As Mr. Gordon Murray notes, the T.50s is a model that is totally focused on delivering the best racing experience ever. The vehicle was designed from the ground up as a parallel project to the T.50, with the two vehicles only sharing the main components of the drive train.
The T.50s also shares the name of three-time Formula 1 world champion Nikki Lauda. Over the years, he and Gordon Murray became close friends, and upon his death in 2019, Murray decided that his new supercar project should bear the name of his esteemed colleague.
According to fate, there are some strong bonds between the late champion racer and the new T.50. In 1978, Gordon Murray designed the BT46B Formula 1 fan car, driven by Nikki Lauda, which won the Swedish Grand Prix that year. Its highlight was the fan attached to the rear, which, in addition to cooling the engine, enabled a considerable downforce effect during high-speed drives and enabled the pilot to dominate his competitors during the event. Gordon Murray implemented the same technology in his upcoming track weapon, the T.50s Nikki Lauda.
The exterior design is similar to the T.50 street supercar and still shares elements from Murray’s most successful project, the McLaren F1. In the case of the T.50s, the aerodynamic features are dramatic and reveal the vehicle’s enormous performance potential.
The central fin with the Nikki Lauda logo increases stability at high speeds, while the 400 mm fan at the rear, also on the T.50, has a massive diffuser with a “Fan Car” lettering on the rear grill and a newly designed delta wing .
The front of the vehicle also features an aggressive and aerodynamically functional design that highlights sculpted bargeboards that improve airflow to the side ducts, accompanied by a low front splitter and submersible planes. In total, the vehicle can generate up to 1,500 kg of downforce when pushed to its limits. According to Murray, the design is “completely aerodynamic, but still attractive. There isn’t a body panel from the T.50, but the road car has such a strong and classic shape that it still shows through.”
This high-performance machine is also powered by the 3.9-liter V12 engine developed by Cosworth, which has been extensively redesigned for the racetrack version and is more powerful and easy to turn than its street-legal brother. For starters, it develops 701 hp and 358 lb-ft (485 Nm) of torque on its way to its majestic redline of 12,100 rpm. The street-legal T.50 engine, on the other hand, develops “only” 654 hp and 344 lb-ft ( 467 Nm) torque.
In the case of the T.50s Nikki Lauda, the potent V12 is combined with a tailor-made Xtrac IGS (Instantaneous Gearshift) six-speed rocker switch, a long departure from the six-speed H-pattern manual transmission of the T. 50. The IGS transmission is ideal for racetracks -Performance designed, whereby the gear ratios can be configured in two different ways. The first arrangement allows for a higher top speed of 322-338 km / h, while the second configuration provides for optimal use of shorter distances with tighter ratios, improving acceleration, but losing top speed 170 mph (273 km / h).
The super sports car uses a honeycomb aluminum core design for its chassis construction, which is also encased in a carbon fiber cladding. In addition, the T.50s uses a similar double wishbone suspension system made of forged aluminum at the front and rear as the T.50, but which has been redesigned for use on the racetrack. Last but not least, the T.50s takes a lower stance, as it is 3.42 inches (87 mm) at the front and 4.56 inches (116 mm) at the back, closer to the ground than its roadworthy brother.
This exclusive GMA racing project will only be built in 25 copies from 2023, only after 100-unit production of the regular T.50 has been completed. Owning the T.50s Nikki Lauda supercar is no easy task given the large numbers. Sure, for the right buyer the $ 4.3 million price tag is well deserved. An incredible example of the art of design and engineering, the GMA T.50s Niki Lauda positions itself as one of the driver-centric performance machines of the decade, behind some of the most inspired and dedicated people in the industry and a truly unique legacy.
