Brabham BT62

[FiestaST]

A new track-only hypercar from Brabham Automotive. Goes head to head with the McLaren Senna.

Brabham BT62: 700bhp track-only hypercar revealed

The new Brabham BT62, a McLaren Senna-rivalling 700bhp track-only hypercar, has been launched at Australia House in London, with its maker claiming the car will "reward like no other".

Priced at £1 million before taxes and options, the BT62 is the first car from Brabham Automotive, which is run by former Formula 1 racer and Le Mans 24 Hours winner David Brabham, the son of triple world champion Sir Jack. The company claims it has a long-term phased product development plan and will manufacture "high-performance vehicles which challenge and reward the driver in equal measures", with an "ultimate goal" to compete in Le Mans 24 Hours.

The limited-run BT62 is a track-only, rear-wheel-drive two-seater powered by a 5.4-litre naturally aspirated mid-mounted V8 quad-cam engine that produces 492lb ft of torque. The car features carbonfibre body panels and weighs 972kg, giving a power-to-weight ratio of 720bhp per tonne.

By comparison, the £750,000 McLaren Senna features a 789bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo engine and has a dry weight of 1283kg, with a power-to-weight ratio of 660bhp per tonne.

Brabham Automotive says the BT62 has been "specifically designed, developed and tested to reward like no other". The car’s name comes from the convention established by Sir Jack Brabham’s team – officially known as Motor Racing Developments, which won four F1 drivers’ and two makes’ championships during its 30-year history.

David Brabham said the BT62 started "the next chapter in the evolving Brabham story" and that it is "a car truly worthy of carrying the iconic Brabham name".

The BT62 is 4460mm long and 1950mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2695mm. It features substantial aerodynamics including an adjustable rear wing, which the firm claims produces more than 1200kg of downforce, and has a 41/59 front-to-rear weight distribution. The power is delivered through a six-speed Holinger sequential gearbox, with steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The car has 18in wheels front and rear, with Michelin competition tyres and six-piston carbon-on-carbon Brembo brakes. In keeping with its motorsport heritage, the BT62 features a six-point racing harness, removable carbonfibre steering wheel, a 125-litre fuel tank with quick-fill connectors and a built-in air jack system.

The car will be sold in left-hand drive as standard, with right-hand drive available "on request". Owners will become members of a Brabham driver development programme designed to develop their “physical ability and determination” to the point where they can "fully exploit" the BT62’s performance.

Paul Birch, who headed development of the car, said the BT62 was created from a blank sheet of paper over a two-year engineering and development programme. He added: "It’s a car that demands total engagement and commitment from its driver, delivering immense reward and satisfaction."

The BT62 will be limited to 70 cars to mark, according to the team, the 70 years since Jack Brabham began racing in Australia. The Anglo-Australian company will have offices in the UK and Adelaide, South Australia, where the BT62 will also be built at a 15,000 square-metre facility.

The first 35 cars will be liveried to reflect each of the grand prix team’s 35 world championship race wins. The first car, on display at the launch event, was finished in the green and gold colours carried by the BT19, which Brabham used to take his team’s first victory in the 1966 French Grand Prix at Reims.

The launch event at Australia House, the home of the Australian High Commission in London, featured a display of Brabham racing cars and memorabilia. The exhibition will now be opened to the public (by ticket only).

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/brabham-bt62-700bhp-track-only-hypercar-revealed

 

[FiestaST]

Brabham BT62

Building on a remarkable 70-year racing pedigree, David Brabham has announced Brabham's return to manufacturing at a gala event in central London, with the global launch of Brabham Automotive's first product, the stunning BT62.

The Brabham BT62 continues the legendary 'BT' naming convention established by founders Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac in the 1960s and honours the legacy of the marque's greatest and most memorable cars.

With headline figures that point to the potency of the car, the new Brabham is pure-bred for the track and capable of setting blistering lap times. The Brabham BT62 boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 730ps per tonne, a dry weight of just 972kg and is powered by a Brabham naturally-aspirated 5.4 litre capacity V8 engine.

Heralding the start of an exciting new chapter for the iconic marque, the BT62 has been specifically designed, developed and tested to reward like no other. Designed from the ground-up and featuring a host of unique engineering details, the Brabham BT62 draws on the project team's vast experience to create a car without equal. Crafted from lightweight carbon fibre, the BT62's exterior surface and aggressive aerodynamic package combine to strike the optimal balance between function and form.

Celebrating the company's proud Anglo-Australian roots, the launch took place tonight at Australia House in London, home to the Australian High Commission, set amidst a breath-taking assembly of historic Brabham racing cars and memorabilia evoking memories and charting the remarkable successes of the marque's illustrious past.

https://www.netcarshow.com/brabham/2019-bt62/

 

[FiestaST]

Brabham reveals track-only BT62 supercar

These are the first official images of David Brabham’s much-hyped BT62 track-only supercar, revealed on Wednesday night at Australia House.

Aimed straight at cars such as the Aston Martin Vulcan and the McLaren P1 GTR, it’s an intriguing mix of cutting-edge technology, built on a carbon-fibre monocoque tub, with mixed carbon-fibre and Kevlar body panels and a dramatic aero kit providing a quoted 1200kg of downforce, and old-school, powered by a mid-mounted 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 that delivers 522kW and 666Nm to the rear wheels via a six-speed Holinger racing sequential gearbox with paddle shifters.

Suspension is by double wishbone all round, with centre-locking 18 inch wheels shod with specially made Michelin racing tyres, over six-piston Brembo brake callipers on carbon ceramic discs. Just 4460mm long and 1950mm wide on a 2695mm wheelbase, the whole car weighs only 972kg dry, giving it power-to-weight ratio of 537 kilowatts per ton, compared to the McLaren Senna’s 492.

Standard kit includes a 125-litre fuel tank with quick-fill connectors and onboard air jacks, while the carbon-fire-and-alcantara trimmed cockpit boasts a full roll cage, integrated fire-extinguisher, a removable carbon-fibre steering wheel, adjustable pedals, a 30cm digital dashboard and an FIA-specification carbon-fibre racing seat with six-point harness. A passenger seat is an extra-cost option.

Just 70 BT62s will be made, commemorating the 70 years since Brabham’s father, iconic triple Formula One world champion Sir Jack Brabham, began his racing career in Australia, at a cool £1 million (R17.2 million) each, ex works before taxes and options - which will include membership of an exclusive track-day driver development program.

The first 35 examples will be finished in colour schemes that commemorate the Brabham F1 team’s 35 Formula One wins, while the remaining 35 will be finished to customers’ specs. The prototype in these images is liveried in green and gold like the BT19 with which Sir Jack Brabham took his first world championship win, the 1966 French Grand Prix at Reims.

The cars will be built at the old ZF Lemforder plant in Edinburgh Park, north of Adelaide in South Australia, which formerly supplied components to the nearby but now-closed Holden factory.

David Brabham, himself a former F1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hours winner, said the company’s long-term phased product development plan was to build "high-performance vehicles which challenge and reward the driver in equal measure", and ultimately to compete at Le Mans.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/latest-launches/brabham-reveals-track-only-bt62-supercar-14757255

 

[FiestaST]

Shmee has a first look

[video=youtube_share;7fZuAuZdEIw]https://youtu.be/7fZuAuZdEIw[/video]

 

[FiestaST]

Motor1 UK first look

[video=youtube_share;lXOABGzDYHg]https://youtu.be/lXOABGzDYHg[/video]

 

[greg0205]

The sound! At around 1:12 I might have had a little accident...

[video=youtube;tY95AIW6TFA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=tY95AIW6TFA[/video]

 

[FiestaST]

The engineering behind the 700bhp Brabham BT62 - Carfection

[video=youtube_share;d8A9adz-aAk]https://youtu.be/d8A9adz-aAk[/video]

 

[FiestaST]

Watch Brabham BT62 flat out in testing - in the rain!

