GORDON MURRAY

Fotografije / Photos: Gordan Murray Automotive

GENIJALNI UM A BRILLIANT MIND

Legendarni dizajner bolida Formule 1 i jedinstvenog McLarena F1 stvara revolucionarni sportski automobil jednostavnog imena – T.50

The legendary designer of Formula One racing cars and the unique McLaren F1 has created a revolutionary sports car with a simple name – T.50

U Formuli 1 proveo je dva desetljeća, a bolidi koje je dizajnirao osvojili su 5 naslova prvaka i upisali 50 Grand prix pobjeda. Remek-djelo sportske karijere Gordona Murrayja je McLaren MP4/4, najuspješniji bolid svih vremena s kojim su Ayrton Senna i Alain Prost u sezoni 1988. u 16 utrka nanizali nevjerojatnih 15 pobjeda, osvojili 15 prvih startnih pozicija, a Brazilac je došao i do prvog naslova svjetskog prvaka. He spent two decades in Formula One, and the racing cars he designed won five championships and recorded 50 Grand Prix victories. The masterpiece of Gordon Murray's sports career is the McLaren MP4/4, the most successful racing car of all time, in which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost racked up a whopping 15 wins out of 16 races in the 1988 season, securing 15 pole positions, with the Brazilian also winning his first world title.

U Formuli 1 proveo je dva desetljeća, a bolidi koje je dizajnirao osvojili su 5 naslova prvaka i upisali 50 Grand prix pobjeda. Remek-djelo sportske karijere Gordona Murrayja je McLaren MP4/4, najuspješniji bolid svih vremena s kojim su Ayrton Senna i Alain Prost u sezoni 1988. u 16 utrka nanizali nevjerojatnih 15 pobjeda, osvojili 15 prvih startnih pozicija, a Brazilac je došao i do prvog naslova svjetskog prvaka. Izvan svijeta Formule 1, profesora Murray svijet najviše pamti po McLarenu F1, cestovnom automobilu iz 90-ih koji je postao jedna od prekretnica u povijesti automobilske tehnologije, a s godinama sveti gral kolekcionara. Posljednja kreacija 74-godišnjeg legendarnog dizajnera je T.50, supersportski automobil starog stila s atmosferskim V12 motorom vrtoglavo visokih okretaja i elektronike svedena na zadani minimum. Model u kojem je Murray posegnuo za nekim svojim povijesnim rješenjima poput središnje postavljenog vozačkog sjedala i ventilatora s aerodinamičnom funkcijom, ali i još jednom iskazao svoju opsjednutost omjerom mase i snage.

Možemo li T.50 okarakterizirati duhovnim nasljednikom McLarena F1?

Apsolutno. U projekt sam krenuo s tom namjerom. Tražeći tijekom 2017. ideju za proslavu originalne godišnjice McLarena F1, nadahnuo sam se onim što je Ferrari učinio s modelima F40 i F50, i shvatio sam da nitko nije pokušao oživjeti tu formulu, usredotočen na lakoću i užitak u vožnji. U svijetu sportskih automobila već neko vrijeme fokus je na snazi i brzini, koje su ušle u fantastične sfere. Nakon toliko godina uz ogroman napredak u tehnologiji i materijalima, otvorila se izvrsna prilika da ponovimo nešto poput McLarena F1, prije nego što svi počnu voziti električne i hibridne automobile.

U Formuli 1 krajem 70-ih izazvali ste pravi potres predstavivši 'ventilator'. Što se promijenilo od tada kako bi se takav sustav mogao koristiti na cesti?

Rješenje s ventilatorom možda nalikuje onom koji sam dizajnirao za Brabham Alfu, ali njegova rad i učinak potpuno su različiti i puno sofisticiraniji. Naravno postoje i sličnost jer u osnovi oba omogućuju bolji protok zraka ispod podnice i stvaranje podtlaka. U ono vrijeme nisam imao vremena u potpunosti razviti to rješenje, jer nisam imao na raspolaganju zračni tunel, ali sam sebi obećao da ću se pozabaviti tim područjem kada budem radio neku novi sportski automobil.

