The Gordon Murray T.50 could break cover on August 4 in prototype form
by Ciprian Florea, onGordon Murray is an automotive legend. He designed many successful Formula One cars for Brabham and McLaren, as well as the iconic McLaren F1. So it’s natural to be excited about his upcoming supercar, the T.50. A spiritual successor to the F1, the T.50 is described bu Murray as "the gratest road-car V-12 ever made." It’s not yet ready to go into production, but Murray unleashed a video of the V-12 engine on the dyno and it sounds incredible.
The short video posted on Instagram shows the engine revving up to 8,000 rpm.
That’s not exactly impressive from a V-12 that’s supposed to go into a supercar, but Murray plans to take it all the way to 12,100 rpm. Still, it already sounds amazing and by the time it will get beyond 10,000 rpm it should sounds like a classic Formula One V-12 engine. At 12,100 rpm, this V-12 will also become the highest-revving engine of any production car.
Gordon Murray V-12 on the Dyno
The V-12 engine is being developed in partnership with Cosworth
Gordon Murray is working together with Cosworth on this new V-12. The British firm has built some of the greatest Formula One engines, but also created engines for iconic road cars, such as the Ford Sierra RS and Escort RS, some Audi RS cars, and the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3.
Murray's V-12 is a 3.9-liter, naturally aspirated unit with a narrow 65-degree cylinder bank, dry sump lubrication, and a mild-hybrid setup with a 48-volt starter-generator.
The engine is said to generate around 650 horsepower, with an extra 50 horses available from the hybrid setup. The mill is 100% percent bespoke and doesn’t share any parts with other Cosworth engines.
Although 650 horsepower might not sound like a lot in an era when supercars generate in excess of 800 horsepower, the T.50 will be extremely light. Murray aims for a curb weight of only 2,160 pounds, almost 400 pounds lighter than the McLaren F1 and more than 800 pounds lighter than a modern hypercar like the McLaren Senna.
When will the Gordon Murray T.50 hit the road?
The company says that the T.50 will launch on August 4, 2020, but we’re probably looking at a drivable prototype. A production model might be unveiled sometime in 2021, with deliveries to start in 2022. Gordon Murray plans to build 100 units and pricing is said to start from around £2 million (about $2.6 million).
| Engine Type / number: | Cosworth GMA |
|---|---|
| Configuration: | V12 semi-structural |
| V. angle: | 65° |
| Displacement: | 3,994 cc |
| Valvetrain: | Double overhead camshafts / variable valve timing / 4 valves per cylinder |
| Lubrication system: | Dry sump |
| Maximum power: | 650 horsepower |
| Maximum torque: | 332 pound-feet of torque |
| Maximum rpm: | 12,100 rpm |
| Starter: | 48-volt integrated starter |
| Alternator: | 48-volt ISG (integrated starter-generator) |
| Transmission Configuration: | Transverse all synchro constant mesh |
| Speeds: | 6 forward and reverse |
| Gear selection: | Manual with reverse lockout |
| Suspension Front: | Double wishbone with anti-roll bar |
| Rear: | Double wishbone – included axis GSP system |
| Steering: | TypeRack and pinion with LSPA |
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