This is the first footage we’ve seen of David Brabham’s BT62 track-only supercar prototype in action, shot at the brand-new Bend Motorsport Park deep in the outback, about an hour south-east of Adelaide.

Brabham is, of course, the youngest son of Sir Jack Brabham, still the only driver ever to win a Formula One title in a car of his own manufacture. He’s also a former Formula One racer and multiple Le Mans winner in his own right. In 2014 he followed in his father’s footsteps by launching Project Brabham, intended to re-introduce the Brabham name as an automotive manufacturer.

In this video Brabham himself is seen doing dynamic testing (that means flat out!) at The Bend, on a day that could have been ruined by unexpected rain, but which turned out to be a triumph for the new car.

Brabham credited the car’s responsiveness to its power-to-weight ratio and roadholding. Its 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8, designed and built in-house, is rated at 522kW and 666Nm, in a car that weighs less than a ton, with aggressive aerodynamics that give it a claimed 1200kg of downforce.

There is only one way to get more than 100kW per litre out of a naturally-aspirated engine - rev the nuts off it. Crank up the volume and listen to the Brabham scream as it goes flat out down the circuit’s long main straight.

He said afterwards: “The steering is very direct and the car goes exactly where you want it to; there’s a wide window of grip, and the confidence that gives you, even in the wet, is outstanding.”

With testing at The Bend complete, the team will move north, to begin dialling in the car’s set-up and configuration for different driving styles, circuits and conditions, starting at the Algarve International Circuit at Portimao, Portugal, later in June.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/moto...bt62-flat-out-in-testing-in-the-rain-15567810

 

[FiestaST]

Watch Brabham BT62 flat out in testing - in the rain!

This is the first footage we’ve seen of David Brabham’s BT62 track-only supercar prototype in action, shot at the brand-new Bend Motorsport Park deep in the outback, about an hour south-east of Adelaide.

Brabham is, of course, the youngest son of Sir Jack Brabham, still the only driver ever to win a Formula One title in a car of his own manufacture. He’s also a former Formula One racer and multiple Le Mans winner in his own right. In 2014 he followed in his father’s footsteps by launching Project Brabham, intended to re-introduce the Brabham name as an automotive manufacturer.

In this video Brabham himself is seen doing dynamic testing (that means flat out!) at The Bend, on a day that could have been ruined by unexpected rain, but which turned out to be a triumph for the new car.

Brabham credited the car’s responsiveness to its power-to-weight ratio and roadholding. Its 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8, designed and built in-house, is rated at 522kW and 666Nm, in a car that weighs less than a ton, with aggressive aerodynamics that give it a claimed 1200kg of downforce.

There is only one way to get more than 100kW per litre out of a naturally-aspirated engine - rev the nuts off it. Crank up the volume and listen to the Brabham scream as it goes flat out down the circuit’s long main straight.

He said afterwards: “The steering is very direct and the car goes exactly where you want it to; there’s a wide window of grip, and the confidence that gives you, even in the wet, is outstanding.”

With testing at The Bend complete, the team will move north, to begin dialling in the car’s set-up and configuration for different driving styles, circuits and conditions, starting at the Algarve International Circuit at Portimao, Portugal, later in June.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/moto...bt62-flat-out-in-testing-in-the-rain-15567810

View attachment 530293
View attachment 530293

 

[CT_Biker]

Just in time for the new Le Mans regulations.

Hopefully the proposed changes really do make the LMP1 a bit more group 5 ish.

 

[FiestaST]

Brabham BT62: 700bhp track-only hypercar demonstrated at Goodwood

Brabham Automotive launches with £1m lightweight machine, featuring motorsport design and 5.4-litre V8

The new Brabham BT62, a McLaren Senna-rivalling 700bhp track-only hypercar, has been demonstrated on track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - the car's first moving public appearance since it was launched at Australia House in London in May. Its maker claimed the car will "reward like no other".

