Revealed on Niki Lauda's birthday, the GMA T.50s ‘Niki Lauda’ it is not only the track version of the T.50, but a tribute to the Austrian driver with whom Gordon Murray worked in Brabham F1.
Limited to just 25 units, the T.50s 'Niki Lauda' is expected to go into production by the end of the year, with delivery of the first copies scheduled for 2022. As for the price, it will cost 3.1 million pounds (before tax ) or approximately 3.6 million euros.
According to Gordon Murray, each T.50s 'Niki Lauda' will have a unique specification, with each chassis designating an Austrian driver's victory. The first, for example, will be called “Kyalami 1974”.
"War on weight", second act
Like the road version, in the development of the GMA T.50s ‘Niki Lauda’ special attention was paid to the issue of weight. The end result was a car that weighs only 852 kg ( 128 kg less than the road version).
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This value is lower than 890 kg set as goal and it was achieved thanks to the new gearbox (-5 kg), the lighter engine (weighs 162 kg, minus 16 kg), the use of thinner materials in the bodywork and the absence of sound and air conditioning systems.
To boost this “featherweight” we find a specific version of the 3.9 l V12 developed by Cosworth that already equips the T.50. this offers 711 hp at 11,500 rpm and, revs up to 12 100 rpm and, thanks to the RAM induction in the air intake, it reaches 735 hp.
All of this power is managed by the new Xtrac IGS six-speed gearbox which has been made to measure and is controlled via paddles on the steering wheel. With a scaling designed for the tracks, this allows the GMA T.50s ‘Niki Lauda’ to reach a maximum speed of 321 to 338 km/h.
Regarding the T.50s 'Niki Lauda', Gordon Murray stated: “I wanted to avoid what I did with the McLaren F1 (…) The track versions of that car were adapted after we made the road car. This time, we designed the two versions more or less in parallel”.
This made it possible not only to offer the T.50s 'Niki Lauda' a different monocoque, but also its own engine and gearbox.
Aerodynamics on the rise
If weight control had a special importance in the development of the GMA T.50s ‘Niki Lauda’, aerodynamics was not far behind in the “specifications”.
Equipped with the huge 40 cm fan that we already knew from the T.50, the new T.50s 'Niki Lauda' makes use of this to give up the usual “paraphernalia” of aerodynamic appendages, although it doesn't do without a generous rear wing (more downforce) and a dorsal “fin” (more stability).
Fully adjustable, this track version's aerodynamic kit from Gordon Murray Automotive's latest creation lets it generate an impressive 1500 kg of downforce at high speed, 1.76 times the total weight of the T.50s. In theory we could run it “upside down”.
The Gordon Murray T.50s 'Niki Lauda' will be accompanied by the “Trackspeed” pack, which includes everything from tools to instructions on how to get the most out of it, with the traditional central driving position (and also allowing an additional passenger to be carried). “unicorn” in the most diverse circuits.