Less is more with new Spider edition of compact V12 T.33. Here’s the deets .. including an impressive video.

“WHEN drawing a car I imagine what it's going to feel like to sit in, and how it will feel to drive.

“So from the first sketch I knew that, with its open cockpit and the incredible Cosworth GMA.2 V12 engine right behind you, the T.33 Spider would deliver a truly involving driving experience that’s quite unlike anything else.”

Big call? Surely not, when it’s made by the ‘Prof’?

As in, Professor Gordon Murray CBE. Legendary automotive designer. As in, the McLaren F1. Plus innumerable track racing cars.

Most recently, Murray has been known for a new supercar. Two actually. The GMA T.33 is the more recent and is a dedication to simplicity, beyond the naming convention. No central driving position, no active electric fan-driven road-sucking aero as per his earlier opus, the T.50. There IS a very enlivening V12 and a manual transmission: So what’s not to like, all in all?

Maybe the one element the latest derivative unveiled overnight addresses.

The T.33 Spider, self-evidently, by being an open-aired derivative sets out to combine the beautiful, timeless design of the T.33 with an even more immersive and engaging driving experience. BAsially, you remove rthe top to better hear that evocative engine.

Murray is adamant that, with two removable roof panels, a deployable rear window and the naturally-aspirated Cosworth GMA.2 V12 behind the cabin, there is no other supercar like it.

With it, Murray now has four high performance models on the production line: Two T.33s and two kinds of T.50, all with a common engine. But the T.33s stick a little more closely to the ‘regular supercar’ format, in having two seats side by side, whereas the T.50s put one in the middle for the driver, with two others further back on either side. Yes, as per the McLaren of old.

The mid-mounted 3.9-litre engine for all was jointly developed by GMA and engine-builder Cosworth. Maximum power output is 458kW occurring at 10,500rpm – so, 600rpm below redline.

Power to weight is ..? More than amazing. GMA’s obsessive focus on weight reduction – down to single grams from every component – means the T.33 Spider has a target dry weight of 1108kg, just 18kg more than the coupe.

The power is sent to the rear wheels through a bespoke six-speed manual gearbox or optional paddle-shift unit developed by Xtrac, which is both ultra-fast and ultra-light, adding no more than 80kg to the car's overall weight.

From the outside, the T.33 is a different beast to the T.50. The latter’s trademark feature is a big fan at the rear, the suction holding the car to the road. The T.33 uses aerodynamics to achieve similar effect. Air channels under the floor to create ground-effect, removing the need for the large wings, spoilers and vents found on most other supercars.

The interior is extremely driver-focused, with little in the way of large touchscreens or distracting infotainment systems. There are no indicator stalks either. That function goes to thumb buttons on the steering wheel. The rest of the cabin is unashamedly rotary and analogue with surfaces and controls machined from aluminium alloy.

Murray says the car being so light means it doesn't need the same massive, hefty wheels and tyres found on other supercars.

It gets along with an asymmetric wheel and tyre specification of lightweight, forged aluminium 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels respectively, together with 235/35 ZR19 and 295/30 ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres.

It has Brembo carbon-ceramic brake discs with six-pot brake calipers up front, four-cylinder at the rear. The suspension employs lightweight double wishbones front and rear working with coil springs over aluminium alloy dampers.

Thinking about how yours might look? Exterior colours have been curated into four themes by the GMA’s design team. These four themes have been inspired by, respectively, GMA’s core values of ‘return to beauty’ and ‘engineering art’, the Murray Atholl tartan – and then a final palette, acknowledging Gordon’s love for a tropical shirt. Yes, really.

Each specific exterior colour is matched to a design team recommended interior specification – though customers are free to choose whatever they wish. Providing almost endless scope for personalisation, customers may select different colours for the roof panels and rear deck. In addition to the ‘design’ range of available exterior colours, customers can also option to specify a bespoke paint made to special order.

The T.33 Spider and Coupe are homologated for worldwide sale and use, and just 100 examples of each are set to be built. The coupe costs $NZ2.78 million; the Spider is expected to be more. Deliveries are due to begin in 2024.

Whether New Zealand will see the car is unknown. However, GMA is anticipating global proliferation.

There are five global service centres – in the United States (East and West coasts), the United Kingdom, Japan and Abu Dhabi – plus 14 service support centres, the closest to our market being in Australia. That’s not a be-all, though. GMA says its network development will continue in line with its customer expectations. So, if’s there’s a Kiwi rush …