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Former Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray has posted a first image of the track version of his T.50 supercar with a rear wing inspired by the aerodynamics of the Brabham BT52.
The rear wing of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 track car follows the principles of the delta nose of the BMW-powered BT52 that won the 1983 Formula 1 world championship with Nelson Piguet.
The active ‘fan car’ aerodynamics of the road version of the T.50 launched last month, which was influenced by the controversial 1978 Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B, has been retained for the track car.
Murray, who designed two F1 title-winning Brabhams and oversaw the development of the McLaren-Honda MP4 / 4 as technical director, revealed that he is in talks with GT boss Stephane Ratel to allow the car to enter his series of Sports Club racing for amateur drivers.
He has yet to elaborate on the expression of interest he made late last year in the new Le Mans Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship that comes into effect for the 2021 season.
The 1750mm wide delta rear wing of the T.50s works in conjunction with the fan to create up to 1500kg of downforce, 70 percent more than the car’s 890kg curb weight.
The T.50s fan runs in high downforce mode at all times, while the road car system incorporates six different settings.
The fan cleans the air from the car’s upper and lower surfaces, and the flow from the underside of the body is accelerated through the car’s redesigned and steeply sloped rear diffuser.
Murray said: “With an unwavering focus on performance, and free from roadside legislation and maintenance considerations, the T.50 will achieve astonishing performance on the track, demonstrating the full extent of the car’s capabilities.
“We have done our best to take this car beyond the levels of anything that has been made before – it is a celebration of British engineering and our team’s vast experience in motorsport.”
The track car incorporates “hundreds of significant revisions” about its road brother.
The GMA T.50 is 94 kg lighter than the road car and its 3.9-liter, normally aspirated Cosworth V12 produces 690 hp compared to 650 hp for the road version.
While the standard T.50 has an H-pattern gearbox to maximize the driving experience, the track car’s Xtrac transmission incorporates paddle-shift technology.
A total of 25 T.50 track cars will be built, along with the 100 road versions to be sold.
The car is priced at £ 3.1 million before tax and production will begin in the first quarter of 2023.
Murray, who designed two F1 title-winning Brabhams and oversaw the development of the McLaren-Honda MP4 / 4 as technical director, revealed that he is in talks with GT chief Stephane Ratel to allow the car to participate in its upcoming events. from the GT1 Sports Club. .
Ratel hopes his concept, which will be launched next year, will become a racing series for amateur drivers.
“At first, the GT1 Sports Club will be just track days, but the second step, if the owners have an appetite, is for a series of races,” Ratel told Autosport.
“It would be the perfect place for Gordon’s T.50.”
