Dario Franchitti Approves T.50s Niki Lauda Track Supercar
Dario Franchitti has surpassed the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s benchmark to approve the T.50s Niki Lauda track supercar for production.
The Gordon Murray Automotive team chose the Bahrain International Circuit for the final Production Approval Test of the T. 50s prototype. The session saw the four-time IndyCar World Champion and three-time Indy 500 winner beat the circuit’s fastest GT3 lap time by seven seconds. After the test, Dario approved the T.50s for production. The team will complete all 25 T.50s customer cars by mid 2026.
Dario Franchitti said, “The T.50s is the most engaging car I’ve ever driven. 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 Gordon Murray team selected the Bahrain International Circuit because it places extreme thermal and mechanical stress on a car. The track allows engineers to study how a car responds to repeated heavy braking. During testing, Dario recorded a 3G longitudinal peak under braking. The demanding surface also accelerates tyre wear and produces low grip, which helps engineers fine-tune the chassis setup. Engineers also finalised the aerodynamic profiles and assessed high-speed stability. During the test, Dario exceeded 184mph and recorded lateral forces of up to 2.7G through high-speed corners.
The GT3 beating lap came on the final day of testing. Dario set a time of 1:53.03, more than seven seconds faster than the GT3 benchmark set in 2001. The lap provided clear proof that the T.50s track supercar is ready for production.
The test programme marked the end of a meticulous process of development, review, refinement and optimisation. The team pursued a single goal: Driving Perfection. Dario and the engineering team made every decision with the driver in mind, focusing on the experience behind the wheel.
Customer car production has already begun in the UK. Four models are almost complete, and more will soon enter the build programme. With Dario’s final approval in place, engineers will carry out final calibration work. The team will fine-tune suspension, brakes, engine management, and throttle response in the production models to match the setup he approved. Gordon Murray Automotive will complete all 25 T.50s models by mid 2026, with customer allocations across North America, Europe and other global markets.
Professor Gordon Murray, CBE, Executive Chairman of Gordon Murray Group, said: “This car was never about setting lap times. We 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.”
Gordon named the T.50s after his close friend Niki Lauda, the three-time Formula One World Champion. Lauda secured a legendary victory at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix in the Brabham BT46B fan car. That moment remains a landmark in engineering-led race car design. Each of the 25 cars carries a unique commemorative name linked to one of Gordon Murray’s first 25 Grand Prix victories. The naming approach celebrates the designer’s racing heritage and strengthens the car’s connection to motorsport history.
Professor Murray said, “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.”
The T.50s sits in a category of its own. The car weighs less than 900kg and uses a 3.9 litre Cosworth GMA V12 that produces 772PS at 11,500rpm and revs to 12,100rpm. This configuration delivers an exceptional power-to-weight ratio and instant throttle response. A bespoke Xtrac six-speed paddle-shift gearbox, a central driving position, and a fully adjustable aerodynamic package that generates up to 1,200kg of downforce combine to create an immersive and highly focused track-driving experience. Almost every major component is unique to the T.50s, including the carbon fibre monocoque, bodywork, suspension tuning, and race-optimised systems, which underscore its clean-sheet design.
Gordon Murray Automotive designed and engineered the T.50s from the ground up as an uncompromising track machine. The model represents the most focused expression yet of the brand’s driver-centric philosophy. Each car is hand-built in the UK in partnership with the championship-winning motorsport engineering specialists Multimatic and benefits from the combined expertise of both teams.
