- Gordon Murray-designed GMA T.50 supercar is featured on episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage”
- Successful racing driver Dario Franchitti presents the T.50 to Leno
- Production of the T.50 is already underway at plant in U.K.
Gordon Murray is responsible for the legendary McLaren F1 supercar of the 1990s, and his latest creation, the T.50, is likely to go down in history as Murray’s next great car.
Jay Leno is one of the few owners of the F1, and his enthusiasm for the car shows in the latest “Jay Leno’s Garage” episode where he explores the T.50, a car Murray himself as described as the true successor to the F1. Similarities include a central driving position, a lightweight carbon-fiber tub, a high-revving V-12 (up to 12,100 rpm), and a 6-speed manual transmission. Both cars also sport similar styling.
Successful Indy racing driver Dario Franchitti, today an ambassador for Gordon Murray Automotive, the company responsible for the T.50, was on hand to show Leno the T.50. The particular example is a prototype, meaning Leno wasn’t able to drive it, though no doubt the funny man has one headed to his collection shortly. Franchitti did the driving, which is appropriate because he helped develop the car.
Production started in early 2023 and GMA plans to build just 100 examples, plus 25 examples of a more hardcore T.50s Niki Lauda version. GMA will then focus on a less extreme supercar, known as the T.33. An open-top T.33 Spider is also planned.
The T.50 is unique 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 doesn’t like. It works on the rear diffuser as well as rear spoilers, and has several modes that let the driver adjust the level of downforce.
A High Downforce mode increases downforce by 50%. A Braking mode can add downforce under braking, shortening the 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, raising the car’s output to 690 hp from the standard 654 hp.
The T.50’s fan concept is different than the one used on the Murray-designed Brabham BT46B “fan car” that Niki Lauda drove to victory at the 1978 Formula 1 Swedish Grand Prix. In the Brabham, the fan worked more like a vacuum cleaner, and sucked the car to the ground.
Like the F1, the T.50 is all about the driving experience. It weighs roughly 2,200 pounds, less than a Miata, so many of its parts don’t need to be large and heavy to handle the car’s load. For instance, the brakes are small for a supercar and the tires are 235 mm wide up front and 295 mm in the rear. For better feel, the electric power steering only works at parking lot speeds, then turns off to become manual steering.
Gordon Murray isn’t the only successful Formula 1 designer with a new supercar on his hands. Adrian Newey has designed the RB17 track car, which will be built and marketed by Newey’s soon-to-be former employer Red Bull Racing, starting next year.
Check out the video above for more information and to hear that sonorous V-12 in action.