The Brabham BT62 remains one of the wildest mid-engine cars ever. Made in Australia since 2018 and still limited to just 70 units, it’s capable of lapping its home circuit of the 12 Hours of Bathurst endurance race in a record 1:58.67 in its track tune. Now, Brabham came up with an even more extensive road-legal package called the BT62R, which combines the 700-horsepower naturally-aspirated V8 and the same astronomical downforce levels with the reassurance of a license plate.
It’s not the first time Brabham has let its supercar run free on city streets, but it does go a step further than what was done last year. In 2019, Brabham costumers could also choose the $191,500 option of the BT62 Ultimate Track’s road conversion, which included a slower steering rack, higher ride height, air conditioning, power locks and a few extra interior bits in exchange for the car’s total price of $1.47 million.
Now, to satisfy the authorities on “both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere”, the carbon-bodied Brabham BT62R features a retuned suspension system including a lift hit that can set the car at 70mm, 90mm, 110mm or 130mm at the press of a button, a revised front splitter, top-mounted air intake, diffuser and single-plane rear wing design, Goodyear’s Eagle F1 SuperSport tires, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a somewhat milder exhaust.
Behind those power-lock doors, the BT62R’s cabin is wrapped in Alcantara, with A/C, extra storage compartments, optional speakers, and more heat and sound isolation all around.
Needless to say, by retaining its six-speed sequential transmission, even with the road-spec gear ratios and engine mapping, the BT62R can easily switch back to its Competition mode, especially when used with the optional Track Pack. For circuit use, the car can be transformed using a track rear wing, splitter and diffuser. While the transmission uses its clutch for smooth shifts on the road, at full tilt, the sequential provides clutchless blasts playing with the V8’s 492 foot-pounds of torque.
Keeping in mind that Brabham is still busy preparing its BT62 for an endurance race program that should lead to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022, the left and right-hand drive road cars will all be finished in a Signature Series livery of the customer’s own design, or a Celebration Series livery honoring one of the 35 Formula 1 wins achieved by Brabham Formula 1 cars.
For now, here it is in Brabham’s Adelaide Red. As you all well know, red cars are faster. They just are. It’s science.
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