Gordon Murray announces more extreme, track ready T.50s

GMA announced on Instagram that it will be “A racing-focused version of the T.50 supercar that will be even lighter, faster, and more powerful”, revealing the new car with a simple design sketch. More details have been revealed since that first rather enticing announcement, but there’s a fair bit we can speculate on too…

To remind you of the ‘basic’ T.50, it has a 3.9-litre naturally aspirated V12, produces 663PS (488kW) at 11,500rpm, makes use of a six-speed manual gearbox, is rear-wheel-drive, weighs 986kg with fluids thanks to a carbon-fibre chassis and only 100 examples will be made. The T.50s, then, will weigh less, be more powerful and faster. Strewth.

Only 25 cars will be made, priced from £3.1 million excluding taxes, and T.50s is just a codename – the actual name will be revealed in the near future. It’ll tip the scales at 890kg, have 730PS (537kW), and rather than a six-speed manual gearbox it’ll use a six-speed pre-selector ‘Instantaneous Gearchange System’, or ‘IGS’ for short, developed by Xtrac.

The aero is extreme. Where the standard T.50 is sleek and smooth, the T.50s will have a huge adjustable front splitter and rear diffuser, a giant air duct on the roof, a fin that runs from the top of the duct to the rear wing and, of course, that rear wing, measuring 1,758mm wide. The T.50s will employ the same fan as the T.50 road car, too, which cleans up the car’s airflow and contributes to a total downforce figure of 1,500kg. In Gordon Murray’s own words, “The aerodynamics are so effective that the T.50s would be capable of driving upside down, and could do so at as little as 175mph”. It’ll also be capable of delivering 2.5-3g under braking thanks to the aero and Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear carbon-ceramic brakes.

What’s most exciting, however, is the phrase “racing-focussed’ from GMA. Not track-focussed, but racing. In GMA’s release, when talking about the carbon-fibre monocoque, the words “race car” pops up too. What does that mean?

Murray has said that buyers will receive a ‘Trackspeed’ package, which includes an individual set-up for the car as well as training, racing and support. “I’d like to organise a series of racing events as part of our Trackspeed package to ensure the T.50s is driven regularly by owners,” Murray explains. GMA has also detailed that discussions have been had with Stéphane Ratel of the SRO “regarding the potential for a GT1 sports club and race series for current supercars”. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Even more so when you consider the SRO runs the 24 Hours of Spa…