Gordon Murray's bolt of inspiration
Lanky South African designer turns his energies to creating a feather-light, eco-friendly sportsterGordon Murray, the man behind Brabham/McLaren Formula One championship-winnings cars and the iconic 1990s McLaren F1 supercar, has conjured up another pioneering vehicle, but his latest creation is more along the lines of his T25 microcar.
Pictured alongside is the interestingly named Teewave AR.1, which is a rear-drive electric sports car in the vein of the Tesla Roadster. It even looks a bit like the California-built sportster, but it’s distinctly lighter than the latter, tipping the scales at a waiflike 850kg.
GMD (Gordon Murray Design) was commissioned to build the car by carbonfibre specialist Toray Industries, which provided the monocoque chassis for it, and nestled behind the passenger cell is an all-electric powertrain sourced from the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
The Mitsu motor ekes out 47kW and 180Nm, enabling the pint-sized targa to scoot from 0-100km/h in 11.4sec and on to a top whack of 145km/h. This is hardly sporting territory, but the car’s job description is apparently more of inner-city commuter than lap-record chaser.
Its makers quote a 185km range on the European cycle and a CO2 emission figure of 31.4 grams per kilometer on a Japanese energy mix – but this figure will obviously be higher in countries where electricity comes purely from coal-burning power stations.
Measuring just 3975mm long, 1765mm wide and 1154mm high, the AR.1’s design incorporates carbonfibre crash structures that are said to have performed well in simulated tests.
Being a Gordon Murray design, you won’t be surprised to learn the Teewave is touted as being highly aero efficient, featuring a full-length undertray with ground-effect diffuser.
The car rides on double wishbone suspension front and rear, which allegedly combines with its low centre of gravity and minimal mass to deliver optimal ride and handling qualities.
Unlike the Tesla, the Teewave AR.1 isn’t showroom-bound as it was conceived purely as a showcase for the expertise of GMD and Toray Industries. And although it’s a specialist car, much of the tech it contains is said to be applicable to more mainstream vehicles.
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