zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation
The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:10

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

With a naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 that revs faster than the speed of light and a literal fan affixed to the back, is a special hypercar. And while it was built to be somewhat civilized on the road, it’s really tuned to be a joy on the track. The McLaren F1 designer recognized the need for a truly daily supercar, so he made this: the T.33.

At first blush, the T.33 seems like a T.50 “lite.” While the T.50 costs $3 million, the T.33 is priced at an affordable $1.85 million. And where the T.50 tips the scales at a featherweight 2,173 pounds, the T.33's creature comforts land it at 2,403 pounds. Not that that’s anything anyone should complain about, considering that’s pretty much dead even with a new Miata.

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

But elsewhere, the T.33 makes fewer compromises than you’d think. Of course, there’s no fan. But there is still that gem of a V12, with all its 3.9 liters. It’s been “retuned rather than detuned,” Murray slickly told , now hitting a 11,000 RPM redline and developing 607 horsepower in the T.33, unlike the 653 HP of the T.50. Also, unlike the six-speed manual-only T.50, the T.33 can be ordered with paddle shifters. Not that anyone is doing that at the moment — the designer told he’s pre-sold half the run of 100, and so far only two customers have opted against the H-pattern.

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Here’s what else he had to say about the powertrain, again courtesy of Top Gear:

Murray says carefully, the changes encompassing modified cylinder heads, completely new camshafts, variable valve timing, and reworked engine mapping. There’s also a new ram induction intake, a new exhaust system, and the engine mountings and cooling are all specific to the T.33. “I’ve always wanted to do a motor car where the airbox is fitted to the engine like a Seventies Formula One car,” Murray says. “On the T.33 it moves independently of the car even though it overshoots the roof.”

Speaking of, that airbox is a nice addition to one of Murray’s classically unfussy designs. The guy’s been outspoken about the aesthetic garishness and showmanship of modern hypercars, and every time he says as much I raise my arms in emphatic endorsement. The T.33 draws lots of inspiration from classics like the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale — a car that Murray lists among his all-time favorites. You can see it in the unbroken, wraparound canopy of the cockpit and engine cover, and the soft haunches with barely any defined edge to them. There doesn’t appear to be a flat or mostly-flat surface on the entire car.

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

I’d contend the front is a little featureless and generic — the headlights remind me of the Ferrari California, Jaguar CX-75 or even the . It’s a little dated, a little early 2010s, but at least it isn’t .

We know Murray can make an excellent driver’s car, so personally I’m more interested in why the T.33 is so good at the everyday routine compared to, say, an Audi R8. Another excerpt sheds a little light on that, though not enough:

We weren’t able to sit in the T.33 but Murray is zealous about analogue and expensively engineered switchgear and even more fastidious about delivering the perfect driving position. What he doesn’t like, though, are touchscreens, although there is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A flood-lit, 120mm diameter rev counter takes centre-stage, and the aero, lights and air con controls are arranged round the driver. There’s 280 litres of luggage space, room for six decently sized cases.

280 liters translates to 9.8 cubic feet of cargo room, and in the T.33, it’s split between three compartments: a frunk and two side areas, just ahead of the rear wheels. The has 12.6 cubic feet of combined space, for comparison.

I know it’s of absolutely zero consequence to anyone who can afford one of these things, but I’ll give $100 to the first T.33 owner that publishes a year-long review. However, my condition is they better use the damn thing. Pick the kids up from school in it; take it on every agonizing trip to and from the yacht. Somebody needs to evaluate these claims. It’ll be a minute until that’s possible though, as deliveries won’t begin until 2024.

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Image for article titled The GMA T.33 Is A Superlight Everyday Supercar With A Very Unusual Cargo Situation

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Nov 30, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Nov 30, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Nov 30, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Nov 30, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Nov 30, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Nov 30, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved