Gordon Murray is known for two things: his love of rock music and hailing from a small city in South Africa called Durban… Those facts may both be true, but we’re kidding, of course. Murray is known for being one of the most innovative F1 designers of all time, and the man responsible for the legendary McLaren F1 supercar (hypercar?). Now, he is working on a new project called the T43 iStream Superlight.

Just add lightness

Sure, T43 iStream Superlight isn’t catchy, but it’s an internal code used at the firm known as Gordon Murray Automotive. Murray is known for his love of lightweight designs. He estimates he owns 35 cars that weigh less than 800 kg, including an Austin-Healey Sprite, two Lotus Elans, a De Tomaso Vallelunga, and a Fiat-Abarth 750 Zagato. Check out the video below to see an earlier lightweight creation of Murray’s.

T43 iStream Superlight is in keeping with that proclivity. Murray is targeting a mass of 850 kg for the new car. To achieve this incredibly low mass the T43 iStream Superlight employs high-strength aluminium tube frame with recycled carbon honeycomb body panels.

Mounted midships will be a Ford-sourced turbocharged 1,5-litre three-cylinder motor that will develop 160 kW. Drive will be sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. A power to mass ratio of 188 kW/ton places it right up there with some heavy hitting supercars. Current estimates place the car’s size around that of an Alfa Romeo 4C. The design was teased in the image above, but there’s no word on a launch date.

In his own words

Speaking at the recent Geneva Motor Show, Professor Murray had the following to say about the upcoming sportscar: “I’ll tell you what it is. It’s a Lotus Elise, but usable every day. You can get in and out. It’s got a roof. It’s got air-conditioning that works, sound system, satnav, airbags. It’s a market segment that’s not just under-populated, it’s virtually empty at the moment.”