Brabham BT62 Unveiling – Video

Brabham. If you’re a motorsport enthusiast of a certain age, you’ll recognize the name. David’s father, Sir Jack Brabham, was a three-time Formula 1 World Champion, winning back-to-back titles in 1959 and ’60 and his third title in 1966, at the grand old age of 40. David’s older brother, Geoff, finished fourth in the 1983 Indy 500 and won the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans. David himself started 24 F1 grands prix in 1990 and 1994 and also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007.

Jack Brabham’s third world championship was remarkable not just because it came at an age that today is considered well past retirement for an F1 driver but also because it is the only time a driver has won racing’s ultimate title in a car of his own construction, carrying his own name. That history is the inspiration for the Brabham BT62, a track-day hypercar designed and engineered under the direction of David Brabham.

 

 

The BT62 is a mid-engine sports car, powered by a 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V-8. It’s based on an engine from a mainstream automaker—Brabham won’t say which—but has been extensively modified to develop 700 hp and 492 lb-ft of torque. The engine drives the rear wheels through a six-speed Hollinger sequential-shift racing transmission. Brakes are carbon-to-carbon items, with carbon pads actuated by six pistons acting on carbon rotors, a technology first introduced to F1 by Brabham in 1976. Tires are Michelin slicks.