GMA T.50s Niki Lauda nears production after GT3-beating test
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Final testing is complete for one of the most extreme track cars ever conceived, with the GMA T.50s Niki Lauda now officially signed off for production.
Built as a hardcore evolution of the road-going Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, the T.50s is a 761hp, V12-powered circuit weapon limited to just 25 examples worldwide, all of which are already spoken for at around US$3 million apiece.
The final prototype approval test took place at the Bahrain International Circuit, where four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti was tasked with putting the car through its paces.
The result? A 1:53.03 lap time more than seven seconds quicker than the circuit’s long-standing GT3 benchmark, set back 2001.
Franchitti described the car as “the most engaging” he has ever driven, claiming it surpasses not only other track-only hypercars but even the race machinery that carried him to multiple championship titles.
Built for driving perfection
While lap records weren’t the core objective, the numbers underline just how focused the T.50s is. Weighing under 900kg, it is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.9-litre Cosworth-developed V12 that produces 761hp at 11,500rpm and screams all the way to 12,100rpm. Power is delivered through a bespoke six-speed paddle-shift Xtrac gearbox, with the driver seated centrally in classic Gordon Murray fashion.
An aggressive aerodynamic package generates up to 1200kg of downforce, while testing in Bahrain saw peak longitudinal braking forces of 3G and lateral loads of 2.7G through high-speed corners. Franchitti also exceeded 184mph (296km/h) during high-speed evaluation runs.
According to Professor Gordon Murray, outright lap times were never the point.
“This car was never about setting lap times,” he said. “We simply designed the lightest, optimally powered, most driver-centric track car possible — with the right formula, speed comes naturally.”
A tribute to a legend
The T.50s is named in honour of Murray’s close friend, three-time Formula One World Champion Niki Lauda. The connection runs deeper than the name: Lauda famously drove Murray’s radical fan-assisted Brabham BT46B to victory at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, a car that shares the same engineering-led philosophy as today’s T.50 range.
Each of the 25 T.50s cars will carry a unique commemorative name linked to one of Murray’s first 25 Grand Prix victories, reinforcing the car’s deep motorsport heritage.
Customer cars already underway
Back in the UK, production is ramping up with four customer cars already nearing completion. Following Franchitti’s sign-off, final calibration of suspension, braking, throttle response and engine management will be locked in to match the approved prototype set-up.
All 25 examples are scheduled for completion by mid-2026, with allocations spanning North America, Europe and other global markets.
