Gordon Murray Automotive T.50

In short

• 100 road cars plus 25 track-only T.50s Niki Lauda; production from March 2023, ending in 2025.
• Cosworth-developed 3,994 cc V12 that revs to 12,100 rpm: 488 kW (663 PS) at 11,500 rpm and 467 Nm at 9,000 rpm; the engine weighs 178 kg.
• Dry weight 997 kg, giving 501 kW per tonne; six-speed Xtrac H-pattern manual.
• Car and Driver measured 0–60 mph in 2.9 seconds and gave a top speed of 364 km/h (226 mph).

GMA T.50 at a glance

Gordon Murray and the road to the T.50

Murray made his name in Formula One with Brabham. In 1978 he designed the Brabham BT46B "fan car", whose rear fan sucked air from under the car to press it to the road. His best-known road car is the McLaren F1 of 1992–1998, with its central seat and V12 engine; its story is told in our article on the McLaren F1. Murray's career is on his page in our people section.

The T.50 brings both ideas together. GMA calls it the F1's spiritual successor. It shares the central driving position, six-speed manual, V12 layout, small opening "ticket" windows and dihedral doors. Murray said he set out to fix the F1's shortcomings: the width of the central spine, the headlamps, air conditioning, brakes, clutch, fuel bag and luggage lockers.

The fan and active aerodynamics

The T.50's 40 cm fan sits at the rear and is driven by a 48-volt electric motor of 8.5 kW. It pulls air from under the car to strengthen the ground effect, working with active rear spoilers. The driver can choose from six presets. English Wikipedia names only two of them, "Streamline" and "Vmax"; the effects it gives are:

Engine and performance

The Cosworth V12 has a displacement of 3,994 cc, listed as 4.0 litres in the infobox and 3.9 litres in the text. It weighs 178 kg and revs to 12,100 rpm. Peak power of 488 kW (663 PS) arrives at 11,500 rpm and peak torque of 467 Nm at 9,000 rpm, which gives 122.1 kW per litre.

Car and Driver measured 0–60 mph in 2.9 seconds and gives a top speed of 226 mph (364 km/h). With 488 kW and 997 kg, the road car has 501 kW per tonne. The power-to-weight calculator shows how few road cars reach that figure.

Chassis, dimensions and cabin

According to English Wikipedia, the T.50's chassis is 30 kg lighter than the McLaren F1's. At 4,352 mm long and 1,850 mm wide, the car is smaller than most current supercars; the size comparison tool shows it next to an everyday car. The driver sits in the middle, with a passenger seat on each side. The text calls the doors dihedral "wing" doors, while the infobox lists them as butterfly doors.

T.50s Niki Lauda

GMA built 25 track-only T.50s Niki Lauda cars. The engine has 12 throttle bodies instead of four, no variable valve timing, no catalytic converters and a compression ratio of 15:1. It produces 568 kW (772 PS) and 497 Nm. The road car's manual is replaced by a six-speed sequential pre-selector gearbox with paddles. The aerodynamics are adjusted by hand front and rear, with no active rear flaps, and Top Gear reported up to 1,500 kg of downforce. An optional seat for a co-driver adds 5.1 kg.

Production and the GMA range

As of August 2020, 13 prototypes were planned for crash, durability and emissions testing. GMA's figures for the later models differ between the text and the table of English Wikipedia, so both are shown. Prices were set in pounds sterling, and no euro price appears in the sources, so this article gives none.

Rivals: how the T.50 compares

The comparison GMA itself invites is with the F1, which shares the central seat, V12 and six-speed manual. More cars in this class are in our supercars section, and the brand's other models are in the Gordon Murray Automotive catalogue.

Which T.50 is which

• T.50: the road car, with the manual gearbox, the active fan modes and 488 kW.
• T.50s Niki Lauda: the track car, with 568 kW, a sequential gearbox and hand-set aerodynamics.
• S1 LM: a five-car Special Vehicles model based on the T.50, expected in 2026.

Photo gallery