Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has revealed a drop-top version of its entry-level supercar, the T.33 Spider, which is said to offer an even more immersive and engaging driving experience than before.
We caught wind of the new model earlier this week when the British manufacturer teased the world with a sketch of the roofless model as a follow up to the now sold out tin-topped car.
Today is the day we feast our eyes on what the company’s founder, Gordon Murray, destined the T.33 to be when it was first designed.
Inspired the vast array of topless performance cars of the 1960s, the T.33 Spider bares the same styling and proportions to its coupe stablemate but instead features two removable roof panels, making for an even more visceral experience inside the cabin.
Both panels are made from lightweight carbon composite and can be stowed in the front luggage compartment when removed from the roof. The rear glass panel that sits behind the rear bulkhead can also be raised or lowered at the press of a switch.
To accommodate the new roof design, every surface from the A-pillar back is unique to the model including the fixed buttresses that blend into the rear fenders. This not only provides rollover protection but also minimises drag and buffeting when the roof panels are not fitted.
GMA also retained the T.33’s hallmark roof scoop which will no doubt provide a godly sound into the cabin when to roof isn’t present thanks to the mid-mounted 3.9-litre naturally-aspirated Cosworth GMA.2 V12 that can rev up to 11,100rpm and produce a maximum output of 454kW and 451Nm of torque.
Adding to the fun is a six-speed manual transmission which is the only gearbox you can get with the Spider after the carmaker received overwhelming customer demand for it on the coupe.
Weight was also on Murray’s mind when he first penned the car and because it uses the same carbon monocoque, the T.33 Spider weighs in 18kg more than the coupe at with a target dry figure of 1108kg.
Little has changed as far as the interior goes apart from the trim piece between the two seats now being body coloured.
Speaking of colour, customers will have the option of four themes to choose from inspired by GMA’s core values of Return to Beauty, Engineering Art, the Murray Atholl tartan, and then a final palette acknowledging Murray’s love for a tropical shirt. However, each car can be tailored to the customer’s desired taste.
“When drawing a car I imagine what it’s going to feel like to sit in, and how it will feel to drive. So from the first sketch I knew that, with its open cockpit and the incredible Cosworth GMA.2 V12 engine right behind you, the T.33 Spider would deliver a truly involving driving experience that’s quite unlike anything else,” says Murray.
“And while it’s still a mid-engine supercar I wouldn’t accept any compromise on usability: this is why the T.33 Spider is unique in the supercar sector in delivering both onboard roof storage and a 295 litre luggage capacity”.
Just 100 examples of the GMA T.33 Spider will be hand-built at the carmaker’s new headquarters in Windlesham in the United Kingdom.
