Supercar icon rejects electric cars, plans to stick with V12 engines

Gordon Murray Automotive has abandoned plans to expand into electric SUVs in favor of building more V12 supercars, at least for now.

Last year, the iconic automaker sold its electric vehicle (EV) division – Gordon Murray Technology – to Abu Dhabi-based investors, separating the supercar brand from its mass-market EV business.

Until then, the brand was said to be developing two electric SUVs for the mainstream market.

While the restructuring process was out of public view at the time, GMA CEO Phillip Lee recently spoke out about the strategic direction of the business.

“We have won contracts in the Middle East to develop electric vehicles. [ForSeven, led by former JLR engineer Nick Collins]. And that got really big very quickly and started to change our focus,” said Mr. Lee. Car.

“Obviously so we can continue to focus on supercars, [ForSeven] should take over the technology and work on electric vehicles. This allows us to decide our own destiny.”

With GMA now focused solely on building supercars, the low-volume manufacturer’s next task is to extend the life of its V12 engines.

Consumer demand is not an issue – both the T.50 and T.33 are sold out through 2028.

While increasingly stringent emissions laws are putting pressure on supercar makers to downsize engines, Lee insists GMA will build 12-cylinder cars for as long as possible before switching to smaller hybrid powertrains.

“I have always been concerned that we need to protect the V12 engine in the future of the automotive industry,” said Mr. Lee.

“What has now been proven in my mind is that there is a huge demand for V12 engines and that emotion in supercars. You can see that from the fact that we are sold out until 2028.

“I’m not so sure that electric supercars have the same place as V12s.”

In the event that legislative forces do indeed kill off the V12 engine, GMA remains determined to continue producing vehicles using internal combustion engines (ICE).

“What we’re going to do is some clever ways to maintain hybridization as opposed to [going] more typically through a large battery or, you know, like a series or parallel hybrid,” Mr. Lee added.

While GMA is not currently taking orders, a new variant of the T.33 is expected to be launched next year.

Both the GMA T.33 and T.50 are powered by a Cosworth-developed 4.0-litre V12 engine, producing 488kW and 467Nm of torque in the T.50 and 452kW/451Nm in the T.33.

The T.50 has a redline of 12,100 rpm, while the T.33 is more conservative, capping out at 11,100 rpm. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard on both cars.

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