Gordon Murray T.50: the supercar that leaves everyone else behind

He did it with the acclaimed McLaren F1 in the early 90s, and he has repeated the feat with the new T.50. Gordon Murray once again blazes the trail with a supercar that changes the rules and becomes the absolute reference in the high-performance sports car category: the new Gordon Murray Automotive T.50.

They say the McLaren F1, which we can undoubtedly consider the predecessor of the T.50, was born almost by chance: it went from a sketch drawn by the brilliant Murray to pass the time while waiting for a flight to become a legendary sports car, the fastest production vehicle in the world at the time. And possibly the most efficient as well.

Now, after gradually learning some details over recent months, it has finally been made official. Gordon Murray Automotive will build 100 units of its new hypercar, which will have a starting price of €2.61 million before taxes.

By the way, if you’re wondering where the name comes from, 50 is the number of road and competition cars bearing Murray’s signature across his 50 years as a vehicle designer. There’s a reason. Murray himself will personally “consult” with each customer on the customization of their car, including, as part of the process, the positioning of the seat, steering wheel and pedals, among other things.

Gordon Murray T.50: pursuing perfection

Murray has pursued perfection in designing the new T.50, and to do so he has relied on three basic pillars: aerodynamics, lightness and an engine of a kind that is no longer built… except for competition.

The “professor” has always been clear that to deliver a supercar with the best dynamic qualities, it is not enough to offer a very powerful engine or a very rigid chassis. The key is lightness. And the McLaren T.50 is not light, it is very light. Extremely light.

With a final weight of 986 kg, it could be compared… to a Mazda MX-5! But of course, it is powered by a V12 engine producing 663 CV. This means that for every 100 CV in the T.50, there are barely 150 kg to move; this was the basic premise behind the design of the T.50: lightweight.

And don’t think 663 CV is a figure that falls short compared with other supercars, which hover around or exceed 1,000 CV. Most of them have a final weight of around 1,450 kg. To match the T.50’s power-to-weight ratio, they would need roughly 300 CV more.

The heart of the T.50: a naturally aspirated V12 with 663 CV

However, it’s not all about lightness. Murray credits the engine with 50% of the definitive driving experience the T.50 offers.

For its development, he worked with a firm that knows a thing or two about high-performance engines, especially naturally aspirated ones: Cosworth GMA. The result is the lightest naturally aspirated V12 engine in the world, weighing just 178 kg. It is also capable of revving the highest: up to 12,200 rpm, where the fuel cut-off sits. With a displacement of 3.9 litres, it delivers a power output of 663 CV at 11,500 rpm, and reaches a peak torque of 467 Nm at 9,000 rpm.

The specific power is also the highest of any naturally aspirated engine: 166 CV per litre of displacement. Another figure that gives an idea of its unmatched ability to rev among road cars: it can go from idle to the red line of the tachometer in just 0.3 seconds.

Among the key features of this engine, mounted in a way that also acts as a structural element alongside the chassis, are the connecting rods, valves and clutch housing made of titanium, forced induction through the ducts located in the roof and, of course, dry-sump lubrication.

Two modes: GT and Power

Designed for track use but also for everyday driving, the driver can select GT mode, which limits power to 600 CV and engine speed to 9,500 rpm. In Power mode, the V12 unleashes its full fury and promises an unrivalled sound, thanks to the Direct Patch Induction Sound system and the titanium exhaust. Clearly, Murray was not going to leave this aspect to chance.

By the way, according to the technical specification, the V12 features a starter-alternator system with an electric motor driven by the engine via a belt, and a 48-volt electrical system. Call it Mild-Hybrid technology, which, as things stand today (the situation is set to change), would give the Gordon Murray T.50 the ECO label from the DGT.

As for the transmission, no automatics here. The Xtrac manual gearbox meets the requirements for lightness and compactness (weighing in at just 80.5 kg), and is configured with five gears with short ratios for the best acceleration, plus a longer sixth gear for relaxed cruising. The feel of that short gear lever with the round titanium shift knob must be a delight. The red control next to it is for selecting reverse.

A revolutionary chassis

The pursuit of the highest possible top speed has driven modern supercars into a spiral in which the final consequence has been an increase in weight. And weight is the enemy of driving efficiency. Murray is one of those who prefer a favourable power-to-weight ratio achieved through low weight, rather than through high power. The former is much harder to achieve than the latter.

