GMA T.33 is Gordon Murray’s New $2.5M GT Supercar
A year and a half after the T.50, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) yesterday unveiled the more affordable and less extreme T.33. While the 50 units of the former sold for about $4 million each, the 100 units planned for the latter each cost around $2.5 million.
Gordon Murray, for those who don’t know, is the creator of the legendary McLaren F1 three-seat supercar and several F1 race cars including the 1978 Brabham BT46B "Fan Car."
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Unlike the T.50, the new T.33 doesn’t feature a central driving position or ground-effect fan in the rear. It’s also 220 pounds heavier at 2,400 pounds. However, it retains the naturally aspirated 4.0-litre Cosworth V12 engine and optional six-speed manual gearbox (which Murray says is way more popular among buyers than he imagined).
The T.33 generates 607 horsepower at a lofty 10,500 rpm, while peak torque is 332 pound-feet at 9,000 rpm (including 250 pound-feet from 2,500 rpm). It draws fresh air from a roof-mounted Ram Intake scoop. By the way, the airbox is completely separate from the chassis, attached only to the engine itself.
From a design standpoint, everything on this car has a function. There are no unnecessary wings or intakes in keeping with Murray’s focus on elegant minimalism. Even the GMA logo behind the side glass hides the handle for the dihedral-opening door. Inspired by race cars of the 1960s and barely larger than a Porsche 718 Cayman, the exquisitely penned carbon bodywork is mounted to a new central structure which uses honeycomb carbon-fibre panels bonded to an aluminum framework.
The only active aerodynamic component is the rear spoiler, which can automatically deploy at speed or be manually deployed by the driver. Large venturi tunnels on either side of the exhaust outlets connect to a new Passive Boundary Layer Control system underneath the car, adjusting airflow based on the suction levels at the rear of the car. And amazingly, the suspension uses unequal-length control arms at each corner but no adaptive dampers or rear stabilizer bar.
As for the two-passenger cockpit, it looks unlike anything else on the road—except the T.50, of course. There are no touchscreens, and even the turn signal stalks have been replaced by buttons on the steering wheel. The 4.7-inch analog tachometer is flanked by two smaller displays showcasing speed and other readouts. And how cool is the shifter?
One last thing: owners will find storage cubbies inside along with a front trunk and a pair of luggage lockers accessed by hinged panels behind the doors. The goal was to make the T.33 a real GT for people who want to cover long distances.
We already have a strong candidate for car design of the year, folks.