Never Stop Driving #100: The Best Driver’s Car

Why aren't engineers considered artists? That's one question I have after watching Hagerty Media's exclusive video review of the new Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 supercar, which we paired with the McLaren F1 that Murray designed more than three decades ago. Another question: How can I get my hands on $3 million to buy that T.50?

In stereo sound and vivid colors, the film illustrates why the T.50-designed and engineered by a team led by Gordon Murray-might just be worth a healthy retirement account. Murray has proven time and time again that he's an automotive engineer of unrivaled creativity, passion, and brilliance. We've summarized some of his high points in this article. He deserves, however, his own multi-part documentary.

Gordon Murray started racing in his native South Africa before landing a job with the Brabham F1 team. Before he turned 30 years old, he was appointed chief designer and cars he designed won two F1 world championships. By the mid-Eighties, Murray moved to McLaren and led the team that engineered the MP4/4, the car that won 15 of 16 races in 1988. Soon after, Murray and McLaren debuted the F1 street car, which we had the privilege of driving for Hagerty Drivers Club magazine a few years ago with the assistance of none other than Jay Leno.

The F1's headline figures include a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.3 seconds and a 240-mph top speed, but they're not the real story. The F1 has been coveted since it debuted and is heralded as one of the best driver's cars ever produced. That does, however, lead to the question, what exactly is a driver's car?

The answer is personal and subjective because a driver's car is all about the feeling it gives the person behind the wheel. I'm told by those I trust who've driven the F1-I never have-that there's a purity to the F1 experience. The driver's seat is in the middle of the car and there's a directness to the controls coupled with a howling BMW V-12 engine. The "system" delivers an experience that borders on religious for those of a certain type (count me as true to type).

According to the Hagerty Price Guide, a 1992 F1 is worth about $20 million, which makes it one of the most valuable cars produced in the last 50 years. Amazing. So, in 2018 when Gordon Murray announced that he would design and produce an F1 successor, the T.50, the car world went nuts. How could he improve on greatness?

In a Hagerty Media scoop, contributor Henry Catchpole assembled both cars, drove them on lovely roads in Spain, and explained the experience of these incredible machines. I won't give away the ending here except to say that the lucky few who got on the T.50 list-they're sold out-will not be disappointed. We've made this film and provided it free to spread the love and passion for driving. If you'd like to support our efforts, please join the Hagerty Drivers Club.

Back to my opening sentence: Is Gordon Murray not an artist? He builds cars not as tools, but machines that inspire emotional responses. His canvas is the road, and his supplies include metal and composites. I'd argue that the creativity to conjure a vision for a car, and to solve design challenges to realize the dream, are no different than the creativity a painter relies on when putting brush to canvas. I'm also fascinated that despite over 100 years of automotive engineering and ever more powerful computer tools, the talent of the human running the process, in this case Murray, remains the most critical element. Bravo! And thank you, Gordon!

Okay, after you watch the film, here's a bunch of new material from Hagerty Media and beyond to keep you entertained and informed when you're not out driving this holiday weekend (you're driving, right?).

• The latest speedfest from Cammisa
• Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter unearths a Datsun raced by Paul Newman
• A beginner's guide to building your own Hemi Charger
• Rabbit GTI buyer's guide
• The Andretti spurning by F1 saga gets weird: Senators demand investigation

Thanks for reading!

Larry

P.S.: Your feedback is very welcome. Comment below!

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