Gordon Murray, the designer of the iconic McLaren F1 that put the driver in the center and became the supercar of the 1990s (and every year after that), in the year 2019, has a new supercar in the works. That new central-seater supercar, according to his car company, is a whole lot like the McLaren F1.
Actually, to be exact, the company said this new supercar “improves upon its iconic predecessor in every way.” That’s some serious hype work.
Gordon Murray Automotive announced Wednesday the details of its new F1-like supercar, the T.50, which will be manufactured by the company in the UK with its major components like the powertrain, body and chassis also sourced from there—making it a “true British supercar,” the press release said.
But it won’t just be a true British supercar. It’ll be a true “spiritual successor” to Murray’s most iconic car, the F1, the press release said, and will get a naturally aspirated, 650-horsepower Cosworth V12 that the company claims is capable of 12,100 rpm. (The street-legal “F1” car Mercedes is working on revs to a claimed 11,000 rpm, and the actual F1 car gets up to 14,000 rpm, for reference.)
That power will be paired with a claimed weight of about 2,160 pounds, or about 300 pounds less than your average Miata —the epitome of tiny sports cars. It’ll seat three with the driver in the middle, just like the McLaren F1, and will have a six-speed, H-pattern transmission.
There’s an entire five-paragraph section on how similar it’ll be to the F1, even, saying the two are alike in that there are “no specific targets” for top speed or lap times, and that they’re more about engineering quality and driving experience along with visibility and central driver seating. The two cars also share a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, and a focus on being grand tourers with passenger and luggage room rather than stripped-down racers.
Here’s what Murray had to say, via the release:
“The T.50 design has the same focus and betters the F1 in every area – ingress and egress; luggage capacity; serviceability; maintenance and suspension set-up. Also, driver-selectable engine maps ensure a driving mode to suit every situation,” concludes Murray.
Gordon Murray Automotive said the car will be limited to 100 models, each “priced in excess” of $2.5 million before taxes. Deliveries will start in early 2022, the company said.
And, at that point, we’ll probably all know just how well it stacks up to Murray’s iconic F1.