Development of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 fan-assisted supercar is nearing completion. One of the final steps in the process is bringing the vehicle to the Arctic Circle for cold weather development.
Driving a V12-powered supercar in the snow may not make sense at first, but the chief tester explains in a video why it’s actually quite important. Continental supplies vehicle safety technologies, such as stability control systems. To calibrate it, Gordon Murray Automotive must provide readings from high and low grip conditions. Ice and snow provide a slippery surface for this test.
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Gordon Murray Automotive is preparing a driving mode with full stability control support and what the head test driver calls the “hero” setting. Choosing the latter will allow owners to ditch the T.50 but still have the ESP providing a safety net. It is also possible to turn off assistance.
Test drivers say the company is now performing a “final calibration” to the T.50. “Most of all the construction is done,” he said.
Gordon Murray Automotive launched the T.50 in August 2020. The company plans to build 100 of them, and the base price is £2.36 million before tax ($2.92 million at current exchange rates). Due to the driver’s central seating system, this model is not road legal in the United States.
The supercar has a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine from Cosworth that produces 654 horsepower (488 kilowatts) and 344 pound-feet (467 Newton-meters) of torque. The red line is at 12100 rpm.
The 15.75 inch (400 millimeter) fan is a unique feature of this model. This increases downforce and acts as a ram-air induction system for the engine.
A track-only T.50 is also on the way. It was limited to 25 units and sported a much more aggressive body than a street car. Revised engine tuning pushed output to 725 hp (541 kW) when the ram-air system was fully engaged.
Gordon Murray Automotive also has a slightly cheaper T.33 on the way, with deliveries starting in 2024. It starts at $1.8 million and is coming to the US. The V12 model version was slightly underpowered at 607 hp (453 kW) and 333 lb-ft (451 Nm). The red line is at 11100 rpm. There is no fan system on this model. Buyers can choose from a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic
