Brabham confirms name for first project

FRESHLY-MINTED sportscar manufacturer Brabham Automotive has announced the name for its debut model – dubbed BT62 – ahead of its global reveal on May 2.

Brabham has also revealed a teaser video showing off the BT62’s throaty exhaust note, hint at the high-performance nature of the vehicle.

The engine idle in the video suggests a gruff, raucous engine with minimal sound deadening, and a cylinder count of eight or more.

If Brabham Automotive is an unfamiliar name, it is because the brand was launched last month as a road-going arm of the legendary Brabham racing team.

Spearheaded by David Brabham, the son of Formula One legend Sir Jack Brabham, the brand will aim to replicate its motorsport success of yesteryear on the road.

While the company has not revealed and further details about the BT62, Brabham Automotive says it has been through a rigorous and extensive engineering program, and is nearing the end of an intensive testing process leading up to its global reveal.

According to a UK report last year, Brabham attempted to take control of a Formula One team, which could then leverage investors to create a manufacturing business capable of building cars to rival the likes of McLaren.

It is unknown whether the BT62 will be marketed as a high-performance luxury supercar in the vein of McLaren or a more stripped-out road racer along the lines of Caterham or Lotus.

Brabham Automotive managing director David Brabham said the brand would draw on its motorsport heritage for the BT62.

“I am thrilled to announce Brabham BT62 as the name of Brabham Automotive’s first project,” he said.

“With more than 700 racing cars produced since its inception in the 1960s, the Brabham marque boasts a remarkable heritage, so to see the first Brabham in 26 years wear the iconic BT designation will be a huge moment in our history.”

Brabham’s motorsport history began in 1961 with the BT1 Formula Junior racer, while the first Formula One car arrived in 1962 for the German Grand Prix.

In 1966, Jack Brabham became the first driver to win a Formula One race in a car bearing his own name, going on to win both the driver’s championship and constructor’s championship in the same year.

The BT moniker combines the names Brabham’s two original designers, Sir Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac.