Gordon Murray talks McLaren F1 and upcoming GMA T.50

Gordon Murray is a legend in the industry. He’s the mastermind behind several incredible machines, from Formula One cars to road cars but his most famous work has to be the McLaren F1. The F1 is widely considered to be one of the finest driving road cars in history, if not the finest. BMW fans especially love the F1 because it was powered by a BMW M-developed V12, designed by another legend of the industry — Paul Rosche. So both the F1 and Murray are beloved in BMW enthusiast circles. Which makes this interview between Murray and Car Throttle a must-read.

In this new interview, Murray talks about his new GMA (Gordon Murray Automotive) T.50 and its parallels to the original McLaren F1. It’s fascinating to hear about how the F1 came to be, his design goals for it and why he chose certain directions. It’s also interesting to see that the new T.50 has many of the same goals; his vision for a proper supercar hasn’t changed at all, only the technology has.

McLaren F1

What’s also interesting is the fact that the T.50 should be even purer, even better than the McLaren F1 ever was and that’s because of new technology and techniques. Typically, modern successors are less pure and less engaging because of new technology but Murray uses new chassis tech, material tech and design techniques to develop a car that’s lighter than the F1, more powerful than the F1 and even more engaging.

Unfortunately, the new T.50 doesn’t use a BMW engine like the McLaren F1 did. That would have really been awesome if Murray went to BMW M yet again. However, I don’t think BMW could have done the job this time around, if I’m being honest. BMW’s core engine technology revolves around turbocharging at the moment and that’s the last thing Murray wanted. Back when the F1 was being developed, BMW still developed naturally-aspirated, high-revving engines. Now, not a single road car engine the Bavarians produce lacks turbocharging.

What’s also interesting is the car that Gordon Murray used as inspiration for the T.50’s ride/handling balance — the Alpine A110. In his opinion, the Alpine has a better chassis/suspension setup than any other road car on sale by far.

The McLaren F1 is one of the most legendary cars in the history of the automobile and its architect, Gordon Murray, is equally as legendary. For any BMW fans that love the F1 and Murray’s work, this interview is perfect Sunday morning reading.

[Source: Car Throttle]

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