In 1978, Bernie Ecclestone wanted to win F1 at all costs. He and his driver Nicki Lauda needed a revolutionary car, and a designer willing to build it. They found an automotive genius in Gordon Murray. His Brabham BT46 used a massive fan to keep the car sucked to the pavement.
Over the past 50 years, Professor Murray has also been responsible for Brabham’s F1 wins, McLaren’s F1 team, the McLaren F1, and the Mercedes-McLaren SLR. Other hits include the Light Car Company’s Rocket.
Canepa Group to be N. American Representative for T.50 Supercar
Because his vision for a street-legal supercar was more than McLaren was willing to undertake, he established Gordon Murray Design in 2007. The idea of a modern fan-car has never escaped him, and that was the impetus behind the new T.50.
To keep weight to a minimum, Cosworth was commissioned to build a 4.0-liter V12 that could also support the rear suspension. It allows the curb weight to be under 1,000 kg, as it tips the scales at 2,160 lbs. The driver is center-seated, in front of 650 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. This masterpiece has a redline of 12,100 rpm, and it has a 6-speed manual transmission.
Now we get to his Ace In The Hole. Every feature of the belly pan directs air into a 15.7″ fan. A dozen movable spoilers and surfaces offer six modes of downforce. For top speed runs, Vmax mode sends all high-pressure air into the intake for an extra 30 horsepower.
Because the fan sucks in almost all boundary-layer turbulence, the T.50 has almost no drag and incredible downforce. By reviving technology he pioneered over 40 years ago, he has sent every automotive engineer back to the drawing board. Only 100 cars will be produced, with a majority aimed at Japan and U.S. specifications. For pricing and details, please contact Canepa Automotive in the button above.
Related: