GMA T.33 Spider previewed ahead of unveiling

Gordon Murray Automotive will reveal the 'world's most engaging V12-powered open supercar' next week

With the GMA T.50 imminent - watch a very poignant final sign-off drive below - work has very much begun on developing the T.33 - the flagship's 615hp, 11,100rpm baby brother. As if those numbers, alongside the availability of a manual gearbox, weren’t exciting enough, here comes the really good news: there’s going to be a T.33 Spider.

Set to be revealed online next Tuesday, the roofless T.33 was actually the first of the family to be designed by Murray. “From the outset of the T.33 programme, I always intended there to be a Spider – in fact, I sketched the Spider before the coupe to ensure the proportions worked”, he noted in today’s press release. All that’s been issued for the moment is a sketch, but this being a Gordon Murray sketch there’s plenty to be excited by. Just look how low that 3.9-litre V12 sits, nestled right down almost at axle level; the only thing much closer to the ground would appear to be the driver, bum on the deck as it should be in all great sports cars. Driver and engine in such close proximity, as well as the open roof, should provide an epic sensory experience. The car is low and compact, the wheels fill out the arches and there’s not a silly spoiler or scoop in sight - all is looking very good indeed. Not that anything else was expected.

Furthermore, as a car with a carbon monocoque, the T.33 Spider should lose precious little, if anything, to its coupe sibling as a driving experience. In fact, If experience of similarly configured McLarens is anything to go by, the Spider will be even more vivid, with no penalty to pay for a roof going. It’s barely any heavier, for one thing; the sketch says it’ll weigh 1,108kg, which is a scant 18kg more than the T.33 coupe target weight. You can bet Gordon Murray will do everything possible to meet those goals.

Expect a production number to be announced next week alongside a few more key details. For reference, there will be 100 T.33 coupes, so expect a similar number of Spiders, if not a few less. Don’t bank on them hanging around for long, either. More on Tuesday.