Premium British vehicle manufacturer Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has announced the 25 commemorative names to be paired with the 25 T.50s Niki Lauda chassis. Each of the track-only T.50s supercars will celebrate Gordon Murray’s rich racing heritage with their names commemorating the dates of his first 24 Grand Prix wins at different circuits, and a special endurance race victory.
Already allocated to their owners, each of the T.50s chassis is themed chronologically, starting with Murray’s first race victory – 1974 South Africa at Kyalami – and continuing with each subsequent win at unique locations: 1974 USA at Watkins Glen; 1975 Brazil at Interlagos; 1975 Germany at Nürburgring; 1978 Sweden at Anderstorp; 1980 Italy at Imola; 1980 Netherlands at Zandvoort; 1981 Argentina at Buenos Aires; 1982 Monte Carlo at Monaco; 1982 Canada at Montreal; 1983 Brazil at Rio; 1983 Italy at Monza; 1983 UK at Brands Hatch; 1984 USA at Detroit; 1985 France at Paul Ricard; 1988 Mexico at Mexico City; 1988 UK at Silverstone; 1988 Belgium at Spa; 1988 Portugal at Estoril; 1998 Spain at Jerez; 1988 Japan at Suzuka; 1988 Germany at Hockenheim; 1988 Hungary at Hungaroring; 1988 Australia at Adelaide; 1995 France at La Sarthe.
The news comes ahead of the global dynamic debut of the T.50s Niki Lauda prototype on 13 April at the UK’s Goodwood Motor Circuit. The first public outing for the T.50s prototype will headline the 81st Goodwood Members Meet where more than 15,000 track spectators will enjoy the first outing of the race-spec car revving through to its 12,100 rpm redline. The T.33 mule ‘James’ will also make its dynamic debut at the event marking the progress made by the GMA R&D team and enabling the public to hear the GMA.2 V12 engine for the first time.
The Goodwood event will celebrate the career of famed racer Niki Lauda – the 1970s and 1980s F1 driver whose name appears on every T.50s. Raising the occasion’s significance further, GMA will explain the unique connection between the T.50s and the iconic Brabham BT46B ‘Fan Car’ that Niki Lauda drove to a commanding victory at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.
Conceived by Gordon Murray during his 17-year tenure as Chief Designer at the Brabham Formula One team, the BT46B rose to instant iconic status due to Murray’s innovative addition of a ground-effect fan system. Having dominated and won its inaugural race at Anderstorp, Sweden in the hands of Niki Lauda, the model was withdrawn by Brabham to pacify other teams for the good of the championship.
Gordon Murray, CBE – Executive Chairman, Gordon Murray Group: “The dynamic debuts of the GMA T.33 mule and GMA T.50s XP1 mark an important milestone in the development of both supercars. I’m also proud that we will participate in honouring a man who was a one-of-a-kind racer and a great friend by showcasing the T.50s Niki Lauda at Goodwood. Additionally, revealing the 25 historically significant motor racing names for our track-only T.50s is the perfect way to celebrate a favourite event for me and the whole GMA team.”
GMA’s Dario Franchitti will present attendees with an insightful overview of the story of the BT46B and its significance in the design and engineering of the T.50 supercar and its track-spec T.50s sibling. The GMA team will also be joined by His Grace the Duke of Richmond who will take a tour of the Murray display of heritage race cars and modern-day GMA supercars.
Full GMA display line up at Goodwood Members’ Meet
- 1967 IGM T.1 – The first model designed and built by Gordon to race in South Africa in 1967 and 1968, before he moved to the UK.
- 1972 Duckhams Ford LM – Murray was approached by racing driver Alain de Cadenet to design a 3 litre prototype for a British attack on Le Mans in 1972. Backed by the Duckhams oil company Murray designed and built the car as a moonlight job within six months. Despite an accident just two hours before the end of the race, the car still managed to finish 12th overall and 5th in its class.
- 1974 Brabham BT44 – The BT44 holds a special significance for Murray, as it was his first car to win a Formula One race (South Africa, Kyalami Circuit). The BT44 enjoyed a fairytale ending to the season too with a one-two finish, and the fastest lap at Watkins Glen.
- 1975 Brabham BT44B – Subtle changes were made to the BT44 for the 1975 season. The BT44B design included stiffening of the front of the monocoque, and more carefully honed aerodynamics. The car achieved wins at Interlagos, Brazil and the Nürburgring, Germany contributing to the team’s second place position in the Constructor’s Championship.
- 1994 LCC Rocket – Weighing less than 400 kg, the ‘Light Car Company Rocket’ had a 145 bhp Yamaha engine and a tandem seating setup. This combination delivered a power-to-weight ratio that far exceeded even the most powerful supercars of the time, paired with phenomenally agile handling.
- 1995 McLaren F1 GTR – This iconic racing supercar achieved the 1995 win of the 24 hours of Le Mans. Murray adapted the regular F1 adding an aerodynamic body kit, carbon brakes, and strengthened suspension, alongside necessary electrical and interior revisions for racing.
- T.50 PS4, PS1, ‘George’ – Spanning from the first T.50 mule car, the Ultima-based ‘George’, to the production Series PS1 and PS4 cars, the T.50 display demonstrates the broad spectrum of development that GMA vehicles undergo on their way to full production.
- T.50s Niki Lauda XP1 & XP2 – The first two experimental prototypes for the track-only T.50s. Dario Franchitti will drive XP1 on the Goodwood Circuit – the prototype’s global dynamic debut.
- T.33 mules ‘Henry’ & ‘James’ – The first two embodiments of the future T.33, Henry and James offer the earliest hints of how the T.33 may perform, and how glorious its V12 engine may sound!
The full suite of heritage models on show at the Goodwood Members’ Meet are chosen due to their influence on the design, engineering, and ethos of all GMA products. From innovative firsts in racing, to pioneering material use, and Murray’s characteristic purity of design, each heritage vehicle lends inspiration and direction to GMA’s modern-day supercars.
The T.50s Niki Lauda is an uncompromising track-only supercar that enhances driver engagement even further than its road going sibling. Lighter still than the T.50, at less than 900 kg, the more powerful (772 PS) T.50s will utilise every one of the GMA V12 engine’s screaming 12,100 rpm to deliver a one-of-a-kind on-track driving experience.
While the T.50s shares the same central driving position at the T.50, it is a completely new car from the ground up including its monocoque, and every carbon fibre body panel. Priced at £3.1m (before taxes), the T.50s features a 1,758 mm-wide delta wing, which works with the rear-mounted fan, a new front splitter, underbody aerofoil, and adjustable diffusers to generate up to 1,200 kg of downforce.
The T.33 is similarly lightweight, tipping the scales at just 1,090 kg. The lack of mass ensures the model is agile and responsive, characteristics delivered through a perfectly balanced chassis and carefully tuned suspension, accessed through precise steering and a satisfying six-speed manual shift. Packaged with the 617 PS 3.9 litre Cosworth GMA.2 V12 engine that revs to 11,100 rpm, the focus for T.33 is to deliver the brand’s characteristic ‘driving perfection’ alongside a V12 soundtrack like no other.
The T.33 mule debuted at the Goodwood Circuit is named James, a tradition dating back to 1990 when Gordon set up McLaren cars and chose names for the F1 mules. Naming the first F1 mule ‘Albert’ after the road next to the original McLaren Cars HQ, the team continued the ‘English kings’ theme with the arrival of ‘Edward’. GMA named the T.50 mule ‘George’, while T.33 continues the tradition with mules ‘James’ and ‘Charles’ already conducting development work, and ‘Henry’ on the way.
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