Here at Jalopnik, we’re firm believers that every sports car would be infinitely better if it had no roof. And, clearly, legendary car designer Gordon Murray feels the same way as his automotive upstart has just teased the release of the T.33 Spider, which chops the roof off its awesome V12-powered supercar.
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After unveiling the bonkers Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, the hypercar with a fan bolted to the back, the T.33 was launched as more of an “everyday supercar” by the British company. The second model in the company’s range, the T.33 packs in a 3.9 liter Cosworth V12 that develops 607 horsepower. In a car that weighs just 2,403 pounds, that’s sure to result in something quite special.
But in the standard car, you’ll be stuck beneath a sleek carbon fiber roof at all times, hindering your enjoyment of that engine and its 11,000 RPM redline. Clearly, that won’t do. So to rectify things, Gordon Murray Automotive has teased its ambitions to create a T.33 Spider, which was teased this weekend across social media.
In a sketch shared on Twitter, Gordon Murray Automotive showcased what the T.33 Spider could look like. It appears to feature that same Cosworth V12 at the rear, which now looks to be fed by some kind of snorkel air intake right behind the driver’s head and in place of the air intake on the roof, which is what you’ll find in the coupe.
Other than that, the car looks largely unchanged from the coupe. There’s still the traditional two-seat layout, unlike the three-seat configuration you’ll find in the T.50, and the car’s minimalist lines remain. There also looks to be an active wing at the rear, and some complex aerodynamics going on to direct airflow around the hole in the roof.
But for a company committed to high performance and weight saving, how does a convertible fit with that ethos? After all, chopping the roof off a sports car does tend to make it heavier. But, in this case, Auto Express reports that the Spider will weigh just 40 pounds more than the coupe.
There are no details yet on price, how many Spiders Gordon Murray Automotive will build or where they’ll be available. But as the $1.85 million T.33 coupe is street legal here in America, we can all keep our fingers and toes tightly crossed at the prospect of seeing this car stateside soon.
The full reveal of the T.33 Spider will take place tomorrow (April 4th) at 5pm BST (12pm EST), and you can bet that we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled to see what the final car looks like.