We don't want to get you over-excited, but... here's the first proper image of Gordon Murray's new supercar, the T.50!
Murray, you will remember, designed amazing racing cars for Brabham and then McLaren (for drivers such as Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna) before moving on to create the legendary McLaren F1 road-going (and Le Man-winning) supercar.
Since then, he's been a consultant and designer for hire, and last year announced that his Gordon Murray Design (GMD) company was going to build a limited-run supercar, designed to be light, agile, and above all fun - a proper 'Son of F1.'
Well, here's the first proper image of the car, and it shows a crucial aerodynamic element - the rear fan. That fan is used to suck air out from under the car, through venturi tunnels, and generate huge amounts of downforce. It's an idea Murray once tried on his Brabham BT46 F1 car of 1978, and it was so effective that the F1 authorities were set to ban it before Brabham withdrew it amid howls of protest from other teams.
To perfect the T.50's fan and aerodynamic package, Murray is going back to his F1 roots, and has linked up with the Racing Point F1 team (neé Force India, Spyker, Midland, and originally Jordan Grand Prix). Murray will use the team's rolling-road wind tunnel to hone the effectiveness of that 400mm fan.
Only 100 T.50s will be built, and will cost around STG£2-million each. It'll be light - Murray is targeting a kerb weight of 980kg - and powerful. Cosworth is supplying a V12 naturally-aspirated engine for the car (which will rev to a staggering 12,000rpm), and Murray says that its many driving modes will include a Vmax Mode which combines motorsport slipstream technology, extra power from a 48-volt integrated starter-generator, and ram induction to boost power to 700hp.
'Auto Mode' is the car's default, which optimises use of the rear aerofoil, fan and underbody diffusers in response to speed and driver inputs. When high levels of deceleration are required, 'Braking Mode' deploys the rear aerofoils automatically and the fan operates simultaneously at high speed. This function doubles the levels of downforce, enhancing stability and grip, and enables the T.50 to pull up a full 10 metres shorter when breaking from 150mph.
The other four aero modes are driver-selectable. 'High Downforce Mode' delivers enhanced traction - where the fan and the aerofoils work together to increase downforce by 30 per cent. At the flick of a switch, the driver can shift to 'Streamline Mode', to reduce drag by 10 per cent and boost straight-line speed, while also reducing fuel consumption and downforce. This mode closes the underbody ducts and sets the fan to operate at high speed to extend the trailing wake of the car, creating a 'virtual longtail'.
Working with Racing Point will allow Murray to put a 40 per cent scale model in the wind tunnel - much larger than those normally used. Team owner, Lawrence Stroll, said: "Working on the T.50 with Gordon Murray Automotive is an honour and a privilege for everyone at Racing Point. Our aerodynamicists will utilise our wind tunnel to harness the very latest Formula One expertise and experience for the T.50 project, ensuring Gordon's revolutionary fan concept delivers its full potential. I have admired the design and engineering skills of Gordon Murray since his earliest days in Formula One, so it is a personal pleasure to support this project, which truly rewrites the rulebook on aerodynamics."
Gordon Murray himself said: "Formula One remains a deep passion of mine, so partnering with Racing Point to develop the T.50 is hugely exciting. I've dreamt of delivering a road car with a ground-effect fan since I designed the Brabham BT46B F1 racing car in 1978. The system on the T.50 is much more sophisticated than the Brabham's and will benefit enormously from Racing Point's expertise and resources."
We know that the T.50 will feature Murray's trademark three-seat layout with the driver at the centre, and that the car will be revealed in full next May. Murray said: "We've been taken aback by the enthusiastic reaction of buyers from across the globe. The first customer deliveries will take place in January 2022, on schedule, with every customer who has already been allocated their T.50 receiving their car that year."