Cosworth je u isto vrijeme razvio V12 motor za Aston Martin Valkyrie. Postoje li sličnosti s motorom koji je ugrađen u T.50?

Izuzmemo li činjenice da su oba nastala u pogonima Coswortha, nema ništa zajedničkog između motora koji pokreće moj automobil i onog ugrađenog u Valkyrie. Motor T.50 je napredniji, kompaktniji i lakši, a inspiraHe spent two decades in Formula One, and the racing cars he designed won five championships and recorded 50 Grand Prix victories. The masterpiece of Gordon Murray's sports career is the McLaren MP4/4, the most successful racing car of all time, in which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost racked up a whopping 15 wins out of 16 races in the 1988 season, securing 15 pole positions, with the Brazilian also winning his first world title. Outside the world of Formula One, Professor Murray is famous mostly for the McLaren F1, a 1990s road car that has become one of the milestones in the history of automotive technology, and, over the years, collectors’ Holy Grail. The latest creation of the 74-year-old legendary designer is the T.50, an old-style supercar with an atmospheric V12 engine with dizzyingly high revs and electronics reduced to a defined minimum – a model in which Murray went back to some of his historical solutions such as a central driving position and fan-assisted aerodynamics, but also once again expressed his obsession with the ratio of mass to power.

Can we call the T.50 the spiritual heir to the McLaren F1?

Absolutely. I embarked on the project with that intention. Looking in 2017 for an idea to celebrate the anniversary of the McLaren F1, I was inspired by what Ferrari did with the F40 and F50, and I realised that no one had tried to bring this formula back to life, to focus on lightness and the pleasure of driving. In the world of sports cars, the focus has been, for some time now, on strength and speed, which have entered fantastic spheres. After so many years, and with tremendous advances in technology and materials, an excellent opportunity has arisen to do something like the McLaren F1 again, before everyone starts driving electric and hybrid cars. In the late 1970s, you created quite a stir in Formula One by introducing the fan. What has changed since then that would make it possible to use such a system on the road? The solution with the fan may resemble the one I designed for Brabham Alfa, but its operation and effect are completely different and much more sophisticated. Of course, there are also similarities, since basically both allow for better airflow underneath the car and the creation of downforce. At that time, I did not have the time to fully develop this solution because I did not have a wind tunnel at my disposal, but I promised myself that I would deal with this when I was making a new sports car.

Cosworth developed the V12 engine for the Aston Martin Valkyrie at the same time. Are there any similarities with the engine built into the T.50?

Apart from the fact that both were manufactured at the Cosworth factories, there's nothing in common between

Upoznao sam svih 100 kupaca mojeg T.50. Većina njih kupila je ovaj automobil kako bi osjetila što pruža pravi vozački stroj.

I’ve met all 100 customers of my T.50. Most of them bought this car to feel what a proper driver's car offers.

McLaren F1 postao je previše skup, dijelovi su rijetki, pa čak i milijarderi dobro razmisle prije nego sjednu za upravljač, a T.50 je kao da ste kupili F1 s popustom od 85%.

The McLaren F1 has become too expensive, spare parts are scarce, and even billionaires think twice before getting behind the wheel, while buying the T.50 is like buying an F1 at an 85% discount

ciju za njega pronašao sam u trolitrenom V12 koji se ugrađivao u Ferrari 250 šezdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća. Jedan od najboljih motora u povijesti po pitanju isporuke snage i okretnog momenta. U početku je zacrtani obujam iznosio 3300 ccm, ali nakon detaljnijih proračuna, shvatili smo da s tim volumenom ne bi nadmašili performanse koje je imao F1 odnosno da bi automobil morao težiti 900 kg. Povećanjem na gotovo četiri litre, međutim, mogli smo si dozvoliti 980 kg. Sasvim slučajno u pitanju je obujam koji podsjeća na Lamborghini Miuru prema kojoj gajim poseban odnos i ako prihvatimo činjenicu da nam budućnost donosi električne automobile, onda Miura i moj T.50 predstavljaju početnu i završnu točku kategorije koja je između toga svijetu donijela djela poput Ferrarija Enzo i McLarena F1.

