Jay Leno Floors Gordon Murray’s 12,100-RPM T.50 And Starts Cackling Like A Maniac
Seeing a McLaren F1, McLaren P1, and Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 parked together is the sort of sight that makes even seasoned car nerds freak out. Jay Leno calls the trio his “Holy Trinity,” and honestly, that feels about right. All three were shaped by Gordon Murray’s obsession with speed, low weight, and making the driver feel like the most important component in the car.
Collector Dan Heard brought all three machines to Jay Leno’s Garage, including one of the first T.50s in the United States. There was plenty of clever engineering to discuss, but once Jay climbed into the center seat and fired up that Cosworth V12, the history lesson quickly became a 12,100-RPM therapy session.
The McLaren F1 Still Makes Modern Hypercars Look Bloated
The 1995 McLaren F1 remains the legend of this lineup. Its naturally aspirated 6.1-liter BMW V12 produces 627 horsepower, feeds a six-speed manual, and moves a car weighing roughly 2,509 lbs. That is barely more than a modern Mazda Miata, except the McLaren can spin its rear tires on the freeway and rearrange your internal organs.
Jay also shared a hilarious ownership story involving McLaren salesman Harold Dermott. After Jay’s F1 refused to start, he spent four hours tracing wires and attacking the problem with alligator clips. Dermott eventually remembered to mention the hidden kill switch that could be accidentally pressed with a foot. One button later, the F1 fired immediately. Imagine paying around $800,000 in the 1990s and discovering your hypercar came with a secret switch nobody bothered to explain.
Primitive quirks aside, the F1 remains spectacular. It has no traction control, no ABS, and very little interest in saving an overconfident driver. The later P1 takes a wildly different approach, combining a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 with electric assistance for 903 hp. It is heavier, faster, and packed with electronic guardian angels. Heard loves it so much that this is his second P1. The first apparently encountered “a little situation on track,” which may be the politest possible way to describe crashing a seven-figure McLaren.
The T.50 Is Gordon Murray’s F1 Sequel
The T.50 returns to the F1 recipe with three seats, a central driving position, rear-wheel drive, and a six-speed manual. However, Murray did not simply warm up yesterday’s leftovers. The T.50 weighs about 2,174 lbs, making it lighter than the F1 despite modern safety requirements.
Behind the cabin sits a bespoke 3.9-liter Cosworth V12 producing 654 horsepower, or 690 hp in V-Max mode. It screams to 12,100 RPM without a turbocharger or electric motor muddying the soundtrack. Gordon reportedly refused to budge on the engine’s maximum displacement or redline, forcing Cosworth to create something gloriously ridiculous.
Then there is that enormous rear fan. It is not decorative, and it is not there to impress people outside a steakhouse. The system manipulates airflow beneath the car, increasing downforce or reducing drag depending on the selected mode. It also allows the T.50 to stay clean and wingless instead of wearing what Jay called a “picnic table” on its backside.
Jay Leno Discovers 56 MPH Can Still Feel Hilarious
Once Jay gets behind the wheel, the T.50’s mission becomes crystal clear. This car is not chasing the biggest horsepower number or attempting to make passengers black out during a launch. It is built to make normal road speeds feel special.
Jay repeatedly worries that he is over-revving the engine, only to discover he is nowhere near the 12,100-RPM ceiling. At one point, the V12 is howling at 7,000 RPM and Jay looks down to find he is traveling at just 56 mph. That is the magic. Many modern hypercars barely wake up before the driver is risking handcuffs, but the T.50 delivers its drama without requiring a runway and a lawyer.
He praises its steering, brakes, balance, and usable power, eventually describing it as “the world’s greatest Miata.” That may sound cheeky for a multi-million-dollar supercar, but it is also one hell of a compliment. The T.50 is light, compact, talkative, and built around involvement rather than bragging rights.
By the end of the drive, Jay is grinning, laughing, and politely offering to store the T.50 permanently in his garage. Dan wisely keeps the keys. After hearing that V12 rip toward five figures, we cannot blame Jay for trying.
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