Gordon Murray plots micro masterpiece
The brains behind the McLaren F1 and Light Car Company Rocket targets the masses with his new projectIt's a classic case of leaping from one extreme to the other. Gordon Murray, the mastermind behind championship-winning Formula One racers and the illustrious McLaren F1 (pictured and the world's quickest road car until the Bugatti Veyron came along) has just announced plans to develop a bargain-basement city car.
The project will be called Type 25 (as it's Murray's 25th car) and reports suggest it will be an ultra-frugal, greenie-friendly and affordable commuter.
Supposedly smaller than even the pint-sized Smart, the Type 25 will be pitched at young first-time buyers, inner-city dwellers, hire-car fleets and second-car buyers and hit the European market within three years (at a price equivalent to $A11,700). Murray says, the Type 25 will be fabricated from high-tech materials and feature an innovative architecture, resulting in a kerb weight that undercuts conventional vehicles by about 400kg.
Euro reports suggest an annual production rate of 100,000 units is on the agenda.
Murray is yet to divulge the T25's precise mechanical layout, but promises that it will deliver an entertaining drive despite its el cheapo aspirations.
The initial plan is to get the T25 to a running-prototype stage. From there, the Gordon Murray Design company will support clients in bringing the car to production, as well as in the development of further variants using different body styles and powertrain options.
"The ultimate target is to create a new class of vehicle on a worldwide basis," says the company.
Murray (also pictured) has been quoted as saying the T25 will be as radical as past projects such as the Light Car Company Rocket.
"This car will give the driver all the driving feedback and pleasure that a good power-to-weight ratio and vehicle dynamics can deliver, but from light weight and modest power.
"You don't sit normally in it, you don't get in and out normally, and you don't load luggage in the normal way," Murray says.
The last statement hardly comes as a surprise as the McLaren F1 (Murray's most high-profile creation) dispensed with the formbook with its three-seater layout, in which the driver occupies the centre pew.
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