GT

Make
McLaren
Segment
Coupe

Gordon Murray is one of the most revered designers on the planet, with the McLaren F1 making him a household name amongst hardcore enthusiasts and engineering nerds. With the F1 as just one of many amazing projects he has worked on, including several winning Formula 1 cars, everything he touches automatically creates an air of expectation around itself, and that hype has been well-founded when you see what goes into his T.50 supercar. One of the key ingredients is the Cosworth-developed, naturally aspirated V12. It sounds absolutely epic, and we can't get enough of it. Gordon Murray seems to be addicted to its sound too, as he has just confirmed that the T.33 grand tourer he and his team are working on will use the same engine, just with 1,000 revolutions fewer at its redline.

A couple of days ago, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) teased that the new GT would feature styling inspired by that of various classics from the '60s. This followed from an earlier teaser announcing the T.33's arrival as January 27. That's tomorrow, but before we get there, Murray has let us know that the T.50's 12,100-rpm 3.9-liter engine will indeed feature in the new cruiser, but with an 11,100-rpm limiter, which has us wondering just how usable this will be as a GT. Typically, engines that rev so high make little power in the lower end of the rev range and only start coming alive after they've spun the tach halfway around. Murray has thought of this and says that this is "quite a different version" of the engine. The engineers have also been hard at work ensuring that they can "torque fill even more lower down."

We really shouldn't worry, as GMA says that "every single detail was pored over in painstaking depth," adding that "numerous systems and components were reengineered and redesigned to pursue excellence." The automaker further claims that it is "100% confident that the GMA.2 V12 provides the perfect match for the T.33's driving characteristics." We have no idea what else to expect from this new machine besides sensual styling and a fascinatingly sonorous engine, but even before our first look, it's T.33 - 1, McLaren GT - nil. Sorry, Woking, but we'll choose a glorious NA V12 over a twin-turbo V8 any day of the week.