How small can Gordon Murray go?
Outside of the Cosworth V-12 engine that powers the T.50 and the weird aero fan in the rear, the most interesting thing about the T.50 is that it’s lighter than a Mazda MX-5 and smaller than a Porsche 911. And with the news that a new, smaller car is coming, we are excited to see how small it really can get. We’ll find out soon enough for sure, but we already know a lot of information about it.
Enter the Gordon Murray Project Two
At the moment, the next GMA car has no official name, so we currently only know it as “Project Two”. More importantly, the second project will be quite different from the T.50. How different? Well, it’s going to be a two-seater, as opposed to the McLaren F1-like three-seat layout, and it drops that floor-effect fan for more conventional, simpler aerodynamics.
However, the second project will also build on a brand new carbon fiber structure specially designed for it, similar to that of the T.50.
Thanks to the special proportions of the new structure, engineers and designers have more freedom to design the second project differently.
Despite this new, initially bespoke chassis and smaller size, GMA has confirmed that Project Two will actually have the same powertrain as the T.50. The Cosworth-built 3.9-liter V-12 is good for 690 horsepower and 334 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers get the T.50 to 60 mph in less than three seconds (Motor Trend suggests 2.3 seconds while we estimate 2.7 seconds). The special thing about this engine, however, is its high speed. The T.50 can turn up to 11,500 rpm, says GMA at least.
| engine | 3.9 liter V-12 |
|---|---|
| power | 690 hp |
| Torque | 334 LB-FT |
| 0 to 60 mph | 2.3 seconds |
| Top speed | 200 miles an hour |
| Quarter mile | 10 seconds |
How fast Project Two will be, however, depends on whether GMA will down tune the V-12 engine and make it less powerful.
The other big question is whether or not Project Two will adopt the mild hybrid system from the T.50, as that system is primarily intended to power the aero fan. If broadcast with the same specs, the new, smaller car could actually be at least a few tenths of a second faster to 60 mph. The top speed should also be well north of 200 mph, with quarter mile times anywhere under 10 seconds.
GMA Project Two Contest – It’s not who you think it is
A smaller two-seater like the Project Two seems to compete with cars like the McLaren 720S, the Lamborghini Huracan, or even the Audi R8 V-10 Plus. B.There is a problem with this assumption, however, as Project Two will be produced in no more than 100 copies, which makes it very limited and more competitive against models like the Lamborghini Sian or the new Hybrid Ferrari that we recently discovered as a prototype.
GMA Project Two production
The second project won’t come out tomorrow or even by the end of the year. If we’re lucky, we might see a prototype or a concept, but production definitely won’t start for a year or two. GMA’s production facilities for T.50 and T.50S are still under construction. Since the second project is also being built there, you can bet it won’t go into production until GMA is finished with T.50 and T .50S. Therefore, Project Two is not projected until mid-2023 at the earliest. As for pricing, your guess is as good as anyone else’s, considering the car is smaller and potentially less powerful than the T.50, it could be a lot cheaper – a relative term in this market of course. The second project could cost less than seven figures, largely because of its exclusivity, but GMA could try to keep it in the high six figures. We just have to wait and see what happens.
Source: EVO
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