T.27 Crash Test Results Are Major
Break Through In Car Safety

Gordon Murray Design have conducted the first crash test of a vehicle built with their ground breaking iStream® manufacturing technology.  The test was carried out at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) on a Gordon Murray Design T.27 Electric City Car.

The crash test was the mandatory EEC 40% offset deformable barrier front high speed impact and the T.27 came through with flying colours with zero cabin intrusion and the measured results being extremely close to those predicted by computer simulation.

This outstanding result is a great endorsement for Gordon Murray Design’s iStream® manufacturing system which delivers reduced weight and cost with increased levels of safety.  The iStream® composite monocoque brings Formula One technology to mass production vehicles with significantly higher specific energy absorption rates compared with conventional bodied cars.

Frank Coppuck, Gordon Murray Design’s Engineering Director said:

“This crash test represents a major milestone in vehicle safety and in the history of Gordon Murray Design.  It clearly demonstrates that cars built using iStream technology can achieve low weight, cost and significant reductions in energy usage during manufacturing without compromising safety.”

The development of the T.27, by Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive Ltd, has been made possible through a £4.5m investment from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board. With a total cost of £9m, the consortium will develop running prototypes of the vehicle by Spring 2011.

Illustrations:

Illustrations can be downloaded from www.newspress.co.uk or supplied by e-mail by sarah.smith@gordonmurraydesign.com

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For media enquiries contact:
Tiffany Hutt, Gordon Murray Design Limited
enquiries@gordonmurraydesign.com

Editor’s Notes:

1. Gordon Murray Design Limited is a British company operating from Shalford in Surrey. The Company aims to be the world leader in automotive design and reverses the current industry trend for sub-contracting by having a complete in-house capability for design, prototyping and development. The Company is compact and focused and undertakes automotive and other engineering programmes in an efficient and innovative way. For more information please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com
2. The iStream® assembly process is a complete rethink and redesign of the traditional automotive manufacturing process and could potentially be the biggest revolution in high volume manufacture since the Model T. Development of the process began over 15 years ago and it has already won the prestigious 2008 ‘Idea of the Year’ award from Autocar who were given privileged access in order to make their assessment. The simplified assembly process means that the manufacturing plant can be designed to be 20% of the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%. Yet the flexibility of this assembly process means that the same factory could be used to manufacture different variants. The iStream® design process is a complete re-think on high volume materials, as well as the manufacturing process and will lead to a significant reduction in full lifecycle CO2.
3. iStream® won the prestigious 'Idea of the Year' award from Autocar 2008 and more recently the inaugural 2010 Innovation Award from the SMMT, one of the UK's largest and most influential trade associations. T.25 also recently won both its categories - Most Economic Small Passenger ICE Vehicle and Most Economic and Environment Friendly Small Passenger ICE Vehicle - in the inaugural 2010 Brighton to London Future Car Challenge.
4. Zytek Automotive Limited is a British engineering company with a reputation for success, pursued both on and off the track. Its substantial automotive engineering experience has been gained by providing major vehicle manufacturers with advanced powertrain and chassis control systems. This expertise led to the rapid growth of its engineering consultancy business, and most recently, to the design, development and manufacture of innovative Hybrid and Electric drivetrains. For more information please visit www.zytekgroup.co.uk
5. The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please www.innovateuk.org