The T.50’s lightness is achieved, logically, through the use of lightweight materials. But also through brilliant design, whichever way you look at it. Carbon fibre takes centre stage in the monocoque and the body panels. It is also used for the three seats, for example.

And for this reason, with lightness as the main objective, there is no room for hydraulic or pneumatic suspension mechanisms; the suspension uses deformable parallelogram geometry on both axles, made of aluminium. The steering has light assistance, but only to help with parking manoeuvres.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres, sized 235/35-19 at the front and 195/30-19 at the rear, also contribute in this area. They are fitted to ultralight wheels (7.8 kg at the front, 9.1 kg at the rear) with a centre-lock fixing system. And since they were saving weight, the carbon-ceramic brake discs signed by Brembo could not be left out, with six-piston monobloc aluminium calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.

Active aerodynamics

With an exterior design that stands out for the fluidity of its main lines, Gordon Murray claims that the T.50 has the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen on a road car.

Its dimensions allow it to be described as a compact car: 4.35 metres long, 1.85 metres wide and 1.16 metres high, with a wheelbase of 2.7 metres. Without doubt, what draws the most attention here, beyond the absence of large wings or spoilers, the air intake on the roof or the gull-wing doors, is the enormous rear fan, with a diameter of 400 mm. The fan is driven by an electric motor running on 48-volt power, and is capable of spinning at 7,000 rpm.

The structure running from the roof air intake, acting like a “backbone”, feeds air to this fan. When the aerodynamic mode is selected, the fan extracts air channelled from the area of the rear window, which flows beneath this zone to help cool the engine. This creates a ground effect that pins the car to the tarmac, as the fan accelerates the flow of air under the car towards the rear diffuser.

Although you cannot see them, there are wings that keep the car pinned to the ground at high speed. They are hidden, and deploy actively as needed. Keep these figures in mind: the T.50’s aerodynamics can increase downforce by 50%, reduce the drag coefficient by 12.5%, and allow the engine to produce 50 CV extra thanks to the air induction system. It also actively helps reduce braking distance by 10 metres from 250 km/h.

To understand how important aerodynamics are on this car: the T.50 offers six different modes that optimise performance and dynamic behaviour. The “auto” mode is joined by “braking” mode, which deploys the rear wing to 45 degrees when maximum deceleration is needed, or the driver-selectable “High Downforce” mode, in which the rear wing deploys 10 degrees and the diffuser valves open, with the rear fan working to increase downforce by 50%.

Streamline mode reduces the drag coefficient and downforce to improve fuel economy and allow a more relaxed motorway cruise. V-Max mode delivers 700 CV from the engine thanks to forced induction of intake air, while “Test” mode lets you check that the fan and the active wings and spoilers are working correctly.

The interior of the McLaren T.50

The enormous doors give access to a cabin with a 1+2 configuration: the driver in the central position, flanked by the passengers, slightly further back. On either side of the engine compartment there are two vertical storage spaces of around 90 litres, which serve as boot space. In total, including the front luggage area, the T.50 offers around 288 litres of luggage space.

Every detail is a true feat of engineering. Just look, for example, at the pedals (the accelerator, by the way, is also titanium), or at the floating structure of the centre console on which the gear lever sits. The start button is located at the centre of this console, and features a machined cap finished in red, reminiscent of the switches used to launch missiles in combat aircraft.

There are no touchscreens here: all controls are analogue, ergonomically placed. However, the T.50 does use virtual rear-view mirrors, with screens optimised for visibility. This is also a key element in reducing weight and improving aerodynamics.

The audio system is specially built to measure for the T.50. It is signed by Arcam, and features 10 speakers and 700 watts of power. The impressive part is that the entire audio system weighs less than 4 kg. The infotainment system screen, located in the instrument panel to the right of the tachometer, displays navigation and phone information, as it is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Gordon Murray T.50 image gallery

Video: Gordon Murray and the T.50

If you have made it this far, you are a passionate follower of sports cars and, most likely, of everything Gordon Murray does. In this video you can see the creator comparing his two creations: the McLaren F1 and the new T.50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1528&v=K4EIYQ6fkG4&feature=emb_logo