Koja tehnologija i materijali se kriju iza motora koji se vrti preko 12.000 okretaja u minuti i koliki je njegov životni vijek?

Cosworth je najbolja adresa za motore s visokim okretajem. Šezdesetih godina ste morali birati između konja na vrhu ili okretnog momenta na nižim okretajima. Oboje je bilo nemoguće. Ta frustracija mi je dobro znana i prije dizajniranja automobila i šasije, posvetio sam se motoru. Kad sam prije dvije godine ljudima iz Cosworthu iznio svoje želje, bili su sumnjičavi. Ali kad sam vidio rezultate, shvatio sam da smo pogodili cilj jer 71 posto okretnog momenta postiže se pri 2000 okretaja u minuti. Naš motor je cestovni i jamstvo pokriva 80.000 km. Nije to poput Mercedesova AMG Project the engine that powers my car and the one built into the Valkyrie. The T.50 engine is more advanced, more compact and lighter, and I got the inspiration for it in a three-litre V12 that was built into the Ferrari 250 in the 1960s, which is one of the best engines in history in terms of power and torque ooutput. Initially, the outlined volume was 3300 cc, but after more detailed calculations, we realised that with this volume we would not outperform the F1, that is, that the car would have to weigh under 900 kg. By increasing it to almost four litres, however, we could have the weight of 980 kg. Quite by chance it is a volume reminiscent of the Lamborghini Miura, which I have a special relationship with, and, accepting the fact that the future brings electric cars, then Miura and my T.50 represent the starting and the finishing point of the category that, between these two points, has produced cars such as the Ferrari Enzo and the McLaren F1.

What technology and materials are behind the engine that revs to more than 12,000 rpm and what is its lifespan?

Cosworth is the best address for high-rev engines. In the 1960s, you had to choose between horsepower at higher rpm or torque at lower rpm; having both was impossible. This frustration was well known to me, and before designing the car and chassis, I focused on the engine. When I shared what I wanted to do with the people at Cosworth two years ago, they were suspicious. But when I saw the results, I knew that we’d hit the target because 71 percent of

One s motorom izvedenim iz Formule koji mora svake godine na reviziju.

T.50 smatrate klasičnim cestovnim automobilom?

Smatram ga super GT-om, više nego superautomobilom kakav je bio F1. Proizlazi to i iz podešenosti ovjesa, ali i komfora koji pruža. Kao referenca poslužio je Alpine A110, koji vozim svakodnevno i smatram da nudi najbolji kompromis između voznih osobina i komfora. Ali i sve ostale značajke, pružaju osjećaj svakodnevnog automobila. Nažalost u današnje vrijeme ABS, ESP, kontrola proklizavanja… su neizostavni. Oduzimaju dio zadovoljstva vožnje. Osobno sam isprobao sve superautomobile na stazi i na cesti. S uključenom elektronikom svatko može ići brzo, a naš cilj bio je razviti stroj koji je stabilan s uključenim sustavima i zabavan s isključenim sustavima.

Tipičan kupac modernih sportskih automobila odavno je zaboravio na kvačilo i ručni mjenjač. Je li šest stupnjeva prijenosa dovoljno za motor koji radi na tako visokim okretajima?

Na papiru ima šest brzina, ali šesta je zapravo overdrive za vožnju autocestom i mjenjač u stvari za pravu vožnju ima pet stupnjeva. Smatrali smo da je to najbolji izbor zahvaljujući motoru s toliko okretnog momenta u automobilu koji teži samo 1000 kg. Možda su svi navikli na dvostruku spojku kao što je ima i Alpine, ali to je mjenjač u kojem ni ne osjećate promjenu stupnja prijenosa. Isprva smo razmišljali o sekvencijalnom mjenjaču kakav se koristi u utrkama, u kojem se spojka koristi samo na startu, a onda smo se predomislili. Uostalom prodali smo svu proizvodnju i samo je jedan kupac tražio robotizirani mjenjač. the torque is delivered at 2,000 rpm. Ours is a road engine and the warranty covers 80,000 km. It's not like the Mercedes-AMG Project One with a Formula-derived engine that has to be reviewed every year.

