Behold the Gordon Murray T50S, a track-focused, track-only doff the cap to F1 and erstwhile legend, Niki Lauda. While only 100 T50s will ever be built, demand is so high the limit has been eased and extended to 25 more, specifically to cater for the T50S Niki Lauda crowd. The T50 was never about benchmark performance stats, it was about benchmark driving dynamics. And while there is no definitive proof this has been achieved just yet, the T50 road car or in its hardcore cover version T50S Niki Lauda is probably the most humble supercar of its era.

The T50S Niki Lauda is about more power, improved aerodynamics, more downforce, and weight reduction measures. For example, the race-spec diffuser and rear wing generates 1,500kg of downforce.  The 3.9-litre V12 weighs 16kg less and receives a 75bhp power upgrade taking total output to 725bhp and 840Nm. But the real interest with the T50, in any guise, is that it weighs 852kg, 134kg less than the road-going version.

Gordon Murray explained:

“The T.50s is named in honour of Niki to commemorate his famous win with the Brabham BT46B fan car in the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix. Niki was a great racing driver and he was also a good friend and it is absolutely fitting that we are launching the T.50s Niki Lauda on his birthday. Niki would have appreciated the innovation and engineering detail in our car.”

“Engineering the ultimate track-focused supercar has to start with the driver. It was essential that we retained a central driving position, with every control arranged within easy reach and with no distractions or unnecessary information on display.

The top speed of 210mph is completed via a six-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox. In modern car design, development and manufacture it is very rare to find a supercar weighing less than 1,400kg. In fact, it is unheard of. The T50s’ lightweight is key to what seems like, on paper, to become one of the greatest driving and engineered supercars ever made. And the T50S Niki Lauda takes it to another level.

And at $4m the price tag is also at another level. However, unlike other exclusive made-for-the-track supercars the T50S Niki Lauda will be fully owned by the private buyer.