Gordon Murray supercar loses its roof and gains just 18kgwhile packing a 3.9-litre V12 engine.
Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has announced it will build a convertible version of the T33 supercar, which will be revealed on 4 April.
An official concept sketch reveals that the T33 Spider retains the coupe’s 448kW 3.9-litre V12, which is an adapted version of the Cosworth-designed powerplant used in the T50 hypercar.
The Spider is expected to be offered with the manual and paddle-shift gearboxes from the T33 coupe (pictured below) – both six-speed units.
The roof-mounted duct present on the coupe remains situated above the cockpit, with the sketch suggesting that the windscreen has been angled to prioritise airflow through the tunnel and into the engine.
The aerodynamics appear otherwise unchanged, maintaining the coupe’s active rear spoiler and with a focus the underbody’s role.
Despite losing its fixed roof – a change that necessitates heavy chassis reinforcements when converting most hard-top cars – the T33 Spider weighs a sprightly 1108kg, just 18kg more than the coupe.
Murray has already confirmed that just 100 examples of each of the three T33 variants will be built. The Spider is number two and a track-focused car is expected to follow.
Pricing has not been announced but a premium over the £1.37 million (AUD$2.53 million) coupe is expected. Given that all 100 coupes sold out within a week of the model’s reveal, all Spiders are expected to be spoken for shortly after its unveiling.
Murray said: “From the outset of the T33 programme, I always intended there to be a Spider. In fact, I sketched the Spider before the coupé to ensure the proportions worked. And from that first sketch I knew, with its open cockpit and the incredible Cosworth GMA 2 V12 engine right behind you, the T33 Spider would deliver a truly involving driving experience that’s quite unlike anything else.”
Although there are few natural rivals for the T33 Spider, buyers may also consider the likes of the Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster – an American-built supercar powered by an 1337kW twin-turbocharged V8, with a claimed top speed above 480km/h.