The GMA T.33 Is An 11,100rpm-Capable V12 Screamer
Fancy a bargain? The Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 takes the incredible 3.9-litre Cosworth-built V12 from the T.50 and slots it into a more conventional two-seater car that’ll be roughly half the price. Only problem is, the T.50 is one of the most expensive new cars ever sold, so even with 50 per cent knocked off, you’re left with £1.37 million. Before local taxes.
But hey, it’s a bit of a steal in comparative terms, especially as the naturally-aspirated powerplant has only been turned down slightly. The rev limit is down by 900rpm to a still lofty 11,1000rpm, with peak power of 607bhp arriving at 10,500rpm. It’s a little heavier than the T.50, but still extremely light in modern supercar terms, tipping the scales at just 1090kg.
Sizing definitely helps keep the weight down, with a footprint similar to that of a Porsche Boxster. A platform made from carbon fibre aluminium trims the fat further. On that subject, the architecture is all-new, since this is a two-seater, meaning the T.50’s three-seater structure isn’t much use.
The bodywork isn’t intended to be retro-styled, although Murray does note that a smattering of sports racing cars from the 60s, including the Ferrari 206 Dino SP and the Porsche 904, provide a little inspiration. You might have noticed there’s no fan on the back of this one - the unusual active aero piece from the T.50 has been ditched in the name of simplicity.
Power from the mid-mounted V12 goes to the rear wheels exclusively via one of two Xtrac-developed gearboxes. You can either have a traditional six-speed manual, or an automatic. With a good enough launch, 0-62mph comes up in…we don’t know, actually. GMA doesn’t provide anything as vulgar as performance stats for its cars, as they’re beside the point as far as it’s concerned.
Under the skin, you’ll find the optimal double wishbone front and rear suspension setup. Also on the chassis front, GMA has fitted forged wheels in a staggered 19-inch front/20-inch rear arrangement. As this is supposed to be a supercar you can use often without causing headaches, the ride height is pretty lofty for the genre, with 120mm of clearance at the front and 145mm up back.
The cabin is a refreshingly simple affair, dominated by a big central (and analogue) rev counter. No big, ugly screens in here. The seating and pedal layouts meanwhile will be tailored to each customer for maximum comfort. So, you could happily take one of these on a long road trip if you wanted, and still take a lot of stuff. Much like the T.50 and the McLaren F1, the T.33 has big storage compartments in the sides of the car, giving a supermini-like 280 litres of luggage space.
Each will be made in GMA’s new facility in Surrey. 100 of each three variants will be built from 2023 to 2026. This core coupe version is expected to be followed up by an even lighter, more track-focused T.33 and a convertible.
The T.33 will be the last of the company’s purely combustion-powered vehicles, with all follow-ups set to use some form of hybrid assistance. Pleasingly, though, the V12 will live on.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Of course he’s only going to make only a hundred. He’s not really interesting in getting his money back rather than being able to sell his cars to investors so they won’t lose value. So much development, and yet most of it wasted in cars that won’t get driven because they’re so expensive to begin with, and because those who buy these cars are more interested in resale value than anything else. He goes out of his way to make a car that’s supposed to be easy to use everyday, yet he knows it’s all useless: he said himself that he ended up stopping driving the McLaren F1 he owned because it was getting too valuable. It’s a shame, really, that all of the research and all of the potential will come up to this.