Automotive

Legendary Brabham name returns with BT62 racer

Legendary Brabham name returns with BT62 racer
The Brabham BT62 weighs in at a mere 972 kilograms (2,143 pounds, dry) and has a huge 5.4-liter V8 that outputs 700 bhp (522 kW) and 667 Nm (492 pound-feet) of torque
The Brabham BT62 weighs in at a mere 972 kilograms (2,143 pounds, dry) and has a huge 5.4-liter V8 that outputs 700 bhp (522 kW) and 667 Nm (492 pound-feet) of torque
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The aerodynamics of the Brabham BT62 impart 1,200 kilos of downforce at speed
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The aerodynamics of the Brabham BT62 impart 1,200 kilos of downforce at speed
Made for the track, a pre-production, camouflaged copy of the BT62 is tested afield
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Made for the track, a pre-production, camouflaged copy of the BT62 is tested afield
Designed to impart excellence on the track when a driver is willing to push limits, the Brabham BT62 carries its storied name forward
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Designed to impart excellence on the track when a driver is willing to push limits, the Brabham BT62 carries its storied name forward
The driver-focused interior of the BT62 includes everything needed to excel at speed
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The driver-focused interior of the BT62 includes everything needed to excel at speed
Livery on the Brabham BT62's first 35 copies will commemorate the Formula-winning racers in each of the like-numbered wins Brabham was responsible for
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Livery on the Brabham BT62's first 35 copies will commemorate the Formula-winning racers in each of the like-numbered wins Brabham was responsible for
As the next generation of the Jack Brabham legacy, the BT62 was designed by his son, David Brabham
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As the next generation of the Jack Brabham legacy, the BT62 was designed by his son, David Brabham
After the first 35 copies, the Brabham BT62 will be liveried more simply or to customers' desires
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After the first 35 copies, the Brabham BT62 will be liveried more simply or to customers' desires
The Brabham BT62 weighs in at a mere 972 kilograms (2,143 pounds, dry) and has a huge 5.4-liter V8 that outputs 700 bhp (522 kW) and 667 Nm (492 pound-feet) of torque
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The Brabham BT62 weighs in at a mere 972 kilograms (2,143 pounds, dry) and has a huge 5.4-liter V8 that outputs 700 bhp (522 kW) and 667 Nm (492 pound-feet) of torque
Extensive testing in the wind tunnel and on the track resulted in the Brabham BT62's design
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Extensive testing in the wind tunnel and on the track resulted in the Brabham BT62's design
Track testing included pit stops and on-field tests to ensure the car was living up to expectation
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Track testing included pit stops and on-field tests to ensure the car was living up to expectation
Crews work to check systems on the Brabham BT62 as it undergoes track testing in camouflage colors
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Crews work to check systems on the Brabham BT62 as it undergoes track testing in camouflage colors
To live up to the legendary performance expectations of the Brabham name, the BT62 had to meet stringent requirements
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To live up to the legendary performance expectations of the Brabham name, the BT62 had to meet stringent requirements
At rest, the Brabham BT62 prototype poses for cameras on the track
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At rest, the Brabham BT62 prototype poses for cameras on the track
Powered by a mid-engined 5.4-liter V8, the Brabham BT62 outputs 710ps from its naturally-aspirated power plant
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Powered by a mid-engined 5.4-liter V8, the Brabham BT62 outputs 710ps from its naturally-aspirated power plant
Unique rear lighting sets off the tail of the Brabham BT62
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Unique rear lighting sets off the tail of the Brabham BT62
The Brabham BT62 weighs just 972kg, giving it a power to weight ratio of 730ps per tonne
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The Brabham BT62 weighs just 972kg, giving it a power to weight ratio of 730ps per tonne
Carbon fiber brakes adorn all four wheels of the Brabham BT62, offering lightweight, powerful stopping through six-piston calipers
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Carbon fiber brakes adorn all four wheels of the Brabham BT62, offering lightweight, powerful stopping through six-piston calipers
Testing and refinement of the Brabham BT62 took months of track and tunnel work
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Testing and refinement of the Brabham BT62 took months of track and tunnel work
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After some fits and starts, the Brabham name is back in business as a race car manufacturer with the debut of the awesome little BT62. The track-focused BT62 features a phenomenal power to weight ratio and builds on the legacy of a name that dominated Formula racing for decades.

The Brabham BT62 weighs in at a mere 972 kilograms (2,143 lb) dry and has a huge 5.4-liter V8 that outputs 700 bhp (522 kW) and 667 Nm (492 lb-ft) of torque. That gives the BT62 a power to weight ratio of 720 bhp per tonne. The car also boasts 1,200 kg (2,645 pounds) of downforce from its bodywork aerodynamics.

A limited production run of the Brabham BT62 will consist of just 70 cars in all, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Brabham name in racing. The first half of those cars will be liveried in tribute to the company's 35 Formula 1 Grand Prix victories.

The Brabham BT62 weighs just 972kg, giving it a power to weight ratio of 730ps per tonne
The Brabham BT62 weighs just 972kg, giving it a power to weight ratio of 730ps per tonne

The legendary Brabham name began in 1960 after race driver Jack Brabham left the Cooper Car Company's race team after winning the Formula One World Driver's Championship in 1959 and 1960. Brabham then teamed with friend Ron Tauranac, an engineer, to form the company which would eventually become a benchmark for racing car manufacturers of the period.

Both native Australians, Brabham and Tauranac based their operations in the United Kingdom and went on to 30 years of championship wins, both as a racing team and as a manufacturer supplier to other teams in all tiers of Formula racing. Jack Brabham's 1966 Formula 1 World Championship title remains as the only win for a driver in a car of his own manufacture.

To live up to the legendary performance expectations of the Brabham name, the BT62 had to meet stringent requirements
To live up to the legendary performance expectations of the Brabham name, the BT62 had to meet stringent requirements

When Brabham retired from racing in 1970, he also sold his shares in his company to his partner Tauranac, who sold it a year later. The racing team and car manufacturer continued operations under various owners until 1993. After a legal dispute over the name Brabham, the company's legacy was returned to the family of its founder in 2014 as Brabham Racing with David Brabham, Jack Brabham's son, at the helm. A stuttering start at crowdfunding and getting back into racing died on the vine, but it's now reemerged as a race car manufacturer.

The BT62 name is derived from previous Brabham designs. David Brabham, himself an accomplished Le Mans racer, still heads the company, which says it has a phased product development program and long-term plan in place to continue manufacture through the BT62 and beyond. The 24 Hours of Le Mans race is the company's ultimate goal.

Unveiled at a gala in London, the BT62 will be sold through both the Brabham UK office (for US, European, and Middle Eastern sales) and an Australian office for Asian sales. The car itself will be manufactured at a 15,000 square meter facility in Adelaide, Australia.

Source: Brabham Automotive

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2 comments
2 comments
Expanded Viewpoint
Forget about all of the "glamour shots", what does the undercarriage look like? How about some phantom drawings of the engine and transmission?? Why just cosmetics and no technical stuff? What does the engine look like?
Randy
WayneHennebury
For a look at the engine you most likely can just look under the hood of a Mustang and that's maybe why they don't talk about or show you the engine??