Bristling new Brabham BT62R road car revealed

We’ve driven the Brabham BT62 race car and now the street-legal version of the mid-engined Australian-made super-coupe, the Brabham BT62R, has been unveiled.

First deliveries of the equally exotic road-going Brabham BT62R, which is priced close to $2 million, will take place within weeks.

Each car will feature variable ride-height settings for road and track use, a redeveloped (read: quieter) exhaust system to meet federal regulations, redesigned seats, the addition of air-conditioning and a heated windscreen to make daily driving a little less extreme.

Oh, and 18-carat gold logos and badges just for good measure.

Designed to take on the Ferrari F8 Tributo ($484,888) and McLaren 720S ($489,900) at their own game, the Brabham BT62R differs in its power philosophy compared to its European competitors.

Indeed, the Adelaide-built rear-drive supercar doesn’t have twin-turbochargers. Or any turbos, for that matter, so it should offer more responsive acceleration, a better driver-to-car connection and an even greater exhaust note as a result of its naturally-aspirated powerplant.

While the F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S both crank out 530kW of power and 770Nm of torque from their 3.9-litre and 4.0-litre V8s respectively, the Brabham BT62R’s 5.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8 generates slightly lower outputs of 522kW and 667Nm.

The Aussie car-maker hasn't released vital statistics such as the 0-100km/h or 0-200km/h times yet.

Brabham Automotive says the highly-strung 8000rpm engine, which is understood to have Ford Racing origins, “features the highest-output, naturally-aspirated V8 on the market, promising a visceral driving experience like no other.”

It’s the same donk the Brabham BT62 Competition and Ultimate Track race cars use, but gets recalibrated engine mapping to better suit road use.

The high-revving V8 hooks up with a six-speed sequential transmission featuring altered gear ratios also “more suitable for road use” says Brabham.

Steering wheel paddle shifters are fitted as standard to deliver super-rapid clutch-free changes on the racetrack. There’s also a clutch pedal for road use that won’t require spinal realignment after each full-throttle shift.

Apart from the lack of turbocharging, another big difference between the Aussie supercar and its European rivals is the price. The McLaren 720S and Ferrari F8 Tributo cost around half a million bucks each, while the Brabham road car is pegged at a breath-taking $1.8 million.

Nevertheless, Brabham has already sold several BT62Rs and says the first example will be delivered to its new home “in the coming weeks”. Brabham says it has multiple orders in production for customers in both the northern and southern hemisphere and can build the car in both right- and left-hand drive configurations.

Other features unique to the road-going car include a stereo system, a new front splitter and rear diffuser designed for road use, plus Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport road tyres with a unique motorsport-derived compound to deliver high grip levels.

Leather and/or Alcantara upholstery for the carbon-fibre seats are part of the package and there are a few internal storage compartments too. Climate control is added and a digital control panel displays vital telemetry and vision from a rear-view camera that can be used on road or track.

Like all good road-legal race cars, it also comes with headlights, tail-lights, side mirrors “and other utility features required to drive on the road”, says Brabham.

Two BT62R variants are offered – Signature Series and Celebration Series, the latter limited to 35 vehicles and adding 18-carat gold logos and badges, a bespoke carbon interior unique to each vehicle and a track pack that adds a race-ready front splitter, rear diffuser and wing that can be fitted for track action.

Signature Series vehicles are offered in any colour the buyer chooses – even hot pink – while Celebration Series cars are available in 35 unique liveries, each one paying homage to the 35 Formula 1 wins achieved by Brabham Formula 1 cars.

“Launching the BT62R is a great achievement for the team at Brabham Automotive. All the requisite design and engineering to turn the track BT62 into the road going BT62R has been done inhouse by our team of engineers, which is a great testimony to their endeavour and expertise,” said Dan Marks, CEO of Brabham Automotive.

“This is a significant milestone for Brabham Automotive as we continue towards the launch of our next car, which will be a fully homologated road car. We will be making further announcements about this exciting next chapter in the coming months. For now, customers can get a taste of what it is like to drive a Brabham on the road with the BT62R.”