Brabham BT62: 691bhp track weapon takes on Silverstone

Except that it’s not a racing car, insofar as there is no series in which it is suited to race. Instead, it’s a track day toy. So now you may be wondering why, if you simply want to be quickest at the track day, you wouldn’t just buy a fairly fruity Radical and go almost as fast for a fraction of the money. And the answer is because that’s not the market for this car: the multi-millionaires who will order a BT62 are buying not a car so much as its name, scarcity and heritage. 

But surely it still has to be a credible thing to drive? It’s what I’m at Silverstone to find out. A finger describing a circle in the air from the man standing in front of the car tells me it’s time to fire it up. Master on, ignition on, starter pressed and jump straight out of your skin. The noise is like putting your head in the bass bin at a Motorhead gig. And it’s only idling. 

Pull a paddle, lift the clutch, try not to stall, and with enough proficiency to make it at least appear that I know what I’m doing, the Brabham and I roll down Silverstone’s old pit lane and onto the National Circuit. I am lap limited so there’s no time for easing my way into this. Someone else has kindly warmed the slicks, so there’s no excuse not to go flat out straight away. Apart from the fact that this prototype is worth millions and, at this time, is the only functioning BT62 in the world. But we’ll just ignore such small details and press on regardless. 

It is an utterly brilliant car, and I say that from the fortunate perspective of having driven a large number of GT3 racing cars, which in terms of track performance are the machines to which the BT62 comes closest. Actually, it’s far quicker than any GT3 car because it has more power, better brakes, a lot less weight and, I expect, more downforce, but that’s not why I loved it. 

The first thing that enthrals you is the engine. It has the heart and power of something that should belong in a 1980s Group C racing car. It’s a little lethargic at low revs, as you’d expect from a normally aspirated motor producing 138bhp per litre, but from 4000rpm to 7500rpm, where all sorts of lights start flashing at you, it’s a proper maniac and all the better for it. 

But then you’ve got to lose that speed and here I confess I struggled. I’m 6ft 4in and not slight in construction, but there’s no force my leg could apply to the pedal at high speed that came close to triggering the ABS. If you could make a road car slow like this, you’d set the airbags off. Seeing how late you could leave landing on the brakes became a twice-a-lap odyssey for every lap I was out there. At first, I was awed, then entertained and finally just very curious to see exactly what was needed to distress those discs. I never found out: at least for those few laps, the Brabham’s brakes were better than its driver’s ability to apply them. 

Even so, that’s not what I’ll remember most about this car. It’s the way it handles. GT3 cars tend to be set very stiff, require quite an aggressive driving style and always move around. You get into them ready for a fight. The Brabham could not be more different. With slicks and wings, grip levels are such that they make any road car feel like you’re driving on ice, but it is the confidence it inspired that is so much more impressive even than this. You can brake all the way into an apex and it won’t so much as shrug its shoulders; you can pick up the power beautifully early; and even over the bumps you find as you accelerate onto the Wellington Straight, it places it all where it’s needed. 

Doubtless, you could extract even better lap times by really nailing it down on its springs but the result, while faster, would also be less fun, and when it’s so ludicrously quick already, what would be the point of that? For the fabulously wealthy amateurs who’ll buy one, I’d say the BT62 is near perfect as it is. And for a rather less wealthy amateur like me, I’d say it was pretty damned good too.

The ‘road-going’ Brabham BT62

David Brabham says that the BT62 was conceived from the start as a pure track car but that Brabham also built its name by listening to its customers. And enough of them have said they’d like a street-legal version for it to be viable to create one. The road version will have axle lifts, air conditioning, a tighter turning circle, a fully trimmed interior, door locks and proper protection from burglars. The car will be able to pass Individual Vehicle Approval and therefore be registered for the road in the UK.