Priced at £1 million before taxes and options, the BT62 is the first car from Brabham Automotive, which is run by former Formula 1 racer and Le Mans 24 Hours winner David Brabham, the son of triple world champion Sir Jack. The company claims it has a long-term phased product development plan and will manufacture "high-performance vehicles which challenge and reward the driver in equal measures", with an "ultimate goal" to compete in Le Mans 24 Hours.

The limited-run BT62 is a track-only, rear-wheel-drive two-seater powered by a 5.4-litre naturally aspirated mid-mounted V8 quad-cam engine that produces 492lb ft. The car features carbonfibre body panels and weighs 972kg, giving a power-to-weight ratio of 720bhp per tonne.

By comparison, the £750,000 McLaren Senna features a 789bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo engine and has a dry weight of 1283kg, with a power-to-weight ratio of 660bhp per tonne.

Brabham Automotive says the BT62 has been "specifically designed, developed and tested to reward like no other". The car’s name comes from the convention established by Sir Jack Brabham’s team – officially known as Motor Racing Developments, which won four F1 drivers’ and two makes’ championships during its 30-year history.

David Brabham said the BT62 started "the next chapter in the evolving Brabham story" and that it is "a car truly worthy of carrying the iconic Brabham name".

The BT62 is 4460mm long and 1950mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2695mm. It features substantial aerodynamics including an adjustable rear wing, which the firm claims produces more than 1200kg of downforce, and has a 41/59 front-to-rear weight distribution. The power is delivered through a six-speed Holinger sequential gearbox, with steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The car has 18in wheels front and rear, with Michelin competition tyres and six-piston carbon-on-carbon Brembo brakes. In keeping with its motorsport heritage, the BT62 features a six-point racing harness, removable carbonfibre steering wheel, a 125-litre fuel tank with quick-fill connectors and a built-in air jack system.

The car will be sold in left-hand drive as standard, with right-hand drive available "on request". Owners will become members of a Brabham driver development programme designed to develop their “physical ability and determination” to the point where they can "fully exploit" the BT62’s performance.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...bhp-track-only-hypercar-demonstrated-goodwood

 

[FiestaST]

Brabham BT62: 700bhp hypercar to gain road-legal option

Buyers can now get a conversion kit to make limited-run track machine road legal

Brabham Automotive will offer a conversion process for its limited-run BT62 track car that will make it road legal in the UK.

The lightweight £1 million hypercar has been developed as an unrestricted track machine, powered by a 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 quad-cam engine that produces 492lb ft – giving the 972kg vehicle a power-to-weight ratio of 720bhp per tonne.

But the Australian-based firm says it will offer a Road Compliance Conversion option to buyers in the European market. Costing £150,000, the work will be undertaken by Brabham Automotive ahead of the car’s registration.

The conversion will include spec changes to make the vehicle more usable on the road, with a front and rear axle lift kit to raise the ride height, increased steering lock range, the addition of air conditioning, door locks and immobilisers, and additional interior upholstery.

Cars that undergo the conversion will be put through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test.

The changes will result in a slight increase in the car’s base weight, which the firm says won’t affect the 700bhp power output.

Company boss David Brabham said: “This isn’t a car designed for the road. With that said, it’s clear some customers are keen to have a road-compliant option with their BT62, particularly to drive to and from the track.”

The left-hand-drive-only BT62 will be sold in a limited run of 70 models. First deliveries of the model are due this year, and cars fitted with the conversion option will arrive in the summer.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/brabham-bt62-700bhp-hypercar-gain-road-legal-option

 

[greg0205]

I... I... I... Just watch the lap... Turn your sound up.

Some perspective for folk not familiar with Mount Panorama...

The V8 Supercar lap record is 2:06.149

Fastest laps?

McLaren 650S GT3 - 2:01.567
Ferrari 488 GT3 - 2:03.419

Outright lap record is 1:59.291 in a Audi R8 Ultra (unofficially it was Jenson Button in a McLaren F1 car, but hey)

 

[UrBaN963]

Looks like a Lotus Murcialago.

