What’s on Gordon Murray’s Mind.
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What’s on Gordon Murray’s Mind
What’s on Gordon Murray’s Mind
Gordon Murray is one of the most innovative and celebrated automotive designers in history. His career has spanned groundbreaking projects, from Formula 1 race cars to the iconic McLaren F1 supercar. As of January 2017, Murray's thoughts and philosophies about car design continue to provide fascinating insights into his creative process and the automotive industry at large. This article captures his views on weight reduction, car categorization, his design principles, personal car preferences, and his perspective on modern supercars.
An Obsession with Weight
An Obsession with Weight
For Gordon Murray, weight is not just a technical specification—it’s a philosophical cornerstone of car design. His pursuit of lightweight vehicles dates back to his racing days and has persisted throughout his career.
“The big frontier is weight. I have always been into light weight; it’s just that now I have changed from racing and high performance to cars that everyone can enjoy.” – Goodwood Q&A
Murray believes weight is the single greatest enemy of car performance and handling. Regardless of how advanced a vehicle’s engineering is, the laws of physics are immutable.
“As a designer, I’ve fought weight all my life. The only thing that counts against you every second the car is moving is weight. You can disguise weight, but you cannot change the laws of physics. You’ll never get transient handling with a heavy car that feels like a light car.” – Podcast with Chris Harris
Murray practices what he preaches. His personal cars are all under 900 kg, and his daily driver for many years was a Smart Roadster, weighing just 790 kg. He maintains that absolute weight matters more than power-to-weight. Light cars communicate earlier, more honestly, and with less artificial intervention. Modern performance cars are often fast but numb due to mass, electronics, and tyre dependency.
This is not framed as nostalgia, but as systems thinking:
Lower mass → better ride compliance → better real-road speed → more confidence → more fun
Exceptional secondary ride (compliance over bumps without losing control)
This aligns directly with Murray’s long-standing view:
“Small cars give you options on the road."
Defining Car Categories
Defining Car Categories
Murray’s view of cars transcends conventional classifications. He defines them based on their core purpose and the driving experience they provide:
Road Cars – Designed for enjoyment on normal roads.
Track Cars – Engineered for reliability and maximizing lap times on a circuit.
Collector Cars – Technical or engineering exercises often aimed at showcasing innovation rather than everyday usability.
Murray has expressed skepticism about modern hybrid hypercars, placing vehicles like the McLaren P1 in the collector car category rather than aligning them with the ethos of his McLaren F1.
“The McLaren P1 is 180 degrees away from what the McLaren F1 set out to do. The F1 was a pure driver’s car, a piece of engineering art, and also a car you could use every day.” – Goodwood Q&A
Design Principles for Road Cars
Design Principles for Road Cars
Murray's checklist for designing road cars reveals his meticulous attention to practicality and driver experience:
Size and Perceived Size – Ensuring the car is not intimidating to drive.
Ergonomics – Designing intuitive primary and secondary controls.
Luggage Capacity – Considering real-world usability.
Driveability – Focusing on engine characteristics for daily use.
Ride and Handling – Striking the right balance between comfort and performance.
Ease of Parking – Addressing everyday challenges.
These principles reflect Murray’s philosophy of creating cars that are both enjoyable and practical for everyday use.
Cars He Admires and Owns
Cars He Admires and Owns
Murray's appreciation for lightweight, well-balanced cars is evident in his personal collection and preferences. His favorite car, the original Lotus Elan, epitomizes these qualities.
“The Elan styling is perfectly balanced and works from every angle. The packaging is sublime, and it is still unreservedly the best sports car I have driven.” – Credit Suisse Interview
Among modern cars, Murray admires the Ferrari 458 for its purity and the Porsche Cayman S for its overall excellence. He also praises the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GT86 for their fun-to-drive nature, albeit with some reservations about weight.
His current favorite is the Alpine A110, which he describes as having the best ride and handling compromise he’s encountered.
“The Alpine is the best car I’ve ever driven for ride and handling. It’s better than a Porsche. It’s better than supercars. It’s absolutely brilliant.” – Podcast with Chris Harris
However, he wishes it were narrower and equipped with a naturally aspirated manual transmission.
On Building Another Supercar
On Building Another Supercar
Despite the success of the McLaren F1, Murray feels there is unfinished business in the supercar realm. Frustrated by the size, complexity, and weight of modern supercars, he envisions a return to purity and simplicity.
“I have a hankering to do one more supercar. I wouldn’t have unless these one-and-a-half-tonne hybrid monsters hadn’t come out. There’s a point to be proven: that you can still do a great driver’s car with an internal combustion engine and pure engineering.” – Goodwood Q&A
His vision for a future supercar rejects the horsepower arms race and embraces the principles that made the F1 legendary.
“A lot of supercars now try to be all sorts of things. They try to be well-engineered, track day cars, and status symbols. I don’t want to do any of that rubbish. I just want to do a pure, pure supercar again, like the F1 was.” – Vehicle Dynamics International Interview
In 2017, Gordon Murray founded Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) with a mission to push the boundaries of automotive engineering and redefine the modern supercar. GMA’s approach is deeply rooted in seven core principles that reflect Murray’s design philosophy:
Driving Perfection – Prioritizing the joy and engagement of driving above all else.
Lightweight – Keeping weight to an absolute minimum to enhance every aspect of performance.
Engineering Art – Treating design and engineering as art forms, creating vehicles that are as beautiful as they are functional.
Exclusivity – Producing limited numbers of bespoke vehicles for discerning enthusiasts.
Innovation – Challenging conventions and developing cutting-edge solutions.
Sustainability – Embracing sustainable practices in materials and processes.
Customer Experience – Offering unparalleled customer engagement and personalization.
At the heart of GMA’s philosophy is the T.50, a spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 and a statement of Murray’s ideals. The T.50, unveiled in 2020, is designed as the ultimate driver’s car, uncompromised by the trends of modern supercars.
“The T.50 is the culmination of everything I’ve learned in my career. It’s about lightweight engineering, purity of purpose, and creating a car for true enthusiasts.” – Gordon Murray
The T.50 is powered by a bespoke 3.9-liter naturally aspirated V12 developed by Cosworth. It produces 654 horsepower, revs to an astonishing 12,100 rpm, and weighs just 986 kg. It features a manual gearbox and a central driving position, much like the McLaren F1.
One of its most distinctive features is the rear-mounted 400 mm fan, inspired by Murray’s legendary Brabham BT46B "Fan Car." This innovation creates advanced ground-effect aerodynamics, enhancing grip and handling without relying on heavy active suspension systems or large wings.
Murray described the T.50 as a "celebration of driving," explicitly designed to focus on driver engagement rather than chasing top speeds or lap times. By adhering to GMA's core principles, the T.50 is a testament to Murray’s unwavering commitment to engineering purity and the essence of driving.
Here is a seminal article on his philosophy:
Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFusDf30ds&
https://classiccars.credit-suisse.com/en/professor-gordon-murray
http://www.vehicledynamicsinternational.com/exclusive_articles.php?ArticleID=1259
http://www.zerotohundred.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=175241
https://www.driving.co.uk/news/interview/motor-gordon-murray-design-legend-type-car/
http://www.speedmonkey.co.uk/2014/06/gordon-murray-i-have-hankering-to-do.html
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