The McLaren 720S Is About To Get Some Serious Competition

May. 25, 2019 3:25 PM ET by Martin Bigg Supercars / 12 Comments

And it's coming from a legendary Australian automaker.

The Brabham BT62 is a brutal supercar. Built by Brabham Automotive, an Australian automaker with Formula 1 racing driver David Brabham acting as Managing Director, and limited to just 70 examples, the BT62 is powered by a mid-mounted, 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produces 700 horsepower and 492 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its lightweight carbon fiber body and a power-to-weight-ratio of 720 hp per ton, Brabham's first supercar is capable of setting some incredible lap times.

It's so hardcore, in fact, that it's restricted to the racetrack unless you pay extra to convert for the road. It also costs an eye-watering $1.35 million. If, however, you've been waiting for Brabham to launch a high-volume street-car, we have good news for you: the company is planning to launch a more affordable, road-legal supercar that will slot below the BT62.

Brabham

Speaking to Motoring Research, Dan Marks, Director of Fusion Capital and Commercial Director of Brabham Automotive, said the company won't be building thousands of cars per year, but it has the resources to build a more approachable model. "We're not going down the McLaren route and building 6,000 cars each year – we don't want to lose our focus. Between 100 and 200 cars per annum sounds right. The investment group behind Brabham already owns a carbon-composite shop and a commercial vehicle firm, so we have plenty of resources in-house," he said.

Brabham

No other details were provided about the new street-legal supercar, but Marks said it will be "a road car that's well-suited to the track." While it is expected to rival the likes of the McLaren 720S, Ferrari F8 Tributo and the upcoming Aston Martin Vanquish, his comments suggest it will be more track-focused than its competitors. Marks also went on to say the company is "on a journey to 2022" and that the current focus is getting the BT62 to compete in World Endurance Championship races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.