McLaren F1 author previews his latest V12 project car in motion

Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), founded by the renowned automobile engineer and designer Gordon Murray, has announced work on a new entry-level sports car: the T.33. In a new video, an early prototype of the mid-engined RWD coupe is driven by triple Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti on the Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK.

The company calls the car “James the Test Mule” and emphasizes that it’s still far from being ready for production. The obviously minimal interior trim seems to support it, although you can already see certain components the company borrowed from its flagship, the GMA T.50.

The T.33 celebrated its international debut in January 2022. Mere two weeks later, all 100 examples planned for production were sold for £1,370,000+ each. By its design, the junior GMA racecar is similar to the already-shipping T.50 in many aspects. Like that car, it features a carbon-fiber monocoque cabin riding on dual-wishbone suspension. It lacks the T.50’s signature large fan at the rear end. Unlike the McLaren F1 that Gordon Murray also penned up, it has two seats inside instead of three.

The 3.9-liter V12 has been tweaked as well. The output was dialed down from 663 to 615 PS (from 656 to 605 hp; from 489 to 451 kW, respectively). The redline has also been pushed down from 12,000 to 11,100 RPM, but that doesn’t necessarily sound like a bad thing. GMA had planned to ship the car with two transmission options to choose between – six-speed manual and six-speed DCT – but the vast majority of the buyers opted for the manual, so the company decided to ditch the alternative.