Engineering legend Gordon Murray has officially launched his new car company at an event in Dunsfold Aerodrome, home of the BBC Top Gear test track and studio.
The site is the location of Murray's new factory and research facility for Gordon Murray Automotive, which will build cars based on Murray's own innovative iStream platform. Before any of that happens, Murray has put together an exhibition celebrating his work and achievements so far, which brings together some of the most iconic sports and racing cars in the world.
During the official event, Murray also took the opportunity to tease his first car, which will be a halo car carrying the new IGM logo of Gordon Murray's car company.
The new sports car will 'turn back the clock', said Murray, 'but not in terms of technology. Above all this will be a driver's car.' Murray said that the car industry was 'slowly losing the plot on driver involvement', so consider this new car his manifesto on how a modern sports car should really drive.
Murray said there is 'no pressure' on the timescale of the project – work begins at the start of 2018, but he said 'we're doing this for us'.
Indeed, the primary aim of Gordon Murray Automotive will be to show off the potential of Murray's new iStream platform, which focuses relentlessly on keeping weight down in order to maximise efficiency. 'We're going to build this halo car and then a series of platforms that will be available in small runs.'
Murray says his platform can be adapted to build any car format you like, and he's already speaking to car manufacturers about using the technology. He's feeling confident about his iStream system, which he says will be the 'ultimate body-in-white structure for the next two or three decades.' Put simply, Gordon Murray doesn't think you will be able to build a car cheaper, lighter or stronger than he can for another 30 years. That's fighting talk.
Gallery: IGM coupe teaser