Brabham BT62 History

Unveiled in May 2018, the BT62 was Brabham Automotive's founding car and a deliberate love letter to the Brabham racing legacy — the model number paying homage to the year Jack Brabham won his third Formula 1 World Championship, 1966 (the company's 70-car production limit honored 70 years of Brabham motorsport heritage). Built around an all-carbon-fiber monocoque in Adelaide, South Australia, the car was conceived strictly for closed-circuit use, with no attempt to homologate it as a road-legal vehicle in standard specification.

Power comes from a mid-mounted, extensively modified 5.4-litre Ford Modular naturally-aspirated V8 producing 515 kW (691 hp / 700 PS) at 7,400 rpm and 667 Nm (492 lb-ft) of torque at 6,200 rpm, driving the rear wheels through a 6-speed Holinger sequential paddle-shift transmission. Dry weight was quoted at 972 kg, yielding a power-to-weight ratio of 653 hp per tonne. The fixed aerodynamic package — comprising a large front splitter, rear wing, and full-length diffuser — generates up to 1,200 kg of downforce at racing speeds, with Michelin racing slicks, Öhlins dampers, and carbon-ceramic brakes completing the track-day specification.

A road-legal conversion designated the BT62-R was made available from the UK, requiring IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) certification and adding approximately 128 kg of road equipment to bring the car to 1,100 kg. In November 2019 Brabham announced a Competition variant with revised setup for endurance racing; it made its motorsport debut at the 2019 Britcar Endurance Championship at Brands Hatch, winning on its first competitive outing. All production ceased when Brabham Automotive shut down in January 2024 after a breakdown in supplier relations.