T.50s set for Goodwood Festival of Speed debut with Dario Franchitti piloting 'Fan Car' at famed Hillclimb event

• GMA T.50s prototype to make Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) debut followed by millions of fans around the world

•FoS Supercar Paddock to showcase GMA's T.50s Niki Lauda track car, T.50 and T.33 supercars all together at Goodwood FoS for the first time

Leading luxury supercar manufacturer, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), has announced plans for an exceptional display of its family of supercars at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, including the event debut of the exclusive track-only T.50s Niki Lauda prototype.

Taking centre stage will be the recently crowned 'Best of the best'*, GMA T.50s Niki Lauda 'Fan Car'. An uncompromising track-only design with a kerb weight of less than 900 kg, the T.50s can produce an enormous 1200 kg of downforce, thanks in part to its 1,758 mm-wide delta wing. A perfect blend of passion and performance, its 772 PS engine revs to a staggering 12,100 rpm, providing owners of the £3.1m (plus local taxes) car with a machine in which every engineering decision has been made to deliver the world's best driving experience.

Also featured within the Supercar Paddock this year will be GMA's T.50, 'the greatest supercar of all time', revving to an astonishing 52,000 rpm per second when on track, and the timelessly beautiful GMA T.33 coupe, both road-going members of the GMA collection. The T.50 is the most driver-centric road car ever built, weighing just 997 kg, yet powered by the world's lightest and highest-revving, naturally aspirated road-going V12, revving to 12,100 rpm (52,000 rpm per second) and developing 670 PS. It features the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen outside a circuit, ensuring an optimum balance of speed and driveability.

The T.33, meanwhile, harnesses the knowledge gained from the development of the T.50 to create the world's most beautiful and accomplished two-seat, mid-engined supercar. Influenced by the cleanly-styled and perfectly proportioned cars of the 1960s, the T.33 does without the T.50's distinctive fan, enabling more classic styling to be employed. Providing form, function, and everyday usability, the car's graceful exterior allows it to achieve aerodynamic performance thirty percent more efficient than a traditional ground effect supercar, while leaving the upper surfaces clean and streamlined.

1956 Maserati motorbike (52 kg, 50cc two-stroke, 2 bhp)

At 16, in South Africa, Gordon Murray could get his motorcycle licence: 'Everybody wanted a buzz bike – they were all Italian two-strokes and new. My mum said, 'no way', and my dad said, 'Mum says no, so you can't have one'.

'About three months after my 16th birthday, my dad came home and said, 'I've brought you a second-hand Maserati. It's a non-runner, it's down at my garage'. This was at least a mile and a half away. 'If you want it, you better go and get it'. I ran all the way there and pushed it back home.

'I rebuilt the engine and gearbox, and then crashed it. We typically wore no helmet, no shoes, and no gloves most of the time. They were capable of 30mph downhill… with a following wind!'

1967 IGM Ford (T.1) (440 kg, 1.1-litre four-cylinder, 90 bhp)

The IGM Ford was the first car Gordon Murray designed and built to go racing in 1965/66, in South Africa. Referring to textbooks, sent from the UK, Gordon built and tuned the engine using a Ford l05E motor for the base. The livery of the car was originally dark green, but for the second year of racing it had slight modifications to improve performance, alongside a colour switch to orange. The T.1 competed on circuits and hill climbs, winning nearly half the races it entered.

1974 Brabham BT44 (T.6) (575 kg, 3.0-litre Cosworth V8, 460 bhp)

This Brabham is technically two cars in one – both of which have significant historic importance.

It began its life as a Brabham BT42, chassis number BT42/2. Built for the 1973 season, the BT42 was Gordon Murray's first ever Formula 1 design. That season, it was raced by Wilson Fittipaldi in eight races, finishing fifth in the Dutch Grand Prix and running as high as third in Monaco. The factory sold the car in 1974 to a company that rented it out to aspiring F1 drivers.

10 years later it was bought by the renowned car restorer, Phil Reilly. He turned the car into an immaculate BT44 and it achieved great success in historic racing, before becoming part of the Gordon Murray Heritage Collection. The Brabham BT44 was the design with which Gordon achieved his first Formula 1 victory in the South African Grand Prix with Carlos Reutemann in 1974. This is now the only Brabham BT44 in the world.

T.50 mule vehicle – 'George'

In September 2020, 'George' had its very first shakedown test. Based on a modified Ultima chassis, and fitted with the mighty Cosworth GMA V12 engine, George was at the centre of important early testing, evaluating engine and electrical calibrations, and paving the way for the XP programme that followed. George facilitated extensive development work and provided data that also aided advancements for GMA's T.33, and T.33 Spider supercars. Why was it called George? Going back to his McLaren days, Gordon always named his test mules after British monarchs.

2020 GMA T.50 (997 kg, 12,100 rpm 3.9-litre Cosworth GMA V12, 670 PS)

The T.50 is the world's lightest, most driver-focused supercar. With a bespoke 670 PS, 3.9-litre Cosworth V12 engine that revs to 12,100 rpm, an Xtrac six-speed manual transmission, and fan-assisted aerodynamics, the T.50 delivers one of the best ever driving experiences. It rewrites the supercar rulebook and could be the last great 'analogue' supercar ever built.

The T.50 was named 'Hypercar of the Year'** in the 2023 BBC Top Gear Awards. One of the automotive industry's most-coveted accolades, it demonstrates that Professor Gordon Murray CBE and his team have succeeded in their mission to design and engineer the purest, lightest, and most driver-centric car ever.

Leading GMA's events at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is Group CEO, Phil Lee, who commented: 'We're really looking forward to showcasing our GMA collection in both the Supercar Paddock and at the GRRC. Festival of Speed is a fantastic opportunity for us to meet with our customers, and of course our growing band of fans. I enjoy the opportunity to get up close to the action and the people – the sights, the sounds, and especially the GMA V12 – it's a special place with a wonderful atmosphere for car fanatics.'

Gordon Murray Automotive adheres to seven core brand principles in all of its products: Driving Perfection, Lightweight, Engineering Art, Premium Brand, A Return to Beauty, Exclusivity, and The Customer Journey.

For more information about GMA, its products, and the company's new headquarters at Highams Park in Surrey, visit GordonMurrayAutomotive.com.

Photo credit: Gordon Murray Automotive
posted on conceptcarz.com

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