- Gordon Murray-designed GMA T.50 supercar is featured on episode of “Jay Leno’s Storage”
- Profitable racing driver Dario Franchitti presents the T.50 to Leno
- Manufacturing of the T.50 is already underway at plant in U.Okay.
Gordon Murray is accountable for the legendary McLaren F1 supercar of the Nineties, and his newest creation, the T.50, is prone to go down in historical past as Murray’s subsequent nice automotive.
Jay Leno is likely one of the few homeowners of the F1, and his enthusiasm for the automotive exhibits within the newest “Jay Leno’s Storage” episode the place he explores the T.50, a automotive Murray himself as described because the true successor to the F1. Similarities embrace a central driving place, a light-weight carbon-fiber tub, a high-revving V-12 (as much as 12,100 rpm), and a 6-speed handbook transmission. Each vehicles additionally sport comparable styling.
Profitable Indy racing driver Dario Franchitti, at present an envoy for Gordon Murray Automotive, the corporate accountable for the T.50, was available to indicate Leno the T.50. The actual instance is a prototype, which means Leno wasn’t in a position to drive it, although little question the humorous man has one headed to his assortment shortly. Franchitti did the driving, which is suitable as a result of he helped develop the automotive.
Manufacturing began in early 2023 and GMA plans to construct simply 100 examples, plus 25 examples of a extra hardcore T.50s Niki Lauda model. GMA will then concentrate on a much less excessive supercar, generally known as the T.33. An open-top T.33 Spider can be deliberate.
The T.50 is exclusive on the rear, the place it has a big fan. The fan is used to extend downforce with out resorting to very large wings and spoilers, which Murray does not like. It really works on the rear diffuser in addition to rear spoilers, and has a number of modes that allow the motive force alter the extent of downforce.
A Excessive Downforce mode will increase downforce by 50%. A Braking mode can add downforce beneath braking, shortening the stopping distance by 98 toes from 150 mph, in response to the automotive’s printed specs. And a V-Max Increase provides a ram-air perform, elevating the automotive’s output to 690 hp from the usual 654 hp.
The T.50’s fan idea is totally different than the one used on the Murray-designed Brabham BT46B “fan automotive” that Niki Lauda drove to victory on the 1978 Method 1 Swedish Grand Prix. Within the Brabham, the fan labored extra like a vacuum cleaner, and sucked the automotive to the bottom.
Just like the F1, the T.50 is all in regards to the driving expertise. It weighs roughly 2,200 kilos, lower than a Miata, so a lot of its elements do not should be massive and heavy to deal with the automotive’s load. As an illustration, the brakes are small for a supercar and the tires are 235 mm broad up entrance and 295 mm within the rear. For higher really feel, the electrical energy steering solely works at parking zone speeds, then turns off to develop into handbook steering.
Gordon Murray is not the one profitable Method 1 designer with a brand new supercar on his fingers. Adrian Newey has designed the RB17 observe automotive, which shall be constructed and marketed by Newey’s soon-to-be former employer Pink Bull Racing, beginning subsequent 12 months.
Take a look at the video above for extra info and to listen to that sonorous V-12 in motion.
