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Riding With Dario Franchitti in the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50

Gordon Murray Automotive has been working on the T.50 -- Murray's spiritual successor to his game-changing McLaren F1-- since 2020. The goal for Murray was to “fix” things about the F1 he would do differently if given the chance, and to create a car that offers a driver's experience that is raw and engaging while still making use of mechanical and material technological advancements.

The T.50 is a tiny machine, no bigger than a Porsche Cayman, with a custom-built Cosworth V-12 designed to Murray's demanding specifications. It comes only as a six-speed manual, treats power steering as a luxury for use only at low speeds, and seats three, if none of them are large. Yet it's not a luddite's car. The engine makes use of an integrated 48-volt starter/generator to rid itself of sloppy belts. The bodywork is honeycombed composite for weight savings, and every internal switch was chosen with tactile satisfaction in mind.

We've seen the car at Goodwood and Laguna Seca, but in August 2024, we finally had a chance to go for a ride in a production model in Los Angeles. Registration details (the T.50 is only legal in the U.S. under a Show and Display import exemption) kept us from taking a turn in the center driver's seat, but if you have to turn the wheel over to someone else, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better chauffeur than Franchitti.

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00:00 Intro
00:57 Dario Franchitti introduces theT.50
01:43 Gordon Murray and the McLaren F1
02:40 Cosworth's 12,100 rpm V-12
05:35 Six-speed manual transmission
06:00 On 0-60 mph acceleration
06:29 Suspension
07:28 Wheels and tires
08:24 Aerodynamics and the fan out back
09:32 Interior
11:14 Dario on driving the F1 and T.50 back to back
12:33 Powertrain flexibility, induction noise, and drivability
14:11 Spirited driving
14:53 Exterior sizing and aerodynamics
15:56 Acceleration
16:18 Conclusion

Credits Car and Driver
added on 31 Aug. 2024