Brabham used to be one of the biggest names in Formula One, winning four drivers’ and two contractors’ championships before gradually fading away. But now Brabham is back with a new track-only supercar. The Brabham BT62 made its world debut in London in May, and is coming to the United States for the first time for Monterey Car Week.
The BT62 is powered by a 5.4-liter V8 of Brabham’s own design, which is mounted in the middle of the chassis and drives the rear wheels. The engine produces 700 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque. Brabham won’t discuss performance figures, but given that the company is claiming a relatively svelte dry curb weight of 2,142 pounds, the BT62 should be pretty lively. Befitting a car developed by an ex-Formula One team, the BT62 will also have an aggressive aerodynamics package, developing 2,645 pounds of downforce.
Other race-worthy hardware includes Öhlins pushrod-actuated adjustable dampers, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin racing slicks, and an adjustable traction-control system. The BT62 won’t be street legal when deliveries begin next year, although Brabham is planning a conversion package that will allow customers to drive their cars on the road.
Production will be limited to 70 cars, priced at $1.3 million each. The first 35 cars will wear liveries representing each of Brabham’s 35 Formula One race-winning cars. For its U.S. debut, the BT62 will don the green and gold colors of the number 22 Brabham BT7 race car that American racing legend Dan Gurney drove to victory in the 1964 French Grand Prix. That was Brabham’s first F1 victory. Buyers of the second batch of 35 cars will get to select their own color schemes.
It’s hard to think of a better place to unveil a new supercar than Monterey Car Week, where the world’s most valuable cars and their wealthy owners congregate under the California sun. Running August 18-26, Monterey Car Week comprises multiple events, culminating in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on the 26th. The BT62 will appear on the Michelin stand during the historic races at Laguna Sea August 24 and 26, at the McCall’s Motorworks Revival August 22, and at Exotics on Cannery Row August 25.
Monterey Car Week 2018 will also see the public debut of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, which just set a lap record for production cars at the Nürburgring, as well as a new production model from BMW. A few surprises are likely as well, so watch this space.
