Photo: Brabham
Brabham is back in business, and the car that spearheads the brand into the future is the BT62. BT has always been an integral part of the company’s (and racing team's) naming convention, though 62 is harder to single out. On the other hand, 1962 is the year Brabham got into the game with the BT3 single-seater at the German Grand Prix.
Born on the track, Brabham decided to make the BT62 a track-only affair, limited to 70 examples. The first 35 cars will feature color schemes used by Jack Brabham on his team’s race-winning racers. Care to guess what’s the price on each of those bad babies, before options and local taxes?
One million pounds sterling, thank you! The suck-squeeze-bang-blow comes courtesy of a 5.4-liter V8 that happens to be naturally aspirated, not supercharged or turbocharged. Tuned to develop 710 PS (700 horsepower) and 667 Nm (492 pound-feet) of torque, the engine comes to life when you head the power-to-weight ratio: 720 bhp per metric tonne. The old-school approach carries on to the drivetrain, which includes a six-speed sequential transmission and rear-wheel-drive.
Tipping the scales at 972 kilograms (2,142 pounds; dry), the BT62 produces in excess of 1,200 kilograms (2,645 pounds) of downforce thanks to over-the-top aerodynamic trickery. The mid-engine interloper also happens to be as rigid as possible, thanks in part to the extensive use of carbon fiber and carbon with Kevlar.
A pair of racing seats, digital instrument cluster, and some patches of Alcantara is all the interior has to offer, as well as a carbon-fiber steering wheel with buttons and switches that have more to do with motorsports than road-legal vehicles. It’s a seriously focused machine the BT62, although it’s hard to understand why Brabham chose to equip it with door handles on the inside instead of lightweight pull straps.
"Created from a blank sheet of paper, our first car takes Brabham into an exciting new era, whilst honoring and upholding the marque’s glorious past,” declared Paul Birch, the head honcho of engineering. “The resulting BT62 is a car that demands total engagement and commitment from its driver, delivering immense reward and satisfaction.”
Sir Jack Brabham may have passed away in 2014, but the Australian racing driver’s legend lives on through the BT62 and his legacy. When all is said and done, Jack was – and still is – the only racing driver to win a Grand Prix championship (1966 Formula 1 season) in a single-seater of his own name and design.
One million pounds sterling, thank you! The suck-squeeze-bang-blow comes courtesy of a 5.4-liter V8 that happens to be naturally aspirated, not supercharged or turbocharged. Tuned to develop 710 PS (700 horsepower) and 667 Nm (492 pound-feet) of torque, the engine comes to life when you head the power-to-weight ratio: 720 bhp per metric tonne. The old-school approach carries on to the drivetrain, which includes a six-speed sequential transmission and rear-wheel-drive.
Tipping the scales at 972 kilograms (2,142 pounds; dry), the BT62 produces in excess of 1,200 kilograms (2,645 pounds) of downforce thanks to over-the-top aerodynamic trickery. The mid-engine interloper also happens to be as rigid as possible, thanks in part to the extensive use of carbon fiber and carbon with Kevlar.
A pair of racing seats, digital instrument cluster, and some patches of Alcantara is all the interior has to offer, as well as a carbon-fiber steering wheel with buttons and switches that have more to do with motorsports than road-legal vehicles. It’s a seriously focused machine the BT62, although it’s hard to understand why Brabham chose to equip it with door handles on the inside instead of lightweight pull straps.
"Created from a blank sheet of paper, our first car takes Brabham into an exciting new era, whilst honoring and upholding the marque’s glorious past,” declared Paul Birch, the head honcho of engineering. “The resulting BT62 is a car that demands total engagement and commitment from its driver, delivering immense reward and satisfaction.”
Sir Jack Brabham may have passed away in 2014, but the Australian racing driver’s legend lives on through the BT62 and his legacy. When all is said and done, Jack was – and still is – the only racing driver to win a Grand Prix championship (1966 Formula 1 season) in a single-seater of his own name and design.
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