What's this, then?

This is arguably the most exciting new car of 2020. The Gordon Murray Design (GMD) T.50.

Fast, is it?

Well, we don't know yet but consider the pedigree - the last time Gordon Murray designed a road car, it was the McLaren F1 (he did do the Mercedes-McLaren SLR too, but that was more of a Mercedes project) and that was the fastest car in the world until Bugatti bludgeoned its way in.

What's this one going to be like?

Well, it will be light (just 980kg) and will have a Cosworth-built V12 engine that will rev to 12,000rpm and develop as much as 700hp. It'll have the same three-seat layout as the F1, with the driver in the centre. Crucially, it will - as we can see from this first photograph - have a fan at the back.

You mean someone who really loves comic books?

No, that's a fanboy. This is a fan, and just like Murray's legendary Brabham BT46 F1 car of 1978, it sucks air out from under the car to create maximum downforce. It can also adjust that downforce for when you want more comfort than speed, to help cool the engine and the brakes, or even to make the car more slippery through the air for maximum efficiency.

Murray has teamed up with the Racing Point F1 squad to use its rolling-road wind-tunnel to fine-tune the T.50's aerodynamics. The big tunnel means that a 40 per cent scale model can be used - much bigger and therefore more detailed than you'd fit in most other tunnels.

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."

When can I have one?

Well, not till 2022 at the earliest, although Murray will reveal the car in full next May. Oh, and you'll need at least £2 million to snap up one of the 100 that will be built.

Neil Briscoe - 10 Dec 2019