Brabham BT62 Simultaneously Showcases Racing Brand's Past and Future

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

While normal cars appear to be vanishing from automaker lineups at an unsettlingly swift pace, it now seems as though there are more supercars available for purchase than ever. Earlier this year, British racing car manufacturer and former Formula One racing team Brabham announced it was planning to produce another one.

We were a little disappointed when we found out it wasn’t intended for street use. Still, as track-only models go, you’d be hard pressed to find something boasting better specs. It may be just another mid-engined plaything for the super wealthy, but it pays homage to the brand’s racing heritage and takes aim at McLaren’s Senna — and that’s worth getting excited about.

Perhaps more importantly, the Brabham BT62 provides a glimpse into the brand’s future — which is supposed to include a Le Mans endurance racer and a street-legal variant of the same model.

In the meantime, we have a singular track-only unit pushing out 700 horsepower and 492 lb-ft of torque from its naturally aspirated 5.4-liter V8. When asked why the company didn’t adopt forced induction, Brabham stated it wanted to prioritize response and minimize weight wherever possible. At only 2,143 pounds without fuel, we’d say the company has done a bang up job on the latter half of the equation.

A fixed aero package, made predominantly of carbon fiber, produces more than 2,645 pounds of downforce at speed. Brabham did not specify at what speed the BT62 puts all of that air to work, but a set of Michelin racing slicks ought to keep it planted until then. Extensive suspension details were unavailable, though the manufacturer has said it’s a double-wishbone setup with adjustable anti-roll bars and Ohlins dampers. Brakes are carbon units with six-piston calipers all around.

The interior, while not barren, isn’t what you would consider plush. This is a racing car, and the removable steering wheel, adjustable pedals (instead of seats), rollcage, and FIA-approved carbon-fiber seats with six-point harnesses serve as a constant reminder.

At a sky-high $1.5 million, Brabham says it only intends to build 70 BT62s “to celebrate the seventy years since Sir Jack Brabham launched his racing career in Australia in 1948 and the birth of Brabham Automotive in 2018.” The first 35 cars will also be liveried to commemorate the company’s racing heritage — specifically from the 1960s era, when Black Jack partnered up with Ron Tauranac.

We’re suckers for heritage stuff, but it’s twice as exciting to hear the company wants to enter a car into LeMans and eventually build street-legal hypercars. Hopefully, the company offers details on both soon. Until then, those who can afford the Brabham BT62 will be able to enjoy a driver development and experience program to come to grips with their new purchase. Deliveries are expected to begin later this year.

[Images: Brabham]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Downunder Downunder on May 04, 2018

    And it's going to be built in the shadow of the Holden factory's demise in Elizabeth South Australia. Whether it'll be built in the actual factory or another empty car parts building is yet to be seen. To build a unique factory for just 70 vehicles wouldn't be viable for any maker. The other thing is that they would have a brand new race track to run around on, The Bend Motorsport Park, about an hour out of the city.

  • SPPPP SPPPP on May 04, 2018

    It seems to be left-hand-drive. Interesting for a car from the Land Down Under. (Or were the pics inadvertently reversed?)

  • Analoggrotto I am sick and tired of every little Hyundai Kia Genesis flaw being blown out of proportion. Why doesn't TTAC talk about the Tundra iForce Max problems, Toyota V35A engine problems or the Lexus 500H Hybrid problems? Here's why: education. Most of America is illiterate, as are the people who bash Hyundai Kia Genesis. Surveys conducted by credible sources have observed a high concentration of Hyundai Kia Genesis models at elite ivy league universities, you know those places where students earn degrees which earn more than $100K per year? Get with the program TTAC.
  • Analoggrotto NoooooooO!
  • Ted “the model is going to be almost 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider than its predecessor”Size matters. In this case there is 6” too much.
  • JMII Despite our past experience with Volvo my wife wants an EX30 badly. Small, upscale, minimalist EV hatch is basically her perfect vehicle.
  • Dukeisduke Is the Volvo EX30 even on sale yet? It was pulled from the NACTOY awards because they were having software problems with the vehicle.
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