Gordon Murray T.50s Niki Lauda, the tribute to the Austrian driver with an impressive track-focused version

The F1 was born from the hand and ingenuity of Gordon Murray, a vehicle that remains an object of desire today despite the years, something that also hasn’t stopped its market value from continuing to climb. Now Gordon Murray keeps “up to his old tricks,” as we were able to see a few months ago with his new creation, the T.50, a hypercar that reinvents the F1 with modern technology.

With the T.50, the English engineer made a leap straight into the pantheon of modern hypercars. It’s worth recalling that the T.50 is a true feat of engineering, creating a vehicle weighing 986 kg powered by a naturally aspirated V12 that delivers 663 CV, which translates into an outstanding power-to-weight ratio of 100 CV per 150 kg, far better than most hypercars exceeding 1,000 CV, since those carry a greater final weight.

Now, the new Gordon Murray is up to its old tricks again, using the T.50 as the basis for the ultimate vehicle for track days. It has nothing in common with the original model, as it is not a simple aerodynamic kit or a mere power increase. This model will be called the T.50s Niki Lauda and will pay tribute to the Austrian driver, its presentation also coinciding with the day Niki would have celebrated his 72nd birthday.

The Gordon Murray T.50s Niki Lauda grows in dimensions compared to the T.50 except for the wheelbase, which remains the same, and despite this it manages to reduce its weight to 852 kg. This is thanks to a platform created specifically for this model in carbon fiber, which also increases its rigidity. Moreover, you can see that its exterior includes numerous carbon fiber aerodynamic elements, such as the huge front splitter with side fins, the shark fin in the style of Formula 1 cars that joins the rear wing, or the striking rear diffuser.

As expected in a vehicle of this kind, aerodynamics will be one of the T.50s Niki Lauda’s strong points. In the tests and simulations the company carried out, they observed it could reach an aerodynamic downforce of 1,900 kg, although they preferred to limit it to 1,500 kg to allow less experienced drivers to use it. Also, the rear electric turbine, similar to that of the T.50, is designed to activate from 80 km/h and, from that point on, will operate at full capacity.

If we step inside the T.50s Niki Lauda, we see it is spartan. It doesn’t need much more, since it is a vehicle that lacks homologation and is intended purely for the track. The seats have been reduced from three to two, although the driving position remains centered, where the driver will find a button panel on the right and an instrument panel showing only the necessary information such as aerodynamics, the gear engaged, lap times, G-forces…

As for the mechanical side, the T.50s Niki Lauda keeps the 3,900 cc naturally aspirated V12 developed by Cosworth, but with a series of modifications such as a new intake, titanium intake valves, and a compression ratio raised to 15:1. These changes allow power to increase to 725 CV at 11,500 rpm. Mated to the engine is a six-speed sequential gearbox developed by Xtrac.

Production of the Gordon Murray T.50s Niki Lauda will be limited to just 25 units worldwide, with a price of £3.1 million before taxes, which translates to about 3.6 million euros.