GORDON MURRAY CREATES ULTIMATE SUPERCAR (AGAIN)

The T.50 weighs less than a tonne and packs a 12,000rpm V12

The man who created what is arguably the greatest supercar ever made has unveiled a new model — which might just prove to be the new greatest supercar ever made.

Gordon Murray, father of the legendary McLaren F1, has revealed his new T.50. Murray says the T.50 aims to improve on the F1 “in every conceivable way” by being the purest, lightest, most driver-centric supercar ever built.

It weighs just 986kg but is powered by a bespoke 12,100rpm Cosworth GMA 3.9-litre V12 that makes 488kW. Road car aerodynamics are pushed to the next level by an outrageouslooking 400mm rear-mounted fan.

Every component of the T.50 has been designed from scratch, which helps explain the NZ$5.5 million price tag the vehicle will carry when it’s launched in 2022. Just 100 road-going versions will be built.

It’s manual only, with the gear change and weighting signed off personally by Murray. He says a key part of the appeal of the T.50 will be that it feels “alive” at legal road speeds, not just flat out on a track.

Like the F1, the T.50 has a central driving position, but this time with “aerospace-grade controls . . . arranged in an ergonomic bubble”. Every car will be personalised and part of the process will involve a seat, steering wheel and pedals fitting session.

“For the past 18 months, the T.50 team has lived and breathed the ethos of the car, accomplishing everything we set out to achieve and more. I couldn’t be happier with the car and the team — they’re by far the best I’ve ever worked with.”

And the name? This is the 50th vehicle Gordon Murray has created in his 50-year career.