The GMA T.50, Gordon Murray’s McLaren F1 Successor Makes Its V12-Powered Debut
Article Highlights
- The T.50 made it’s debut at Goodwood this week by screaming up The Hill
- Can Murray’s new car succeed the F1?
- The $3,000,000 T.50 sold out in record time
Gordon Murray can build a hell of a car. After all, he built the legendary McLaren F1. Decades after that car’s debut, nothing has risen to challenge its dominance as the ultimate driver’s car. Well, until the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50.
The T.50 is more than just an F1 successor. It’s the start of a whole new chapter in the legacy of Murray’s design philosophy.
What is the T.50?
You’d be forgiven for not having heard of Gordon Murray’s latest car. The legendary designer of the McLaren F1 isn’t exactly shouting “T.50!!” from the rooftops. Turns out, when you’re Murray, you don’t really need to. Moreover, when your new GMA (Gordon Murray Automotive) T.50 sells out 48 hours after being shown for the first time, you really, really, don’t need to shout it from the rooftops.
The GMA T.50 sold out so quickly not just because of the name attached to it, but also because of what it promises. First, the carbon fiber chassis and Murray’s obsession with lightweighting means the GMA T.50 weighs just 2,175 lbs. It’s also got a six-speed manual transmission, 654 hp, 345 lb-ft of torque, and a ridiculous 12,500 rpm redline. Oh, and a familiar central seating position.
The GMA T.50 uses banned Formula 1 technology
The headline figures for the GMA T.50 are stunning enough, but Murray added one final touch to make the McLaren successor even more special. Some of you may remember the famous Brabham BT46B. It was a Formula 1 car driven by the famous Nikki Lauda for only one race. Effectively, it had a fan that sucked air from under the car, thereby creating a vast amount of infinitely variable downforce. It was fast, to say the least, and was withdrawn after criticism from other teams.
Gordon Murray never forgot that design. Now, it’s made an appearance in the T.50. Only now, there’s no FIA to tell him “No.” Murray’s latest creation uses the fan in the same way the Formula 1 car does, by sucking air from under the car to produce infinitely variable downforce. Additionally, the fan can also double as a cooling unit for that rev-to-the-moon V12.
Gordon Murray’s newest is a McLaren F1 successor
In short, the GMA T.50 improves on literally every aspect of the McLaren F1. And, as we saw in the debut footage from Goodwood, it might even sound better. Frankly, it shouldn’t be possible. Yet here we sit, looking at a bonafide successor to the legendary McLaren F1, while Mr. Murray laughs all the way to the bank, having done it again. We’ll see you all in 20 years when these are worth $6,000,000 on Bring A Trailer.
