- Gordon Murray-designed GMA T.50 supercar featured in episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage”
- Successful racing driver Dario Franchitti presents the T.50 to Leno
- Production of the T.50 is now underway at the UK factory
Gordon Murray is responsible for the legendary McLaren F1 supercar of the 1990s and his latest creation, the T.50It will probably go down in history occupying the same revered space as that previous car.
Jay Leno is one of the few F1 owners, and his enthusiasm for the car is evident in the latest episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage”, where he explores the T.50, a car that Murray himself has described as the true successor to the F1. Similarities include a central driving position, a lightweight carbon fibre tub, a High-revving V-12 (up to 12,100 rpm)and a 6-speed manual transmission. Both cars also sport similar styling.
Successful racing driver Dario Franchitti, now an ambassador for Gordon Murray Automotive, the company responsible for the T.50, was on hand to show Leno the T.50. This particular example is a prototype, meaning Leno didn’t get to drive it, although the funnyman will no doubt have one for his collection soon.
Production began in early 2023 and GMA plans to build just 100 examples25 more examples of a more hardcore T.50s Niki Lauda version. GMA will then focus on a less extreme supercar, known as T.33. An open T.33 Spider is also planned.
Where the T.50 is unique is at the rear, where it has a large fan. The fan is used to increase downforce without resorting to huge wings and spoilers, which Murray is not a fan of. It works on the rear diffuser as well as the rear spoilers, and has several modes that allow the driver to adjust the level of downforce.
A High Downforce mode increases downforce by 50 percent. A Braking mode can add downforce during braking, shortening stopping distance by 98 feet from 150 mph, according to the car’s published specs. And a V-Max Boost adds a ram-air function, increasing the car’s output to 690 hp instead of the standard 654 hp.
The T.50’s fan concept is different from that used in the Murray-designed Brabham BT46B “fan car” that Niki Lauda drove to victory in the 1978 Formula One Swedish Grand Prix. In the Brabham, the fan operated more like a vacuum cleaner and sucked the car towards the ground.
Gordon Murray isn’t the only successful Formula 1 designer with a new supercar on his hands. Adrian Newey designed the RB17 racing car which will be built and marketed by Newey’s future former employer Red Bull Racing, starting next year.
