Here’s How Gordon Murray Helped Shape The Supercar Industry

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We know so much about the minute details of supercars. We know their top speed, the amount of horsepower they generate, and even the amount of lateral G-force they can sustain through corners. And yet, often we don’t fully know the men and women who are responsible for producing these gas-guzzling monsters.

For one designer, that is just how he wants it, but that doesn’t mean we should simply ignore his accomplishments or his influence on the automotive industry. Gordon Murray is responsible for some of the most revolutionary cars we’ve ever seen, from the McLaren F1 supercar of the early 90s to actual Formula 1 cars, such as Ayrton Senna’s legendary MP4/4.

When it comes to high-performance, few men have helped shape the supercar industry quite like this enigmatic South African.

Here then, is the story of Gordan Muray, the genius engineer whose innovation and discoveries continue to inspire to this very day.

The McLaren F1 road car will go down in history as one of the greatest supercars we’ve ever seen. Becoming the fastest production car in the world in the mid-1990s, it seemingly bent the laws of physics in order to achieve such staggeringly good performance numbers. Gordon Murray’s input in helping to develop it was essential, as it helped McLaren to design an aerodynamic chassis capable of maximizing the engine’s potential.

And yet, for all this game-changing car did achieve in the automotive world, Murray is still his own worst critic. In a recent interview with Top Gear, he remonstrated about a number of issues with the car that irritate him to this very day, such as the squeaky breaks, and headlight design. They annoyed him to such an extent that the renowned designer chose to release the T.50 – a cleaned up, hyped-up version of the F1. However, such issues don’t appear to be a worry to Lewis Hamilton, who last year purchased a rare silver F1 for several millions of dollars.

RELATED: Can Gordon Murray’s Newly Unveiled Supercar Really Beat The McLaren F1?

Gordon Murray surely owes much of his engineering nous to the work he conducted in Formula 1, prior to the road-legal McLaren F1’s release. Murray first gained success in the sport under its future boss, Bernie Ecclestone, working as Brabham’s Chief Design Engineer. During his stint at the constructor, he was responsible for designing two World Championship-winning cars, cementing his reputation as a truly revolutionary force in motor-racing.

Next would come Murray’s biggest move of all, to McLaren in 1987. It was here that he really become known as an engineering guru.

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By: Tom Fenton
Title: Here’s How Gordon Murray Helped Shape The Supercar Industry
Sourced From: www.hotcars.com/how-gordon-murray-helped-shape-supercar-industry/
Published Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2020 15:45:57 GMT

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