(August 9, 2023) ― Two supercars from premium British manufacturer Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) will make their U.S. debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in California on Friday 18 August. The new, open-top T.33 Spider and track-only T.50s Niki Lauda will go on show for the first time on U.S. soil as part of a week of activity culminating with the Gordon Murray-designed and iconic Brabham BT44B Formula One car racing in the hands of Dario Franchitti at Laguna Seca.
Additionally, the first production T.50 supercar – defined by its central driving position – will make its global debut at The Quail. This T.50 is the first of 100 production cars, each of which will be completely bespoke to its respective owner. No two examples will even have the same paint colour. A production run of a maximum of 100 is a core GMA principle that ensures exclusivity for owners of the brand’s expertly-engineered supercars. The same exclusivity applies to the T.33 range comprising both the new Spider revealed earlier this year, and the coupe model first shown in 2022.
“We have so much to celebrate at this year’s Monterey Car Week. Alongside showing the first production T.50 supercar, our open-top T.33 Spider makes its U.S. debut – a car that will deliver a truly involving driving experience that’s quite unlike anything else. Meanwhile, our T.50s also makes its U.S. debut and in the form of the very first ‘XP1’ prototype. This special car – limited to just 25 examples – is designed to provide an on-track experience like no other. Showing the first prototype ahead of it beginning its development programme is extremely exciting.”
Professor Gordon Murray CBE, Executive Chairman
New T.33 Spider
The new Spider version of the T.33 was planned from the outset of the T.33 programme to ensure that both it and its coupe sibling were engineered with the correct attributes to deliver driving perfection. The T.33 Spider’s Ultralight carbon monocoque technology comprises carbon fibre composite panels bonded to extruded aluminium tubing triangulated at precision die-cast aluminium nodes. This delivers a body structure which provides the optimal balance of high stiffness, lightweight, and exceptional levels of safety and occupant protection. Weighing just 1,108kg (2,443 lbs) and with 617 PS (609 bhp) from its 3.9-litre Cosworth GMA.2 V12 engine, the Spider will deliver a visceral driving experience with an unmistakable soundtrack.
Usability is a key facet of the T.33 Spider too – the open top model boasts 295 litres of luggage space in total with a 115 litre front luggage compartment – which doubles as stowage space for the removable roof panels – plus a further 180 litres of storage space in the upper rear quarters of the car.
Both the T.33 Spider and its coupe sibling will be available in both right- and left-hand drive and will have EU and Federal type approval.
First production T.50 and track-only T.50s
The first production T.50, which will feature at The Quail, marks a major landmark for Gordon Murray Automotive. With production now fully under way, 100 owners around the world are soon to experience the T.50 – engineered to be the most driver-centric supercar ever built. The T.50 features the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen on a road car with a prominent 400mm (15.7-inch) rear-mounted fan boosting underbody ground effect to deliver an unrivalled driving experience.
Alongside its physics-bending aerodynamics and 12,100rpm, 670PS (661 bhp), Cosworth GMA V12 engine, the T.50 breaks the supercar norm by offering owners true practicality alongside performance.
The T.50s Niki Lauda to be shown at The Quail is XP1 – the first experimental prototype. While the T.50s shares the same central driving position at the T.50, it is a completely new car from the ground up including its carbon fibre monocoque and every body panel. Its 3.9-litre mid-mounted Cosworth GMAs engine produces 772 PS (762 bhp) and drives the rear wheels through a bespoke Xtrac instantaneous six-speed paddle-shift transmission.
Priced at £3.1m (before taxes), the T.50s weighs less than 900kg (1,985 pounds). The car features a 1,758mm (69-inch)-wide delta wing mounted to the rear of the car, which works with the rear-mounted fan, a new front splitter, underbody aerofoil and adjustable diffusers to generate up to 1,200kg (2,646 pounds) of downforce.
“The U.S. is a hugely significant market for Gordon Murray Automotive as it’s home to so many knowledgeable and enthusiastic supercar owners. Bringing our newest model, the T.33 Spider, the first production T.50 and the T.50s prototype ‘XP1’ to Monterey Car Week to share with our owners and the public is hugely important for us, and indicative of our future ambition in the U.S. market.”
Phillip Lee, Gordon Murray Group CEO
Gordon Murray-designed Brabham BT44B Formula One car at Laguna Seca
Elsewhere during Monterey Car Week, Gordon Murray’s Heritage division will race the iconic Brabham BT44B Formula One car at the Laguna Seca WeatherTech Raceway. Designed by Gordon during his 17-year tenure as Technical Director at the Brabham F1 team, the BT44B gave Murray his first Grand Prix win in the hands of Carlos Reutemann at Kyalami, South Africa, in 1974.
Gordon Murray Automotive’s Dario Franchitti MBE, four-time IndyCar Series champion and three-time Indy 500 winner, will race the BT44B at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca during Car Week.
In addition to the competition action in the Brabham on both Friday 18 and Saturday 19 August, Dario will also be turning demonstration laps at Laguna in the first production T.50 on the Saturday.