Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 revealed in full
Legendary F1 designer adds lightness to supercar formula with all-new T.50 ● Three-seat T.50 is a spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 ● Two-thirds of 100-car run sold, due to hit the road in 2022
GORDON Murray has revealed his selfstyled 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.
“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
“Murray explains that the T.50 is an exercise in purity, emphasising the absence of any wings, flaps or vents”
commissioned Cosworth to develop a highrevving, 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.
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 lightyears 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.
“The T.50 has a footprint that’s a little larger than a VW Golf’s and weight is kept just below a tonne”