The T.50s Niki Lauda track supercar has been approved for production after surpassing the Gordon Murray Automotive GT3 race car benchmark at the Bahrain International Circuit in its final production approval test. Four four-time IndyCar World Champion and triple Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti recorded a 1:53.03 lap, more than seven seconds faster than the GT3 benchmark set in 2001. All 25 customer cars will be completed by mid‑2026.
“The T.50s is the most engaging car I’ve ever drive,” said Franchitti. “For pure fun factor, it surpasses all other track-only models, my favourite supercars of all time, and even the race cars I drove to multiple world championship wins. Gordon set out to create the greatest on-track driving experience ever. The team has more than delivered. The feedback, responsiveness, performance, sound, visibility, braking, stability … everything … it’s just perfect.”
The Bahrain circuit was chosen for its extreme thermal and mechanical stresses, enabling engineers to evaluate braking performance, tire wear, low-grip handling and high-speed stability. During testing, the T.50s reached 184 mph, experienced 2.7g lateral acceleration in corners and endured 3g longitudinal forces under braking. The lap demonstrated the production-readiness of the car and confirmed that aerodynamic and chassis setups met GMA’s specifications.
Professor Gordon Murray, CBE, executive chairman, Gordon Murray Group, said, “This car was never about setting lap times. We simply designed the lightest, optimally powered, most driver-centric track car possible – with the right formula, speed comes naturally. T.50s is designed from the ground up to deliver the greatest possible on‑track driving experience, without compromise.”
Each T.50s is named in tribute to one of Murray’s first 25 Grand Prix victories, with the Niki Lauda model honoring the three-time Formula 1 World Champion. The car is powered by a bespoke 3.9-liter Cosworth GMA V12 producing 772ps at 11,500rpm, with revs up to 12,100rpm. A six-speed paddle-shift Xtrac gearbox, central driving position and fully adjustable aerodynamic package generating up to 1,200kg of downforce combine with a carbon-fiber monocoque and unique race-optimized systems to deliver an immersive track-focused experience.
“Naming the car after Niki was deeply personal. He was a great friend and a remarkable racing driver, and I believe he would have appreciated the purity, focus and engineering integrity that define the car we named in his honour,” said Professor Murray.
Related news, Zenvo appoints Mark Harrison as chief commercial officer
