Premium track-day specials walk a precarious line. They need to be dramatic and quick enough to justify their jaw-dropping sticker prices, yet accessible enough that their owner-drivers come home alive rather than becoming a statistic. Gordon Murray Automotive's latest creation, the T.50S Niki Lauda, appears to have struck that balance—though it unquestionably tilts toward the "terrifyingly fast" end of the scale.
GMA has announced that development of the T.50S is complete. The boutique automaker, alongside four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti—who serves as the company's resident test driver—concluded the program with a final shakedown at Bahrain International Circuit.
The combination of Franchitti's talent and a sub-2000-pound car powered by a 725-horsepower V-12 produced a predictably eye-catching lap time. GMA reports that Franchitti clocked a 1:53.03, which the company says is more than seven seconds quicker than the GT3 lap record at the circuit. There's a minor discrepancy in GMA's reference point: the automaker attributes the benchmark GT3 time to 2001, though the Bahrain circuit wasn't under construction until 2002 and didn't open until 2004. For a more reliable comparison, the World Endurance Championship still visits Bahrain, where the Hyperpole-winning LMGT3 lap last year stood at 2:01.661—still more than eight seconds slower than Franchitti's run.
GMA notes that the flying lap came on the final day of the development program. The car generated peak braking deceleration of 3.0 g, lateral cornering forces of 2.7 g, and reached a top speed of 184 mph.
Franchitti was characteristically enthusiastic. "The T.50S is the most engaging car I've ever driven," he said. "For pure fun factor, it surpasses all other track-only models, my favorite supercars of all time, and even the race cars I drove to multiple world championships." High praise, though it's worth noting it comes from someone employed by the car's creator.
With development signed off and Franchitti's endorsement secured, the T.50S heads into production. Just 25 customer cars will be built, with all expected to be completed by mid-2026. The car's starting price exceeded $3 million—a sum that, for the select buyers who qualify, likely matters far less than the experience of driving it.
