Even low-volume supercars need to meet safety standards, and that means sacrificing some cars for the cause. In this video, Gordon Murray Design Technical Director Frank Coppuck confirms that two T.50 supercars will be crashed in the name of safety.
The subject of crash testing comes up around the 3:00-minute mark in the 6:22 video. Speaking to three-time Indy 500 winner and T.50 development driver Dario Franchitti, Coppuck says "we'll probably crash two" of the 11 prototypes. All that for a production run of just 100 cars.
Every road-legal car needs to undergo the same crash-testing procedures, no matter how rare or expensive that car might be. It's the same story for automakers like Koenigsegg and Rimac. Rimac crash tested the same C_Two monocoque six times.
Gordon Murray Automotive T50
Murray has called the T.50 the "ultimate analog supercar." I was designed to emphasize the driving experience over raw numbers. For example, the naturally aspirated 3.9-liter V-12's 653 horsepower and 344 pound-feet of torque aren't world-shattering figures for a modern supercar. But the engine can rev to 12,100 rpm, and it's coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.
The T.50 also reads as a list of Murray's greatest hits. It's got a downforce-generating fan inspired by the Brabham BT46B Formula One car, plus a central driver's seat and—as described in the video—and engine bay line in gold foil, like the McLaren F1.
The full video is part of a series detailing the build of XP1, the first T.50 prototype chassis. Hit play for more details on the design of Murray's latest masterpiece.