Test Driving the McLaren F1’s Newest Model: 900 Miles of Fun

T.50 Roars in the Spanish Pyrenees

FIRST DRIVE: GMA T.50 – McLaren F1 Successor’s 900-mile road trip

Gordon Murray Automotive – the British firm developed by ex-Formula 1 designer Ian Gordon Murray – had initiated the manufacture of its first supercar, the T.50, back in March of this year. Ahead of starting the assembly process, the vehicle producer put the T.50 through a stringent testing program, which encompassed winter assessments and custom airbag calibrations. The initial samples are at present ready to be sent out to their new custodians yet not before one final evaluation.

The Top Gear cohorts were lucky enough to spend some time with a prototype of the T.50. Ollie Marriage, head of automotive analysis for the media, then took it on a 900-mile tour of Spain — from Barcelona to Bilbao along the winding mountain paths of the Pyrenees. It was an ideal area to assess the car’s agility, speed, and brake performance. So what were Marriage’s initial thoughts?

This is not a vehicle that is easy to manage. It might be light to drive but the maneuvering, the clutch operations and gear shifts take a definite touch. There is great joy from getting all these things right, according to Marriage.

In the video attached at the top, you can discover intriguing information about the supercar from its chief engineer. He provides operational details – from how to get in and out of the car to how to use the AC system, how to charge a phone, where to store items, and what the different controls do. This is something many of us weren’t aware of because the T.50 isn’t a normal car. According to Marriage, it’s “possibly the last analog supercar.”

Ah, do not let that PS4 insignia on its side beguile you – it has nothing to relate with the PlayStation. This, in fact, reflects the fact of the car being tested by Top Gear being the concluding pre-series prototype prior to it going into production. How does it feel encountering the roadway? What’s the engine sound like as one drives through tunnels? Can one pass through a toll gate in it? Solutions to all these query – and many more – are in the video.

Source: Top Gear on YouTube