to ask me to drive their cars, so I’m pretty safe there).
As long as he sells them, they’ll start deliveries in 2020.
Peter Anderson is the Editor and founder of the theredline.com.au. He’s been writing about cars for years and finds it difficult to talk about anything else.
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