Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 supercar made for the everyday
BY MATT BROGAN
Gordon Murray Automotive has lifted the covers off its second model: the freshly-minted T.33 – a model GMA says it made for ‘everyday use’ – slots beneath the revolutionary T.50 as the marque’s newest, and perhaps most exciting, all-new two-seat super coupe.
Priced from £1.4m ($A2.7m) and with production limited to just 100 examples, the GMA T.33 is powered by the same normally aspirated Cosworth GMA 3.9-litre V12 found in the T.50. It is, however, slightly ‘detuned’ to make 453kW at 10,500rpm against the T.50’s 487kW.
Despite a rev ceiling of 11,100rpm GMA says the mid-rear mounted powerplant is ‘surprisingly flexible’, delivering 75 per cent of its peak torque value (451Nm) from just 2500rpm, and 90 per cent of maximum twist from 4500 to 10,500rpm. Peak torque is delivered at 9000rpm.
GMA says the superlight carbon-fibre monocoque and iFrame with corded carbon-fibre panels enable weight savings of around 300kg against traditional fabrication methods and delivers the perfect balance of torsional rigidity and lightness.
The T.33 will be produced in right- or left-hand drive guises and customers can choose between six-speed manual or instantaneous gearchange system (IGS) paddle shift transmissions. Both options are paired with a limited slip differential.
“With the T.33 – our second all-new car – we gave ourselves a very clear brief: to create another timeless design,” GMA founder and CEO Professor Gordon Murray said.
“It has been designed and engineered to the same exacting standards as our T.50, with the same emphasis on driver focus, performance, lightweight and superlative, pure design, but the outcome is a very different motor car.
“This is a car where comfort, effortless performance and day to day usability are even more front and centre in its character,” he added.
GMA has yet to provide acceleration times or a claimed top speed for its latest model, but says it is engineered to meet the same exciting standards as its bigger brother, the rocket-esque T.50 whose 0-100km/h is pegged at an ‘unofficial’ 2.7 seconds.
The T.33’s designers say the low-slung coupe is extremely agile but also extremely safe, the cockpit incorporating Formula 1 inspired Safety Cell technology to keep the driver and front-seat passenger protected in the event of a crash.
Riding on lightweight double-wishbone suspension front and rear with coil springs over aluminium alloy dampers the T.33 employs an anti-roll bar and aluminium alloy uprights up front and aluminium alloy uprights with toe control links and Inclined Axis Shear Mounting (IASM) system, which mounts directly to the transmission casing, at the rear.
To maintain as much naturality as possible, the rack and pinion steering is hydraulically assisted. Braking comes courtesy of Brembo-sourced carbon ceramic rotors (370mm front/340mm rear) grabbed by six-piston aluminium monobloc clamps at the front and four-piston calipers up back offering what is no doubt immense stopping performance. The friction braking package is aided by a deployable rear spoiler to increase retardation from higher speeds.
The offset wheel package of the GMA T.33 comprises lightweight forged aluminium alloys – 19 inches in diameter fore and 20 inches aft. Each weighs less than 7kg and is shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber.
To keep the T.33’s styling ‘cleaner’, the model does away with the fan-style aero design of the T.50 instead employing a ground-effect aerodynamic package. Using passive boundary layer control principles, frontal inlet channels and a rear removal duct, the T.33 is said to generate suction levels behind the car that are 30 per cent more effective than those created by a conventional ground-effect supercar.
“Like its T.50 and T.50s predecessors, the T.33 is all about the driving experience. We have engineered the T.33 to provide exceptional levels of highly tactile and deeply immersive involvement to elevate the driver to a higher plane behind the ‘wheel,” Professor Murray said.
“Safety is (as) paramount as everyday usability in all weather conditions. Our judiciously calibrated, non-invasive traction and stability systems are designed not to detract from the driving experience but provide an additional level of confidence when called upon.
“I am extremely proud of our team who have relentlessly applied our core principles to deliver this amazing motor car,” he added.
The cabin layout of the T.33 is simple, with nothing is included unless it serves a purpose. The car is even devoid of column stalks – instead, the indicators are operated by thumb-buttons positioned on the carbon-fibre steering wheel’s horizontal spokes.
Driver-focussed, the T.33’s cabin uses rotary and analogue controls throughout. The steering wheel and sports seats are constructed from carbon-fibre, while the dashboard is dominated by a flood-lit 120mm tachometer.
The remaining primary and secondary controls are hewn from aluminium alloy. An Apple CarPlay- and Android Auto-compatible audio system is included as standard. In keeping with its “everyday usability”, the T.33 has one front and two side luggage lockers that provide up to 280 litres of cargo space – or enough for six large suitcases.
Global deliveries of the GMA T.33 are expected to commence globally early in 2024.
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