November 18, 2008 Celebrated automative designer Gordon Murray was last night awarded the prestigious ‘Idea of the Year’ accolade at Autocar magazine’s annual awards ceremony for the T.25, a radical, innovative design for a new type and class of personal transport vehicle. Autocar’s editor Chas Hallett said, “Gordon Murray is looking to completely reinvent the cars that we buy and the way they are made. And from what we’ve seen it doesn’t get a much better idea than that”. Three of Murray's diminutive T.25 vehicles will fit in a single parking space.
“Innovation is only part of a process”, Gordon Murray said. “Our manufacturing process is a complete re-think on the way we build cars and will totally transform automobile production. We believe that the T.25 architecture and manufacturing process combined will represent the biggest step forward in our automotive world since the model T Ford, exactly 100 years ago”.
The Company’s manufacturing process brings with it the benefits of a massive reduction in capital investment and environmental damage. ‘Real world’ quotations for the new manufacturing process have shown that all the ambitious targets for a huge reduction in manufacturing, running and lifecycle CO2 damage reductions will be met or bettered.
The T.25 architecture includes a separate body/chassis assembly which can be adapted to many new powertrains, fuels and body styles. Prototype build of the T-25 will begin in early 2009. Gordon Murray Design is currently in the process of selecting potential customers and partners.
The Company can offer anything from a simple licensing agreement for the manufacturing I.P through to a turn-key car programme to Job 1, including factory building design and assembly line layout. The T.25, the first example to use the manufacturing process, is completed in principal and prototype build will begin in early 2009.
While such a design *might* work in other countries, it's success is destined to fail in the United States.
In a country where people shoot you for driving too slow, run you off the road, or generally just don't like the way you look, a car like this will only exacerbate the issue. 0-60mph times are probably somewhere beyond 30 seconds...and honestly, I don't think I want to go 60mph in this thing! And one other thing...windshield? Meet face! Imagine the hamburger from a collision between this thing and an 18 wheeler! Or even a Ford Excursion, or Cadilac Escalade! People who design things like this do not understand the relationship between a person and their car...
This car design kinda reminds me of the faceless children in Pink Floyd's "The Wall" videos...
Ed
web/gadget guru