2025 Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider First Look Review: Chasing Emotion, Not Records
The new Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider is a convertible that asks much of its owner: You have to change gears yourself, there are no turbos to whisk you along on a titanic wave of torque, you can't watch Netflix on a giant screen while waiting for your other half outside the dentist, and you must remove the roof panels manually if you want to soak up some sunshine. But these are all the reasons it is such a refreshing piece of exotica in a world that is obsessed with overloading cars with every available piece of technology.
As with the T.33 coupe, GMA set out to create a pure driving experience full of feedback and emotion, and free of distractions. That said, the sound of a naturally-aspirated 607-horsepower V12 behind your head that can rev to over 11,000 rpm could prove somewhat distracting. We don't know exactly how fast it is, but nobody cares - you'll be too busy reveling in a V12 with a stick shift and managing traction since power goes only to the rear wheels. But the best part about the T.33 is that, unlike the T.50, it will be road legal in the USA thanks to its conventional off-center driving position.
When Is The 2025 Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider Coming Out?
The release date for the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider is expected towards the end of 2025, with GMA confirming that the T.33 Spider will begin production at Windlesham (Surrey, UK) after the T.33 coupe's fall 2024 start. Production of the T.33 Spider kicks off in the summer of 2025.
A mere 100 examples of the 2025 T.33 Spider will be coming out, and although we're not sure how many models are already spoken for, Americans technically have a chance of owning one since the T.33 will be road legal in the USA, whereas the T.50, with its central driving position, is not.
2025 Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider Price And Competition
The price of the 2025 GMA T.33 Spider starts at £1.89 million - £180k more than the coupe. The cost in US dollars will depend on the exchange rate at the time of ordering and payment, but for reference, this translates to $2.36 million at the time of this writing.
There are no other V12 convertibles like this one that can count as direct rivals, as they're either too heavy or priced in a much lower bracket. The Ferrari Daytona SP3 is a crushingly capable alternative, though. It has an MSRP of over $2.2 million, and all 599 examples have been sold out, but it has a breathtaking design and 829 hp. Remarkably, the T.33 Spider is still over 800 pounds lighter.
Over 1,000 lbs portlier is something like the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Roadster, but it appears almost needlessly overwrought alongside the pure T.33. The Lambo "only" costs around $550k, though.
New Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider Exterior And Colors
It's only when the dihedral doors and dual side luggage compartments are open at the same time that the exterior of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider appears shouty. That's not to say that it's remotely ordinary when the doors are closed; it's just that we're accustomed to cars of this stature, price, and performance being designed as if they want the world to know about it. Blame the Italians for that.
Instead, the T.33 Spider follows its coupe sibling with a pure, timeless design that is based on GMA's 'Return to Beauty' ethos. Much time and attention were given to proportions, and it's impossible to identify any flab or overdone aspect to the taut, sporty-yet-elegant drop-top. Gordon Murray himself said that he sketched the Spider at the same time as the coupe in an effort to make sure it retains the balance and beauty of the latter, and we'd have to say that he has achieved just that.
The topless design adds a hint of drama to the T.33 Spider, though, and the ram induction airbox mounted to the engine stands out even more when the roof panels are removed. Speaking of, these lightweight carbon composite panels can fit into the front luggage compartment, and they can be finished in one of several colors. The roof has a fixed section with buttresses that flow uninterrupted into the rear deck, and behind these are louvers to assist with engine cooling. While the typical Bentley drop-top owner would probably consider the task of removing roof panels physically to be highly undignified, this process seems entirely in keeping with the T.33 Spider's relative simplicity as a whole: no turbos, no automatic (more on that in a bit), and not a touchscreen in sight.
To complete the open-air experience, the rear glass can be automatically lowered behind the bulkhead.
The rest of the car's design is familiar from the coupe, with oval-shaped headlights featuring stacked lighting elements, along with rounded tailights and dual tailpipes mounted in the center. The particularly short rear overhang is very much in evidence from the side, as are the super low hood and steeply raked windshield.
Forged aluminum wheels measure 19 inches in front and 20 inches at the back, and these are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. An active rear spoiler, along with special front/rear diffusers, assist with guiding air over the body as efficiently as possible. Murray and his team deemed the gaping ducts and splitters typically found on high-end supercars to be ostentatious, so they're intentionally absent from the T.33 Spider. But thanks to the Passive Boundary Layer Control (PBLC) system that includes a ground-effect inlet in front, the car still achieves high downforce, excellent stability at high speeds, and low drag - whether or not the roof panels are in place.
Customization is usually an important factor when designing a car that costs this much. To that end, the exterior colors for the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider have been curated into four unique themes that have been inspired by the core values of the marque. These include Return to Beauty, Engineering Art, and Murray Atholl tartan. The final theme is said to be inspired by Murray's affection for tropical shirts. While we don't have a specific list of colors, rest assured that customers will be able to select almost any shade they desire, including the blue seen here.
Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider Dimensions
Somehow, the GMA team has managed to squeeze a V12 into a drop-top that's barely longer than a Porsche 718 Boxster. The dimensions of the 2025 Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider include a length of 173.1 inches and a width of 72.8 inches. It is a low 44.7 inches in height, and the wheelbase measures 107.7 inches.
With a dry weight of just 2,443 pounds, the Spider is only 40 lbs heavier than the coupe. This is due to the composite body structure and GMA's relentless attention to detail when it comes to shaving off weight wherever possible; even the exhaust manifolds are made from inconel to save weight. And, at around 392 lbs, the T.33 has the lightest road car V12 engine in the world.
Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider Engine And Performance
A 3.9-liter Cosworth GMA.2 V12 engine powers the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider, but its specs of 607 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque don't tell the full story. Even a base four-cylinder Mustang has more torque than the T.33 Spider, but that's because the GMA.2 V12 mill eschews turbocharging as it was designed to afford the driver the most riveting driving experience, both in terms of responsiveness and aural quality.
With a dry sump and a 65-degree cylinder bank angle that improves packaging, the Inconel exhaust manifolds of this V12 are lightweight but can withstand extreme temperatures. Natural aspiration delivers the lightning-fast throttle response that GMA wanted, and the V12 is fed air via the ram air scoop and four throttle bodies. Peak power is only reached at an insane 10,250 rpm, and the electronic limiter only kicks in at 11,100 rpm - one can only imagine what it sounds like without the roof panels in place and the engine mounted so close to the driver's head.
One significant change between the T.33 coupe and the drop-top is that the latter comes with one gearbox option: the six-speed manual from Xtrac. The coupe can also be had with an automatic called the Instantaneous Gearchange System with paddle-shift actuation, but the demand for the manual was so high that GMA decided to offer only the stick shift for the Spider. The manual also supports GMA's weight-saving goals, as it is claimed to be the lightest supercar transmission.
A mechanical limited-slip differential provides the driver with more control over the car's responses and handling instead of an electronically-controlled alternative, and the powertrain has a multi-plate clutch to reduce inertia when delivering the necessary torque.
Power goes to the rear wheels exclusively, completing a pure powertrain configuration that has simply fallen out of favor. And yet, for such a lightweight yet powerful machine, GMA has once again made zero top speed or 0-60 claims. GMA openly states that record-breaking acceleration isn't the goal. Rather, the aim was to create the most immersive and exciting driving experience possible in a convertible. That said, the car's power-to-weight ratio leads us to believe that it will hit 60 mph in under three seconds with ease, provided it has the traction to do so.
The Ultralight carbon monocoque creates a body structure that is strong, light, and very stiff. The T.33 program was led by the Spider from the start, so the company was assured of meeting its torsional rigidity goals - obviously, this is generally harder to do without the benefit of a fixed roof. Double wishbone suspension is equipped front and rear, and the electrohydraulic steering has been meticulously tuned to deliver the sort of feel and feedback that has become rare in modern sports cars.
A powerful Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) braking system is fitted to bring the car down from high speeds safely and securely.
Gas Mileage
There is no EPA rating for this rare exotic, but we do know that it has a range of around 400 miles when the 19.8-gallon gas tank is filled to the brim. A quick calculation tells us that this works out to roughly 12.5 mpg, a figure that won't even register on the radar of the 100 customers buying this car.
Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider Interior And Cargo
The interior of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spyder mirrors the simplicity of the exterior, with a focus on the essentials that is refreshing in this era of blinding ambient lighting and bright digital displays.
If any car deserves a central, prominent tachometer in the instrument cluster, it's one that can swing to over 11,000 rpm. Described by the automaker as "defiantly analog," the floodlit tachometer is beautiful in its simplicity. GMA didn't entirely look past modern technologies, though, so there are still handy secondary digital displays for climate control and infotainment information, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These are the only displays, however, and there is no touchscreen at all.
Grouped in close proximity to the steering wheel are several large physical knobs for the climate control, lights, and stability control. All within easy reach, and all almost shockingly easy to decipher at a glance. The carbon fiber steering wheel has a leather finish, while the tall gear shift lever and switchgear are machined from aluminum alloy. The same goes for the pedals.
As standard, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider's seats are race-inspired carbon fiber items that are finished in a mix of Alcantara and leather, but they can be uniquely tailored based on each customer's needs. It's all very similar to the inside of the coupe, bar one difference: when the roof panels are removed and the rear glass is down, the rear bulkhead trim between the seats has a body-color finish. GMA says this enhances the sense of openness since this bulkhead trim has the same color finish as the exterior paint.
Driver aids include a rearview camera, traction control, and stability control, but there isn't the same long list of gadgets as you'd get in a Mercedes that will cost a fraction of the T.33's price.
At 10.4 cubic feet, the total cargo space in the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider is surprisingly generous for a car of this type, although the placement of the luggage compartments on either side of the body won't always be practical in tight parking spaces.