Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 makes public debut at Goodwood

By Sylvester Simmonds 22 October, 2021 7 mins read 326 Views

Gordon Murray Automotive’s £ 2.36million T.50 supercar made its first public appearance at the 78th Goodwood Members’ Meeting, where the new 650bhp supercar was minted as Murray’s McLaren F1 successor lapped the Goodwood circuit .

British racing driver Dario Franchitti was chosen to demonstrate the rear-wheel drive T.50’s dynamic capabilities, although a wet cycle prevented it from crossing the red line on the 3.9-liter V12 at 12,100 rpm.

In addition to the dynamic debut of the roadworthy T.50, there was also a static exhibition of the 725 hp T.50 racing car Niki Lauda and some of the biggest racing cars by Gordon Murray to highlight the designer’s “lightweight” Ethos. “

Speaking before the event, Gordon Murray said, “There is no better place to show and demonstrate the T.50 than the Goodwood Members Meeting. It was frustrating not to be able to show our supercar beforehand, but for anyone planning to visit Goodwood it will certainly be worth the wait. I’m looking forward to it – it will sound great. “

The high-pitched wail of the T.50 is sure to set it apart in an age when most supercar manufacturers are looking for turbocharged and hybrid systems to maximize internal combustion engine performance.

The production numbers for the roadworthy T.50 are limited to just 100 copies, the first of which are expected next year. Once they’re all built and billed, GMA will begin production of the T.50 Niki Lauda, of which there will only be 25.

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50: design and technical data

The famous automotive engineer Murray describes the T.50 as a real analog super sports car and the perfect antidote to increasingly heavy modern hypercars.

Murray wrote the T.50 to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Formula 1 and road car design – and the finished car features its usual bantamweight technique with an added shot of its signature aerodynamic madness. The T.50 has ground effects and a specially developed V12 engine from Cosworth, while all key components were obtained from British companies.

Murray explains that the T.50’s design is an exercise in purity, emphasizing the lack of large wings, flaps, or vents found on modern supercars and hypercars. As such, the vehicle’s low nose is smooth and untouched by a large splinter or canard, reminiscent of the McLaren F1.

“It looks even better than I had hoped,” he told us during a tour by car. “There isn’t a single surface on this car that I’m not happy with. It looks really cool and is a massive change from the current crop of supercars. There seems to be a war going on over who can build the worst looking car with swoops and ducts and wings. This is pretty pure like the F1. “

Aerodynamics with a ground effect

Opposite the belt, the T.50 is 4,352 mm long, 1,850 mm wide – which gives it a footprint that is slightly larger than that of a Volkswagen Golf – and 1,164 mm high. Crucial is that the weight is kept below a ton, at 986 kg with liquids. The chassis is made of carbon-aluminum, while the body is made of carbon fiber.

However, the most obvious makeover of the T.50 over the McLaren F1 is on the back, where there is a large fan. It’s a technical feature that Prof. Murray has used before, most notably on the infamous BT46B fan car that drove – and won – the only race of the 1978 F1 season. Its success ensured that the technology was subsequently banned from sport.

The fan gives the T.50 real ground-effect aerodynamics without the need for large blades or splinters. It works in many configurations and increases downforce in “braking mode” by 100 percent so that the T.50 can come to a standstill 10 meters less than it otherwise could at a speed of 250 mph.

A small positive side effect of the fan is that it delivers an additional 15kg of thrust. Murray revealed to Auto Express that a dual fan arrangement was considered during the development of the McLaren F1, but there were time constraints in place to do so.

Engine and power

The drive train of the T.50 is another allusion to analogue supercars of the past. Professor Murray commissioned Cosworth with the development of a 3.9-liter V12 naturally aspirated engine that can rev up to 12,100 rpm – making it the most revving road V12 in history. The V12 delivers 654 hp as standard and up to 690 hp with ram induction, while the peak output arrives at 11,500 rpm.

The mid-engine can be fully seen in the engine compartment, not covered by covers. “It’s such a killer engine that Cosworth made. In terms of weight, layout, maximum RPM and power density, it is way ahead of all others that have ever been produced. Responsiveness, in particular, is light years ahead, ”said Murray.

So far, no performance figures have been announced; according to Murray, they are not the point of T.50. “The reality of chasing top speeds only adds to the weight, especially with increasingly powerful engines that increase the need for larger and heavier ancillaries. We’re going a completely different way, ”he explained.

The drive is routed to the rear wheels, and the T.50 has a bespoke six-speed manual transmission developed by specialist Xtrac. Several drive modes have also been confirmed, including a streamline setting that creates a “virtual long tail,” a high downforce mode to make the most of the fan’s ground effect, and a V-Max setting for high speed ram induction runs to boost power 690 hp to increase. Alternatively, GT mode restricts the engine, making the T.50 more user-friendly.

The feature most reminiscent of the McLaren F1 is inside, with a three-seat arrangement that places the driver in the center and in front of two passengers. Behind the wheel sits a tachometer, flanked by two large screens, and Murray promises a driver-oriented environment with simple, tactile controls. Creature amenities include a stereo with 10 speakers, smartphone connectivity, and a pair of screens instead of exterior mirrors.

And there is already a harder, pure track version called T.50s Niki Lauda. It’s even lighter than the standard super sports car, has 725 hp and generates more downforce thanks to the imposing wings and flaps that Murray wanted to avoid in the road car.

Production plans

The T.50 is being built at a factory in Dunsfold, Surrey, but once production finishes the Gordon Murray Group will move to a new £ 50 million campus in Windlesham, a move that will also create 100 new jobs .

The Windlesham campus will consist of three new buildings. In the first phase of construction, a vehicle production center, a customer sales department and the Gordon Murray Group’s Heritage Collection will be built. Further buildings, which should be completed by 2024, will include a research and development center as well as sales and marketing centers for the GMA products after T.50.

A road course for fine-tuning products is also being built on site. That includes a rough section of Belgian pavé – a piece of cobblestone pavement used to test a car’s build quality and the durability of its suspension components to the limit.

Gordon Murray Questions and Answers

Gordon Murray personally introduced his car to the media prior to its unveiling. Our deputy editor John McIlroy caught up with the legendary designer – and the T.50.

Q: Why do you build this type of car – an indirect successor to what is probably your most famous creation, the McLaren F1?

A: “Well, looking back, I don’t think anyone has driven an F1 since F1 – so much focus on driving fun and the low weight. And a car without goals – no top speed, 0-100 km / h or lap times on the Nürburgring.

“There are a lot of cars out there that are much more powerful than the F1 – the turbos, the hybrids – but none of them give me the goosebumps that F1 gives me. Some people still say that you can’t beat the driving experience of an F1. But I can tell you that this will get the game going again. “

Q: This is the Gordon Murray Automotive launch car. What are the core values of your brand?

A: “Our three goals are the lightest car, the best driving experience and the best technology in every industry in which the car is positioned.”

Q: And you will definitely stick with no more than 100 cars a year?

A: “Never more than a hundred. Of all. We have expressly not set any capacities beyond this number.

Q: You probably won’t tell us what type of car is next then …

A: “Well, we have an eight year plan, but I want to get the T.50 out the door first. We will start delivering cars to customers in early 2022. “

Q: Can you resist the temptation to build an SUV?

A: “Yes.”

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