GMA T.50 supercar costs $4.3m
McLaren F1's spiritual successor gets sky-high price to match insane 12,100rpm Cosworth V12McLaren reckons its 400km/h, three-seat Speedtail hypercar is the successor to the iconic McLaren F1 of the 1990s, but one glance at the new GMA T.50 is all it takes to question that claim.
Revealed overnight via official images and details, the super-rare £2.36 million ($AU4.3m) GMA T.50 hits the streets in January 2022 and will be limited to just 100 vehicles.
Looking very much like a modern-day version of another three-seat British supercar, the legendary McLaren F1, the T.50 was designed by Gordon Murray -- hence the GMA name, which stands for Gordon Murray Automotive -- who also designed the original F1.
“Just 100 customers will share my vision, a car created to improve on the [McLaren] F1 formula in every conceivable way,” stated Murray.
Powered by a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre (3994cc) V12 powerplant developed and built by famed UK tuner Cosworth, the GMA T.50 generates an impressive 487kW of power at 11,500prm and 467Nm of torque at 9000rpm.
While it’s true the Toyota Supra generates more torque than this multi-million-dollar British bullet, the T.50’s 12,100rpm redline makes the engine the highest-revving and most responsive naturally-aspirated road car engine ever, according to GMA.
It’s also the lightest road-going V12 ever made and the best-sounding and looking, thanks a special exhaust system and its gullwing-opening ‘viewing gallery’ respectively.
“With 30 years of technological and systems advancement, now, the time is right to design the greatest analogue driver’s car. I believe no other company could deliver what we will bring to market in 2022, producing this British supercar will be my proudest moment,” said Murray.
Tipping the scales at just 986kg, the carbon-fibre GMA T.50 is super-light and while it doesn’t generate as much power as some modern-era hypercars and certainly won’t be the fastest exotic out there, the dreadfully expensive car will deliver a driving experience like no other via its traditional analogue powertrain.
Analogue driving for the purists
The three-seat road rocket avoids a dual-clutch gearbox like those seen in many of its peers, instead sticking to a six-speed manual, while the lack of turbochargers means direct, linear throttle response and acceleration.
“From the first touch of the titanium throttle pedal to the V12 screaming at 12,100rpm, the driver experience will surpass any supercar ever built,” claimed Murray.
“No other road car can deliver the package of power, instant responsiveness and driver feedback in such a direct and focused way while remaining comfortable, refined and usable every day,” added the 74-year-old car designer.
Featuring three seats, with the driver sitting in a central position and passengers flanking behind, the T.50 is accessed via gull-wing doors, just like the McLaren F1.
The cabin gets plenty of modern features including twin customisable digital screens either side of an analogue rev counter, naturally. All controls are analogue but the car does get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In terms of size, the GMA T.50 is slightly longer than the McLaren F1 (4352mm compared to 4287mm), but to put things in context the three-seat scorcher is shorter than the 4456mm-long Porsche 718 Cayman.
Along with the three-seat layout there are exterior design similarities with the McLaren F1 too, including the super-low windscreen required for the central driving position. The low bonnet also aids vision and is a tip of the hat to the F1, as is the glass passenger cell and roof scoop.
Aerodynamic acrobatics
There’s one significant exterior difference between the F1 and T.50 and that’s the giant 40cm fan at the back of the vehicle, which is designed to rapidly accelerate air passing underneath the car and force it through active aero conduits.
While much of the GMA T.50 is low-tech analogue, the active aero features are high-tech, making use of an 8.5kW electric motor and 48-volt electrical system to power the fan system, which negates the need for a large rear wing. Different fan speeds create differing aerodynamic outcomes.
“Next-level aerodynamics allow us to avoid the current supercar trend for exaggerated wings, vents and ducts. I was determined to create a clean and pure shape that would remain timeless, ensuring the T.50 will still look fresh in 30 years,” said Murray.
“We were focused on achieving the purest possible form for the T.50, an objective we’ve achieved through world-first engineering innovations and active underbody aerodynamics.
“For the past 18 months, the T.50 team has lived and breathed the ethos of the car, accomplishing everything we set out to achieve and more. I couldn’t be happier with the car and the team – they’re by far the best I’ve ever worked with.”
And for those who may reckon the latest blazing Brit is too expensive and too derivative of the McLaren F1 to gain the attention of wealthy car collectors, almost all of the GMA T.50 vehicles have been sold.
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