Tag Archives: Gordon Murray

NEW CARS

Gordon Murray’s 772-HP T.50s Niki Lauda Is Ready for Goodwood

Leave a comment

The next chapter in Gordon Murray Automotive’s pursuit of automotive perfection is about to make its public debut, and it’s every bit as uncompromising as you’d expect.

At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Gordon Murray himself will take the wheel of the very first customer-bound T.50s Niki Lauda, piloting chassis number one up the famous hillclimb. While the road-going T.50 has already earned a reputation as a modern masterpiece, the track-only T.50s pushes Murray’s philosophy to its absolute limits.

Finished in white with a striking livery inspired by the South African flag, the first customer car pays homage to Murray’s first Formula 1 victory, achieved at the 1974 South African Grand Prix. A bold stripe running down the bonnet and colorful accents on the aerodynamic fins provide a subtle but meaningful nod to the designer’s roots and racing heritage.

Underneath the lightweight bodywork sits an evolved version of the T.50’s naturally aspirated 3.9-liter Cosworth V-12. For T.50s duty, output climbs to 772 horsepower delivered at a spine-tingling 11,500 rpm. Unlike the manual-equipped road car, the track-focused machine channels its power through a six-speed paddle-shift transmission engineered for maximum performance.

The centerpiece of the T.50s remains its driver-focused layout. As with the standard T.50, the driver sits in the middle of the cockpit, Formula 1-style. Surrounding that central seat is an aerodynamic package that transforms the car’s behavior on a racetrack. Adjustable aero elements work together to generate up to 2,645 pounds (1,200 kilograms) of downforce, giving the T.50s the kind of grip normally associated with modern prototype race cars.

Exclusivity, of course, is part of the appeal. Gordon Murray Automotive will build just 25 examples of the T.50s Niki Lauda, and every single one has already found a buyer. With prices starting at around $3 million, admission to this ultra-exclusive club doesn’t come cheap.

The T.50s won’t be the only attraction on the Gordon Murray stand at Goodwood. The company is bringing an impressive lineup that showcases both its present and future ambitions.

Making its European debut is the S1 LM design model, a machine that hints at Murray’s continued exploration of lightweight, driver-focused performance. Joining it will be the Le Mans GTR XP1 prototype, a development car that previews a limited-production run of just 24 customer vehicles inspired by endurance racing. Rounding out the display is the T.33 Spider validation prototype, known internally as VP12, offering a glimpse at the next phase of the company’s expanding lineup.

According to Executive Chairman Gordon Murray, production of the T.50s is already underway, while development of both the T.33 and T.33 Spider is progressing rapidly. More intriguing still is Murray’s suggestion that the company is working on an increasingly specialized family of vehicles designed to push the boundaries of his long-held engineering philosophy.

If the T.50 rewrote the modern supercar rulebook, the T.50s Niki Lauda looks set to tear out a few more pages. And with Gordon Murray driving the first customer car up the Goodwood hill himself, there’s no better stage for the latest expression of one of the automotive world’s most relentless perfectionists.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

Gordon Murray’s Newest Toy: The S1 LM – Because 690bhp and Five Friends Is All You Really Need

Gordon Murray Automotive has decided that building one of the finest road cars in history—the T.50—wasn’t quite enough. No, now they’ve launched themselves into the ultra-low-volume madness that seems to be sweeping the exotic car world. Think “millionaire car clubs” meets “gentleman racers with country estates the size of Belgium.”

Their new Special Vehicles division has cooked up its first treat: the S1 LM, revealed at Monterey Car Week and looking like it just stepped out of the 1990s wearing an F1 GTR T-shirt two sizes too small.

This isn’t a gentle tribute; it’s a track monster in a bespoke tuxedo. Underneath it’s based on the T.50, but GMA says it’s got a “hardcore track-first set-up” and pays homage to Murray’s original Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR. There’s the roof snorkel, the centrally mounted quad exhaust, the massive split rear wing—everything short of the champagne-soaked pit crew. Look from the right angle, squint a bit, and you’d swear it was 1995 again.

GMA’s also stiffened up the suspension, bolted the engine straight to the chassis, and slapped on a dinner-table-sized splitter. Add that wing and a diffuser you could shelter under during a rainstorm, and you’re looking at proper downforce—not the pretend kind you see on certain tuner cars parked outside kebab shops.

Power? Oh yes. The 4.3-litre naturally aspirated V12 spins up to 690+ horses, all sent through a six-speed manual gearbox. No paddles, no hybrid trickery, just pure analog fury. In the age of hypercars that drive themselves faster than you can think, this thing is refreshingly mechanical—and mildly terrifying.

Here’s the catch: they’re only making five. And in the most “because I can” move of the year, all five are going to one client for an undisclosed price. We can only assume said client is either plotting the most exclusive one-make racing series in history, or simply enjoys parking £20 million worth of race cars in the breakfast room.

Deliveries start in 2026, and this is just the opening shot from GMA’s Special Vehicles arm. As CEO Phil Lee put it, they’re already working on more “automotive works of art.” Which is corporate speak for: start saving, peasants.

Source: Gordon Murray Automotive

News

2026 GM Automotive T.33s

Following the T.33, T.50, T.50s and T.33 Spyder, South African-British designer of Formula One racing cars for Brabham and McLaren and the McLaren F1 high-performance road car, Gordon Murray has announced the arrival of a new model, the GM T.33s.

In an interview with Autocar, Murray did not reveal much about the car, other than that it will be a track-oriented road car. However, some information suggests a more advanced aerodynamic package, similar to the T.50s, and more downforce than the T.33. The T.33 weighs just over 1,070 kilograms, 110 kg more than the T.50, and generates 150 kilograms of downforce at a speed of 242 km/h.

When it comes to the powertrain, the T.33 is powered by a Cosworth naturally aspirated 3.9-liter V12 engine with 607 hp (446 kW) at 10,500 rpm and 334 lb-ft (451 Nm) of torque at 9,500 rpm. However, as Murray has announced that the T.33s will be more powerful, the same engine is expected to be used but with more horsepower.

The car will debut in mid-2025 and is expected to cost around $2.5 million.

Source: Autocar

Gallery:

2026 GM Automotive T.33s