Engine and Transmission
Like the T.50, the T.33 has at its heart the 3.9-litre Cosworth-developed GMA V12, reconfigured to offer better all-round and road-oriented performance than the extreme original. Virtually every aspect of the all-aluminium engine has been reworked with modified cylinder heads, new camshafts, valve timing, mapping and cooling systems.
Of course, less extreme is all relative in the context of the T.50, and the engine, distinguished by its bright yellow cam covers, still redlines at an astonishing 11,100rpm, just 1,000 revolutions per minute down on the original. Fed by a ram air induction it produces 615PS (452kW) and 451Nm (333lb ft) at 10,500rpm and 9,000rpm respectively. In the interests of accessible performance three-quarters of the torque is available at just 2,500rpm and 90 per cent of it on tap from 4,500rpm to 10,500rpm. Weighing just 1,090kg this means an astonishing 564PS (415kW) per tonne, better than the McLaren F1.
In keeping with the analogue ethos of Professor Murray’s previous cars from the McLaren F1 onwards, the T.33 comes as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox developed from the T.50’s unit by Xtrac. As an option the same gearbox can be had with Xtrac’s Instantaneous Gearchange System, or paddleshift actuation to you and me.