 

[FiestaST]

Looks like a Lotus Murcialago.

Never heard of that before.

 

[UrBaN963]

Never heard of that before.

Imagine a cross between a lotus and a murcielago.

 

[FiestaST]

Imagine a cross between a lotus and a murcielago.

I follow.

 

[UrBaN963]

I follow.

Such a smartie.

 

[FiestaST]

Brabham Wants Its Next Car to be Street Legal and Cost Less

The Brabham name came back to the fore a couple of years ago with the announcement of the BT62, an exceedingly fast track car with a huge $1.3 million price tag. The company says it is working on its follow up, a road legal supercar fighter that will cost considerably less than the BT62.

The BT62 has got a 700 horsepower V8, crazy downforce, and even crazier looks. It requires driving lessons, and it can’t be legally driven on the street (unless you pay an extra chunk of money). But only 70 of them will be built. The plan is to homologate the BT62 for racing in the World Endurance Championship, and by extension Le Mans, in late 2022.

Because of this Le Mans ambition, this new junior Brabham isn’t going to be ready for at least three years. Which means Brabham has to set sights even higher than fighting the 720S. Benchmarking the 720S and F8 Tributo won’t be good enough as McLaren and Ferrari will have already moved on to the next big power mid-engine supercar. That said, using the 720 as a benchmark isn’t a terrible idea as it’s probably the upper limit of what normal humans can really make use of on roads—or even tracks—anyway.

https://jalopnik.com/brabham-wants-its-next-car-to-be-street-legal-and-cost-1835077917

 

[FiestaST]

Brabham BT62: 691bhp track weapon takes on Silverstone

David Brabham’s BT62 is a machine his old man, the late Sir Jack, would surely have loved. We strap in to try it

It’s taken five years or 50, depending on how you look at it. It’s been five years since David Brabham won a lengthy court battle for the right to apply his family name to a car once more, and 50 since his dad, legendary triple Formula 1 world champion Sir Jack Brabham, sold his stake in the business.

However you look at this car, the first new Brabham since the F1 team fizzled and died midway through the 1992 season, it really matters. For this is not a one-off Gavin & Stacey-esque appearance before heading back to retirement: it is intended to be the start of something big for Brabham. Something very big if you ask ex-F1 driver and Le Mans winner David Brabham. He has talked freely about plans to be racing at Le Mans in 2021 so people have naturally assumed this new BT62 will form the basis of that car. But it won’t because it can’t: the Brabham Le Mans car will race with the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin in the GTE category, which means it will need to be based on a road car. A road car we’ve not seen yet.

But that’s all for the future. For now, I’m squeezing my way into the BT62’s reasonably spacious cockpit, squinting at the hi-def screen in front of me and wishing there was a bit more room in the pedal box for my size 11s in this, the first prototype. Production cars will be more accommodating.

David leans in and talks me through the spec. I’ve done my homework but there’s no harm in being reminded what you’re about to take on. The car has a tubular structure to which is bolted a carbonfibre body. The brakes are carbon-ceramic discs clamped by carbon pads. The engine is a V8 that started life as a 5.0-litre Ford motor but has now been modified beyond recognition. It displaces 5.4 litres and produces 691bhp. And, no, there is not a turbo in sight. It drives through a six-speed sequential race gearbox to rear wheels controlled by pushrod suspension and clothed in simply enormous Michelin slicks. The whole thing weighs 975kg and produces, wait for it, 1200kg of downforce at 167mph. Which means it could happily drive upside down.

Just 70 will be made to commemorate the 70 years that passed between Sir Jack’s first race in 1948 and the project’s announcement in 2018. Each will cost £1.2 million, or £1.35m if you choose to have the road version. To be clear, that buys you a road-legal version of a pure racing car, so those expecting civility on the school run will likely soon be disabused of that notion.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/brabham-bt62-691bhp-track-weapon-takes-silverstone