T.50s V12 Track Debut
Gordon Murray Automotive Debuts 761-HP T.50s V12 Track Car at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Gordon Murray Automotive is bringing its most extreme creation to the public eye. The T.50s Niki Lauda, a 761-horsepower, naturally aspirated V12 track car that screams to 12,100 RPM, will make its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, according to Autoblog.
All 25 examples have already been sold, at £3.1 million ($3.9 million) each. But Goodwood will be the first time the public gets to hear one run. And with a 400mm rear-mounted fan producing 1,500 kg of downforce, it promises to be a spectacle.
From 654 to 761 Horsepower: What Changed
The T.50s starts with the same 3.9-liter Cosworth V12 found in the road-going T.50. But GMA pushed power from 654 hp to 761 hp for the track version, according to The State. That gain comes partly from RAM air induction at high speed — the faster you go, the more air is forced in, and the more power the engine makes.
The car weighs just 852 kg — roughly 1,878 lbs. A modern Porsche 911 GT3 RS weighs around 1,450 kg. That massive weight difference, combined with 1,500 kg of downforce, is what makes the T.50s so remarkable. Gordon Murray has said he does not care about lap times. His goal is driver feel.
The Niki Lauda Name Carries Real Racing History
The show car at Goodwood is named after the late Formula One champion Niki Lauda. The name ties directly to a real moment in racing. On March 30, 1974, Gordon Murray's Brabham BT44 won the South African Grand Prix — Murray's first F1 victory as a designer, with Lauda driving, according to Miami Herald.
GMA revealed the T.50s on what would have been Lauda's 72nd birthday, February 22, 2021. The Lauda family gave their blessing to use the name. Gordon Murray has called Lauda "a great friend" and said he "would have appreciated the engineering precision of this car."
The Fan Car Legacy Behind the T.50s Design
The 400mm rear fan is not just for show. It is a direct nod to Murray's 1978 Brabham BT46B — the infamous "Fan Car" that won its only race before being pulled from competition. That car used suction to generate grip. The T.50s does the same, but with modern engineering and no racing rules to break, according to Sun Herald.
Experts call the T.50s a "mechanical unicorn." It is almost certainly the last clean-sheet, high-revving, non-hybrid V12 that will ever be built for a production car. Tightening emissions rules make another one nearly impossible. That makes it a collector's asset — similar to the McLaren F1 GTR, which now sells for over $20 million at auction.
Four Cars, One Hill: GMA's Full Goodwood Lineup
The T.50s is not the only GMA car heading to Goodwood. The company will also show the T.33 Spider, the open-top version of its "everyday" supercar. It will also bring the T.50s 'James Hunt' XP1 — the first experimental prototype — and the S1, according to Bellingham Herald.
The T.50 road car program is already complete. All 100 customer cars have been delivered. The focus now shifts entirely to the 25-unit T.50s run. With deliveries underway and Goodwood giving the world its first live look, GMA is making its loudest statement yet about what internal combustion can still do.
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