Do you consider the T.50 a classic road car?

I consider it a super GT, more than a supercar that the F1 was. This stems not from only the adjustability of the suspension but also from the comfort it provides. I used the Alpine A110, which I drive daily, as the benchmark, and I think it offers the best compromise between performance and comfort. But all the other features also provide the feeling of an everyday car. Nowadays, unfortunately, ABS, ESP, traction control etc. are indispensable. They take away some of the pleasure of driving. I personally tried all the supercars on the track and on the road. With the electronics on, anyone can go fast, but our goal was to develop a machine that is stable with the systems on and fun with the systems off.

A typical buyer of modern sports cars has long forgotten about the clutch and manual transmission. Are six gears enough for an engine operating at such high revs?

It has six speeds on paper, but the sixth is actually an overdrive to be used on the highway, so the gearbox used in actual driving de facto has five speeds. We thought it was the best choice thanks to the engine with so much torque in a car that weighs only 1000 kg. Maybe everyone is used to a dual clutch the Alpine has, but with it you don't even feel when a gear is changed. At first, we considered the sequential transmission that is used in racing, in which the clutch is used only at the start, but then we changed our minds. Ultimately, we sold out all the production run and only one buyer asked for a robotic gearbox.

Svih 100 primjeraka čija isporuka počinje iduće godine prodali ste praktično u 48 sati nakon predstavljanja. Tko su kupci spremni izbrojiti gotovo 3 milijuna eura i da li ste nekoga odbili?

Sve sam ih upoznao i drago mi je da je velika većina, recimo devet od deset, kupilo T.50 kako bi ga vozili. McLaren F1 postao je previše skup. Vrijednost mu danas premašuje 15 milijuna funti i dijelovi su rijetki, pa čak i milijarderi dobro razmisle prije nego sjednu za upravljač, a T.50 je kao da ste kupili F1 s popustom od 85%. Bilo je kupaca kojima sam morao reći ne. U pitanju su bili špekulanti, preprodavači, koji se ne bi držali potpisanih obaveza i zašto završiti na sudu. Bolje je odmah u startu prekinuti suradnju.

Možete li zamisliti, u budućnosti, lagani električni sportski automobil poput T.50?

Moramo pričekati tehnološki razvoj baterija. Aktualne su vrlo loše, prisiljava vas da nosite stotine kilograma što je za gradski automobil možda u redu, ali za sportski je masa štetna. Ne možete napraviti sportski automobil koji teži dvije tone i dobro se ponaša. Ne možete promijeniti zakone fizike. Imam kolekciju od 40-ak sportskih oldtimera i svaki teži manje od 900 kg. Voziti ih je prekrasan osjećaj nakon kojeg shvaćate koje značenje ima lakoća.  You sold all 100 examples, whose delivery will start next year, practically within 48 hours of the car's unveiling. Who are the buyers willing to pay almost 3 million euros and did you have to turn anyone down?

I've met all of them and I'm glad the vast majority, say nine out of ten, bought a T.50 to drive it. The McLaren F1 has become too expensive. Its value today exceeds £15 million, spare parts are scarce, and even billionaires think twice before getting behind the wheel, while buying the T.50 is like buying an F1 at an 85% discount. There were customers I had to say no to. They were profiteers, resellers, who would not adhere to what they signed. Why end up in court? It is better to stop the cooperation before it is established.

Can you imagine a lightweight electric sports car like the T.50 in the future?

We have to wait for the technological development of batteries. The current ones are very bad; you are forced to carry hundreds of kilograms, which may be fine for a city car, but, for a sports car, mass is damaging. You cannot make a sports car that weighs two tons and performs well. You can't change the laws of physics. I have a collection of about 40 classic sports cars and each weighs less than 900 kg. Driving them is a wonderful feeling that makes you realise what lightness means. 