Unpopular opinion: The GMA T.50 is a overhyped and ugly
Discussion
Right, here me out and I know this is going to blow up in my face like a fresh recruit with a grenade, buttt.
The GMA T.50 is getting A LOT of press these few days with the first cars being delivered. I am finding I just can’t gel with the design. I understand its designed for function over form, with huge focus on driver visibility and aerodynamics but it just doesn’t appear cohesive in design. The rear fan system is a great piece of engineering but the integration doesn’t work in my eyes. The front is better but too snake like, the 720s got killed for that kind of appearance. The top profile rake is also a little off.
Interior is mostly lovely but those side mirror screens look nearly as out of place as the mercedes infotainment units in Aston Martins.
Don’t get me wrong that howling v12 and manual gearbox are insane and hearing it at goodwood is stunning but I wish the design was more emotive.
Side thought, why is there such a focus on aero with the fans when its meant to be a focused road car where the driving emotion is to be felt in lower speeds? Doesn’t add up.
The GMA T.50 is getting A LOT of press these few days with the first cars being delivered. I am finding I just can’t gel with the design. I understand its designed for function over form, with huge focus on driver visibility and aerodynamics but it just doesn’t appear cohesive in design. The rear fan system is a great piece of engineering but the integration doesn’t work in my eyes. The front is better but too snake like, the 720s got killed for that kind of appearance. The top profile rake is also a little off.
Interior is mostly lovely but those side mirror screens look nearly as out of place as the mercedes infotainment units in Aston Martins.
Don’t get me wrong that howling v12 and manual gearbox are insane and hearing it at goodwood is stunning but I wish the design was more emotive.
Side thought, why is there such a focus on aero with the fans when its meant to be a focused road car where the driving emotion is to be felt in lower speeds? Doesn’t add up.
samoht said:
The styling is a matter of taste; opinions vary but certainly not everyone likes it and many people prefer the more conventional T.33. I think it's significant that the T.50 is packaging three adults and a V12 engine into a very small footprint, which inevitably leads to the cabin being relatively big for the overall size, which in turn constrains the styling. But I don't think the car is universally lauded for its styling.
It'll easily exceed 200mph, so some kind of aero is necessary when hitting the double ton on a narrow, bumpy, busy autobahn. So it's not really a question of whether to have aero but what kind, with Gordon preferring ground effect over showy, draggy spoilers and wings. The fan then makes ground effect more powerful and allows the downforce to be managed over the range of speeds (rather than growing with the square of the speed as it naturally would) and depending on what the driver's doing with the car.
Ultimately it's not hyped for its styling but because it packs a 650hp nat-asp V12 into a car weighing under a tonne, that's also a useable real car, not a pile of scaffolding limited to A-to-A blasts on sunny days. It thus resurrects the recipe of the fabled F1, but improving on that car's shortcomings, adding modern material technology, and going one step further in many key areas. That I think is reason enough to regard it as something truly special and compelling, even above all the other supercars around today.
I understand how/why the fans (or just some kind of aero) are necessary, and the ground effect is a lot more seamless then some of the bolt ons a la ‘Ferrari SF90 XX’. Heck, we don’t want Jay Kay reenacting Mark Webber Le Mans ‘99 stunt. But I just wish it didn’t look like it has an F35 jet engine strapped to its back. It'll easily exceed 200mph, so some kind of aero is necessary when hitting the double ton on a narrow, bumpy, busy autobahn. So it's not really a question of whether to have aero but what kind, with Gordon preferring ground effect over showy, draggy spoilers and wings. The fan then makes ground effect more powerful and allows the downforce to be managed over the range of speeds (rather than growing with the square of the speed as it naturally would) and depending on what the driver's doing with the car.
Ultimately it's not hyped for its styling but because it packs a 650hp nat-asp V12 into a car weighing under a tonne, that's also a useable real car, not a pile of scaffolding limited to A-to-A blasts on sunny days. It thus resurrects the recipe of the fabled F1, but improving on that car's shortcomings, adding modern material technology, and going one step further in many key areas. That I think is reason enough to regard it as something truly special and compelling, even above all the other supercars around today.
For me the seminal supercars, such as the F1, should be as amazing to drive (for their time) as they are to look at. This does nothing on the latter for me - completely subjective hence the opening statement but I doubt I am too much of a minority.
I agree the sanitary aspect of it is an issue. That's not to say a hypercar shouldn't be accomplished but it should also have flamboyance and make us drool. Pagani are the kings of this, they may not be as involving to drive (if ever I would be so lucky) but just look at them and those interiors are bonkers!
Most petrolheads will only ever get close to seeing these cars at Goodwood or such like. Hypercars need to draw the eye and get 12 year olds to pin up posters of them on their walls. I can't see this car doing it, however amazing that engine and great that lightweight chassis is.
Most petrolheads will only ever get close to seeing these cars at Goodwood or such like. Hypercars need to draw the eye and get 12 year olds to pin up posters of them on their walls. I can't see this car doing it, however amazing that engine and great that lightweight chassis is.
carlo996 said:
It doesn't lack anything other than a badge, but that doesn't matter a toss in the arena of hyprecar. owners. Since when has an LMP car been road registered 
At least you never mentioned EV 
Plenty have done it with mixed results. Lanzante P1 GTR, Porsche 962. Though often what makes a race car so great on track doesn’t transmit well to a road car. At least you never mentioned EV Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff