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Gordon Murray has revealed his self-styled successor to the McLaren F1: the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50. The famed automotive engineer describes it as a true analogue supercar and the perfect antidote to increasingly heavy modern hypercars.
With 2020 marking the 50th year of Professor Murray’s career, the T.50 features nods to his work in car design and Formula One. It features ground-effect aerodynamics and a bespoke V12 engine from Cosworth, while all of the major components have been sourced from UK companies.
This is our first proper look at the T.50. Only 100 will be produced, costing £2.36million each before taxes, and almost two thirds of the production run has already been sold.
Murray explains that the T.50’s design is an exercise in purity, emphasising the absence of large wings, flaps or vents, found on contemporary supercars and hypercars. As such, the low nose of the vehicle is smooth and unspoilt by a large splitter or canards, and is reminiscent of the McLaren F1.
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“It looks even better than I hoped,” he told us during a walkaround with the car. “There’s not a single surface on this car that I’m not happy with. It looks really cool, and a massive change from the current crop of supercars. There seems to be a war to see who can make the most outrageous-looking car with swoops and ducts and wings. This one’s pretty pure like the F1.”
Against the tape, the T.50 is 4,352mm long, 1,850mm wide – giving it a footprint that’s a little larger than a Volkswagen Golf’s – and 1,164mm tall. Crucially, weight is kept below one tonne, at 986kg with fluids. The chassis is bonded carbon-aluminium, while the bodywork is carbon fibre.
However, the T.50’s most obvious revision over the McLaren F1 is at the rear, where a large fan capable of generating 15kg of downforce is found. It’s a nod to Prof Murray’s infamous BT46B Fan Car that raced in the 1978 F1 season, and provides the T.50 with true ground-effect aerodynamics, without the need for any large wings or splitters. Murray revealed to Auto Express that a twin-fan arrangement was considered during the McLaren F1’s development, but that time constraints ruled it out.
The drivetrain is another nod to analogue supercars of the past. Professor Murray has commissioned Cosworth to develop a high-revving, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V12 for the T.50 developing 654bhp and up to 690bhp with ram induction. Maximum power is produced at 11,500rpm, with the redline set at 12,100rpm.
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The mid-mounted motor is fully on show in the engine bay, unobscured by covers. “This is such a killer engine Cosworth has done. It’s so far ahead of anything else that’s ever been produced in its weight, layout, maximum revs and power density. In particular, the responsiveness is light-years ahead,” Murray told us.
No performance figures have been revealed just yet; according to Murray, they aren’t the point of the T.50. “The reality of chasing top speeds only adds weight, notably through ever-more powerful engines, which increase the requirement for larger, heavier ancillaries. We are taking a very different approach,” he explained.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels, and the T.50 features a bespoke six-speed manual gearbox developed by specialist Xtrac. Several drive modes have been confirmed, including a streamline setting that creates a ‘virtual longtail’, a high-downforce mode to make the most of the fan’s ground effect, and a V-Max setting for top-speed runs, using ram induction to boost power to 690bhp. Alternatively GT mode restricts the engine, making the T.50 more user-friendly.
The feature most reminiscent of the McLaren F1 is found inside, with a three-seat layout placing the driver centrally and ahead of two passengers. Behind the wheel is a rev counter flanked by two large screens, and Murray promises a driver-oriented environment with simple, tactile controls. Creature comforts include a 10-speaker stereo, smartphone connectivity and a pair of screens instead of wing mirrors.
Gordon Murray Q&A
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Gordon Murray introduced his car personally to media ahead of its reveal. Our deputy editor John McIlroy caught up with the legendary designer – and the T.50.
Q: Why are you making this type of car – an indirect successor to probably your most famous creation, the McLaren F1?
A: “Well, if you look back, I honestly don’t think anybody’s done an F1 since the F1 – that much absolute focus on the driving enjoyment and the light weight. And a car with no targets – no top speed, 0-62mph or lap time at the Nürburgring to think of.
“There are plenty of cars out there that are much more capable than the F1 – the turbos, the hybrids – but none of them gives me the spine-tingling sensation that the F1 gives me. Some people still say that you can’t beat the driving experience of an F1. But I can tell you this is going to move the game on again.”
Q: This is the launch car for Gordon Murray Automotive. What are your brand’s core values?
A: “Our three targets are to be the lightest car, the best driving experience and the best engineering in whichever sector the car is positioned.”
Q: And you’re definitely going to stick to no more than 100 cars per year?
A: “Never more than a hundred. Of anything. We have specifically not gone for capacity beyond that figure.
Q: You’re probably not going to tell us what type of car is coming next, then…
A: “Well, we have an eight-year plan, but I’m keen to get the T.50 out of the door first. We’ll start delivering cars to customers at the beginning of 2022.”
Q: Can you resist the temptation to make an SUV?
A: “Yes.”
Gordon Murray’s road car catalogue
McLaren F1
Money-no-object hypercar rewrote benchmarks in 1993. Just 64 road cars were made; values today exceed £15m.
LCC Rocket
Track-day flyer had the looks of a fifties racer but awesome pace, with a Yamaha bike engine pushing just 380kg.
Mercedes SLR McLaren
Supercharged V8 super-coupe was an homage to Merc’s 300 SLR. It was produced at McLaren’s factory in Surrey.
Yamaha Sports Ride
Curvy coupe stunned showgoers at the 2015 Tokyo show, but production version never made it beyond planning.
Motiv
Earlier T.25 and T.27 city cars failed to reach buyers, but single-seat quadricycle looks more relevant by the day.
Ox
Flat-pack vehicle is designed to be shipped to developing regions and then assembled there using local labour.
What are the best supercars on sale right now? Click here for our top 10...
Continue reading...
With 2020 marking the 50th year of Professor Murray’s career, the T.50 features nods to his work in car design and Formula One. It features ground-effect aerodynamics and a bespoke V12 engine from Cosworth, while all of the major components have been sourced from UK companies.
- SEE MORE Best supercars 2020
This is our first proper look at the T.50. Only 100 will be produced, costing £2.36million each before taxes, and almost two thirds of the production run has already been sold.
Murray explains that the T.50’s design is an exercise in purity, emphasising the absence of large wings, flaps or vents, found on contemporary supercars and hypercars. As such, the low nose of the vehicle is smooth and unspoilt by a large splitter or canards, and is reminiscent of the McLaren F1.
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“It looks even better than I hoped,” he told us during a walkaround with the car. “There’s not a single surface on this car that I’m not happy with. It looks really cool, and a massive change from the current crop of supercars. There seems to be a war to see who can make the most outrageous-looking car with swoops and ducts and wings. This one’s pretty pure like the F1.”
Against the tape, the T.50 is 4,352mm long, 1,850mm wide – giving it a footprint that’s a little larger than a Volkswagen Golf’s – and 1,164mm tall. Crucially, weight is kept below one tonne, at 986kg with fluids. The chassis is bonded carbon-aluminium, while the bodywork is carbon fibre.
However, the T.50’s most obvious revision over the McLaren F1 is at the rear, where a large fan capable of generating 15kg of downforce is found. It’s a nod to Prof Murray’s infamous BT46B Fan Car that raced in the 1978 F1 season, and provides the T.50 with true ground-effect aerodynamics, without the need for any large wings or splitters. Murray revealed to Auto Express that a twin-fan arrangement was considered during the McLaren F1’s development, but that time constraints ruled it out.
The drivetrain is another nod to analogue supercars of the past. Professor Murray has commissioned Cosworth to develop a high-revving, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V12 for the T.50 developing 654bhp and up to 690bhp with ram induction. Maximum power is produced at 11,500rpm, with the redline set at 12,100rpm.
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The mid-mounted motor is fully on show in the engine bay, unobscured by covers. “This is such a killer engine Cosworth has done. It’s so far ahead of anything else that’s ever been produced in its weight, layout, maximum revs and power density. In particular, the responsiveness is light-years ahead,” Murray told us.
No performance figures have been revealed just yet; according to Murray, they aren’t the point of the T.50. “The reality of chasing top speeds only adds weight, notably through ever-more powerful engines, which increase the requirement for larger, heavier ancillaries. We are taking a very different approach,” he explained.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels, and the T.50 features a bespoke six-speed manual gearbox developed by specialist Xtrac. Several drive modes have been confirmed, including a streamline setting that creates a ‘virtual longtail’, a high-downforce mode to make the most of the fan’s ground effect, and a V-Max setting for top-speed runs, using ram induction to boost power to 690bhp. Alternatively GT mode restricts the engine, making the T.50 more user-friendly.
The feature most reminiscent of the McLaren F1 is found inside, with a three-seat layout placing the driver centrally and ahead of two passengers. Behind the wheel is a rev counter flanked by two large screens, and Murray promises a driver-oriented environment with simple, tactile controls. Creature comforts include a 10-speaker stereo, smartphone connectivity and a pair of screens instead of wing mirrors.
Gordon Murray Q&A
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Gordon Murray introduced his car personally to media ahead of its reveal. Our deputy editor John McIlroy caught up with the legendary designer – and the T.50.
Q: Why are you making this type of car – an indirect successor to probably your most famous creation, the McLaren F1?
A: “Well, if you look back, I honestly don’t think anybody’s done an F1 since the F1 – that much absolute focus on the driving enjoyment and the light weight. And a car with no targets – no top speed, 0-62mph or lap time at the Nürburgring to think of.
“There are plenty of cars out there that are much more capable than the F1 – the turbos, the hybrids – but none of them gives me the spine-tingling sensation that the F1 gives me. Some people still say that you can’t beat the driving experience of an F1. But I can tell you this is going to move the game on again.”
Q: This is the launch car for Gordon Murray Automotive. What are your brand’s core values?
A: “Our three targets are to be the lightest car, the best driving experience and the best engineering in whichever sector the car is positioned.”
Q: And you’re definitely going to stick to no more than 100 cars per year?
A: “Never more than a hundred. Of anything. We have specifically not gone for capacity beyond that figure.
Q: You’re probably not going to tell us what type of car is coming next, then…
A: “Well, we have an eight-year plan, but I’m keen to get the T.50 out of the door first. We’ll start delivering cars to customers at the beginning of 2022.”
Q: Can you resist the temptation to make an SUV?
A: “Yes.”
Gordon Murray’s road car catalogue
McLaren F1
Money-no-object hypercar rewrote benchmarks in 1993. Just 64 road cars were made; values today exceed £15m.
LCC Rocket
Track-day flyer had the looks of a fifties racer but awesome pace, with a Yamaha bike engine pushing just 380kg.
Mercedes SLR McLaren
Supercharged V8 super-coupe was an homage to Merc’s 300 SLR. It was produced at McLaren’s factory in Surrey.
Yamaha Sports Ride
Curvy coupe stunned showgoers at the 2015 Tokyo show, but production version never made it beyond planning.
Motiv
Earlier T.25 and T.27 city cars failed to reach buyers, but single-seat quadricycle looks more relevant by the day.
Ox
Flat-pack vehicle is designed to be shipped to developing regions and then assembled there using local labour.
What are the best supercars on sale right now? Click here for our top 10...
Continue reading...