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Gordon Murray's T27 is perhaps the most important car currently in development.
Since leaving McLaren (where he fathered several championship winning cars and the company’s legendary F1 roadcar) Murray has made it his mission to design an intelligent, drivable low-emission city vehicle.
The former Durbanite’s technical acumen and design flair is highly regarded, which enabled Murray to secure the necessary funding (£10m) to set about developing T27.
Operationally the project is financed to the tune of £4.5 million, around half, by the British government’s Technology Strategy Board – with Murray and drivetrain partner Zytek contributing €3 and €1.5 million respectively.
To get an idea of the size (or lack thereof) which T27 represents, its flanked here by Golf6 and Mini at the borders of the frame and features a Fiat 500 and Smart either side.
Power specs - finally
As one could expect from a vehicle which Murray sees as potentially the most important design he’s ever attempted, details have been particularly closely guarded.
Murray has plainly stated his drivetrain requirements would be extremely demanding. This is after all the same man who made BMW build a 6l V12 engine with a gold lined engine bay when they were hardly in the market for such a venture.
The T27 required something wholly original with the battery and transmission combined in a single, compact unit. British based electric drive specialist Zytek was commissioned to find a solution for the T27’s drivetrain.
On Friday Murray released comprehensive drivetrain specifications regarding the T27. Peak power output will be 25kW, extracted from a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack driving the rear wheels via a single-ratio transmission.
With the T27’s diminutive dimensions (it's only 2.5m bumper-to-bumper and 1.3m across) and low mass of only 680kg, it out-smarts the Smart in terms of packaging - especially the three abreast front seating arrangement.
The T27 should sprint from 0-100km/h in under 15 seconds, topping out at 105km/h – which should prove more than sufficient for urban motoring. In terms of range 160km is possible on a single charge.
Murray says his team is still on track to produce a roadworthy prototype of the T27 by April next year.
Since leaving McLaren (where he fathered several championship winning cars and the company’s legendary F1 roadcar) Murray has made it his mission to design an intelligent, drivable low-emission city vehicle.
The former Durbanite’s technical acumen and design flair is highly regarded, which enabled Murray to secure the necessary funding (£10m) to set about developing T27.
Operationally the project is financed to the tune of £4.5 million, around half, by the British government’s Technology Strategy Board – with Murray and drivetrain partner Zytek contributing €3 and €1.5 million respectively.
To get an idea of the size (or lack thereof) which T27 represents, its flanked here by Golf6 and Mini at the borders of the frame and features a Fiat 500 and Smart either side.
Power specs - finally
As one could expect from a vehicle which Murray sees as potentially the most important design he’s ever attempted, details have been particularly closely guarded.
Murray has plainly stated his drivetrain requirements would be extremely demanding. This is after all the same man who made BMW build a 6l V12 engine with a gold lined engine bay when they were hardly in the market for such a venture.
The T27 required something wholly original with the battery and transmission combined in a single, compact unit. British based electric drive specialist Zytek was commissioned to find a solution for the T27’s drivetrain.
On Friday Murray released comprehensive drivetrain specifications regarding the T27. Peak power output will be 25kW, extracted from a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack driving the rear wheels via a single-ratio transmission.
With the T27’s diminutive dimensions (it's only 2.5m bumper-to-bumper and 1.3m across) and low mass of only 680kg, it out-smarts the Smart in terms of packaging - especially the three abreast front seating arrangement.
The T27 should sprint from 0-100km/h in under 15 seconds, topping out at 105km/h – which should prove more than sufficient for urban motoring. In terms of range 160km is possible on a single charge.
Murray says his team is still on track to produce a roadworthy prototype of the T27 by April next year.