For most car enthusiasts, the McLaren F1 is quite possibly the finest driving instrument ever created. Despite being created in the ’90s, it was the fastest car in the world for over a decade, even as the horsepower wars really started ramping up. So when the F1’s designer and mastermind, Gordon Murray, announced he would be developing a new supercar, BMW fans became very excited.
The reason BMW fans interest in Murray’s new car is because his famous F1 actually used a BMW engine, which just so happens to be one of the greatest engines of all time. Murray also sought out the engine partnership with BMW M’s Paul Rosche (admittedly after a Honda deal fell through). So many BMW fans, including us, felt that Murray might once again turn to BMW for an engine for his new supercar. After all, the two had incredible success together with the F1.
However, that’s not the case. Instead, Murray is going with a Cosworth engine for his next-gen supercar, the GMA (Gordon Murray Automotive) T.50. While the name isn’t great, that’s about the only thing that doesn’t sound absolutely spectacular about this car.
Obviously, it will be a mid-engine supercar but it’s not going to be some numbers-bragging, lap-time-boasting spec-machine. Instead, Murray has the same goal in mind for the T.50 as he did the F1 — simply to make it “the purest, lightest, most driver-focused supercar ever built.”
Powering the GMA T.50 will be a 3.9 liter naturally-aspirated V12 built by Cosworth. That’s right, the world is getting another naturally-aspirated V12, which is the best news of the week. But wait, it gets even better. It will make 650 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and rev to — wait for it — 12,100 rpm. That’s Formula One car stuff and that will make it the highest-revving production car engine in history.
And yet there’s even better news. Mated to that stratospheric V12 will be a special lightweight six-speed manual gearbox developed by Xtrac in Britain.
Still, the news gets better. What’s the curb weight? 2,160 lbs. So it will be considerably lighter than an NA Mazda Miata yet have 650 hp. That’s ridiculous.
It will also have an F1-style seating position, as it will be a three-seater just like the first Gordon Murray supercar. So it will have a central driving position with two seats flanking it set further back.
Reading about this entire car is like pure automotive nirvana being injected into my veins. It checks almost every single box we could have dreamed of. The only thing we wish was different would be its engine, which we wish was a bespoke unit developed by BMW M, just like the old days. Still, we won’t complain about a 650 hp, naturally-aspirated V12 that revs past 12,000 rpm. It might not have a BMW engine but it’s still flipping amazing.
