It’s safe to say that when the Anglo-Australian Brabham Automotive burst onto the scene in 2018, it created a real stir with its bonkers BT62 track day car that saw car manufacturing return to Adelaide, South Australia – the former home of Holden in which Brabham is based.

Now, two years later and after previously offering a UK road-legal conversion for the regular BT62, Brabham has finally revealed a truly road-legal version of its hardcore racer.

Dubbed the BT62R, this new variant will sit alongside the Ultimate Track and Competition spec vehicles in the now-three-tiered range and shares much of its DNA with its track-bred companions, although with some tweaks to help you take it through a drive-thru as competently as it’ll go around a track.

Available in both left and right-hand drive, the BT62R will be available in two different configurations, bearing either a Signature Series livery of the customer’s own design, or a Celebration Series livery honouring one of the 35 Formula 1 wins achieved by Brabham Formula 1 cars over the years.

Helping to make it a far more usable car on the road, standard specifications include a new exhaust system that is noise compliant and also reduces in-cabin noise, air conditioning, a heated windscreen, a unique seat design with leather or Alcantara upholstery, new front splitter and rear diffuser designs, and a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres that utilise a motorsport-derived high-friction compound.

Additionally, a front axle lift system that can be adjusted to a range of preset heights – 70mm, 90mm, 110mm, and 130mm – is also fitted as standard, while an optional speaker system on the inside is also available.

Celebration Series models also feature 18 carat gold badging, a bespoke carbon fibre interior unique to each vehicle, and an exclusive Track Pack that provides a different rear wing, splitter, and diffuser for fitting when required for track events.

Behind the cabin you’ll find the same 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine that the track-focused BT62 variants feature, but now featuring revised engine mapping for use on the road.

Producing 522kW (700bhp) and 667Nm, the power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential paddle-shift transmission which now features different gear ratios that are more fitting for road use. While the transmission still allows for instantaneous clutch-free shifting on the track, it also has a traditional clutch for smoother gear changes on the road.

Built in Edinburgh Parks alongside its track-going siblings, any fellow Adelaidians will note that the press pictures have all been taken in the City of Churches, too – a sure sign that Brabham is proud to be keeping vehicle manufacturing in Adelaide alive.

The company’s first road-legal car – it has already confirmed that its next all-new model will be a fully-homologated road car – the first BT62R is set to be delivered to a customer within a matter of weeks, with Brabham confirming that multiple orders from customers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have been received and are in production.

Patrick Jackson
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