Gordon Murray, the mastermind behind the iconic McLaren F1 and several Formula One cars, recently unveiled the T.50, a modern take on the British supercar. In a market packed with incredible supercars, the T.50 stands out through its center-mounted driving seat and rear fan, but it's also a classic take on the concept thanks to its lightweight construction, naturally aspirated engine, and manual transmission. Some say that the T.50 embarrasses today's supercars and Engineering Explained details why in its latest video.

The T.50 wasn't designed to be just extremely powerful. It was engineered to be the best driver's car out there. Just like the McLaren F1, it's lightweight, rear-wheel driven, it has a central driving position, a naturally aspirated engine, and a manual transmission. Granted, it might not have 1,000 horsepower, like many supercars out there, but as Engineering Explained points out, it's not about ego, it's about having fun.

At least for a production car. Although it lacks a big wing and the army of winglets you see on other supercars, it features an innovative fan system that helps channel air around the car and improve downforce. In certain situations it can double the amount of downforce and it also improves braking, which is essential for a light and powerful vehicle.

With the rise of technology and the use of forced induction and automatic transmissions, modern supercars have become increasingly heavy. All supercars out there tip the scales at more than 3,000 pounds and some of them actually hit the 3,500 pound mark. The T.50, thanks to its simpler construction and engineering, comes in at just 2,174 pounds. That's as light as a Mazda MX-5 Miata}.

This also means that the T.50 boasts a better weight-to-power ratio, despite not being as powerful as the competition. For example, the T.50 comes with a ratio of 3.3 pounds per horsepower, while supercars like the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1, and Ferrari LaFerrari all have at least 3.7 pounds per horsepower.

Then there's the naturally aspirated engine, a rather odd choice in an era when all supercar manufacturers are opting for forced induction.

On top of that, Murray's V-12 delivers the most horsepower per liter and the highest rpm. The latter comes close to Formula One cars.

The T.50 is also fitted with a manual transmission, a rare feature nowadays, when manual are becoming rare in any vehicle, not just supercars. But while all supercars are fitted with dual-clutch automatics, Murray opted to keep a three-pedal layout at customer request. Sure, automatics shift notably quicker and enable cars to be quicker, but they also take away most of the fun.

While I wouldn't go as far as to say that the T.50 embarrasses modern supercars in all aspects (although it does just that when it comes to its lightweight construction), it is the best driver's car that you can buy in 2020.