Gordon Murray Automotive chases timelessness with T.33 supercar

Gordon Murray Automotive has taken the wraps off its latest production model, the T.33 supercar. It is the second model in the company’s line-up, joining the T.50 which was launched back in 2020.

“With the T.33, our second all-new car, we gave ourselves a very clear brief: to create another timeless design,” said GMA founder Gordon Murray. “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.”

Lightweighting was an integral part of the design process for the T.33. The model is based on a new carbon-fibre and aluminium architecture, allowing for a 300kg reduction in weight compared to the average supercar, according to GMA. Even the manual gearbox has shedded some pounds weighing in at 82kg, making it the world’s lightest supercar gearbox unit.

Another key area of focus was aerodynamics. Unlike the T.50, which included unusual features like the rear-mounted fan to improve air flow, the T.33 has a traditional shape and structure. Instead, several subtle and technical enhancements have been made to maximise aero efficiency, like the inlet channels underneath the floor and the diffuser with its boundary layer removal duct. These changes alone amount to a 30% improvement to ground effect aerodynamic efficiency.

Several other subtle modifications make the T.33 stand apart from the T.50. The headlamps, for example, are stretched and extend at the bottom to finish just above the bumper. The lamps are stacked vertically instead of horizontally and are now flanked by two crescent-shaped LED strips on each side, instead of one. Body work along the side is cleaner and more curvaceous due to the exemption of the large air outlets behind the front wheels – another aero feature on the T.50.

Changes at the rear are far more dramatic. With the absence of the enormous fan that dominates the back of the T.50, this new model is neat and tidy, with a sweeping body panel running from wheel to wheel. Underneath, a narrow rear mask includes the 3D circular lights, flanked by small strips of carbon-fibre. The mask is cladded in a fine, mesh-like layer of metal, and connects seamlessly with the giant rear bumper.

On the inside, GMA has stayed true to the values outlined during its design of the T.50 – there are no giant touchscreens and few buttons. Instead, there is a concise and deliberate effort to make the interior feel like a traditional race car, with the large gearstick dominating the small centre console, the clean steering wheel, and the cylindrical analogue instrument cluster. Elsewhere, surfaces are cladded in a soft dark fabric, while only the driver’s seat and door panel are highlighted in a bright yellow. It couldn’t be any clearer – this is a car designed for the driver.

However, GMA has decided on a traditional two-seat layout, which means that the driver is positioned to one side. In contrast, the T.50 includes three seats, with the driver’s positioned front and centre like a cockpit. It seems an unusual decision, considering the T.50 layout is more driver-centric and can accommodate more passengers.

GMA claims that the T.33 is “the world’s most accomplished all-round two-seater V12 supercar.” Only 100 units will be made, with the company stating its plan to ensure “exclusivity”.