You won’t find it any showrooms, but this is the car the world has been eager to see for a very long time. I mentioned in the blog on 8 June – scroll down to read it – and finally Gordon Murray’s T.25 has been unveiled.
I think it’s fair to say that it’s not what you’d call conventionally handsome, but there’s certainly a quirky charm to it. The expectation has been that it will represent a major breakthrough in urban vehicle design in the areas of footprint, weight, safety, usability and efficiency. The most obviously clever bit is that it has no doors; the whole front hinges forward, like on HGV cabs, so you can get in and out no matter how close your neighbour has parked. Murray reckons you can squeeze three T.25s in one regular parallel bay.
A turning circle of six metres is unrivalled in mainstream motoring, and at only 1.3 metres wide two T.25s could overtake each other comfortably within a single lane of traffic. Combined with the short length, Murray says the roads could hold three times as much traffic as they do now if everyone was in a T.25.
The other element to the car is the cheapness with which it can be built. Again, Murray is convinced the idea of expensive production lines in huge factories is outdated and things can be kept much simpler. He argues only 20 per cent of the cost of a regular plant would be needed to build the T.25.
Visionary genius or deluded eccentric? The proof will be in the driving. Personally I can’t wait.
Breakdown Cover from 
