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Road &TrackExciting news, but that wasn't all from Murray's new brand, IGM. Murray announced that he was also creating a true successor to the iconic F1.
We caught up with Murray on the sidelines of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, where he gave us the rundown on this new supercar.
"I truly believe nobody's done another McLaren F1 since the F1," Murray said. "And that's because it was such a single-person focused design, lightweight, [focused] on driver feedback and feel, the V-12 sound, the feedback in the steering. . . and the attention to the detail of the engineering.
"It's not a criticism that nobody's done that, but if you're making 700 LaFerraris, you can't do that. You have to use production bits. So, I thought it was about time somebody did another McLaren F1.
Who better than the man behind the original? And with electrification playing an increasingly important role in all cars, and true lightweights becoming more difficult to build, Murray believes this might be the last chance to make such a car.
As the successor to the F1, this new car will use a naturally aspirated V-12—though Murray won't divulge a supplier—and a manual gearbox. It won't use the iStream chassis design of his more-affordable sports car, but instead a carbon monocoque, and Murray heavily implied that it'll use the F1's iconic delta-formation three-seat layout with the driver in the center.
"The only place to drive a supercar really is in the middle, Murray said. "Particularly on a narrow, windy road. You can place the car so accurately."
And like the F1 before it, this car will be light.
"Nowadays, when somebody announces a new supercar and it's 3300 pounds (1500 kilos), they get applauded, which I find unbelievable," Murray said. "This car is under 2200 pounds (1000 kilos)."
That's lighter than an F1, which is impressive considering it's got to meet lots of safety requirements that the original didn't when it was built in the mid-1990s. It should only be slightly bigger, too, which is to say, not very big.
Murray told us the car won't be launched till next year, but his company is working on selling them right now. Don't expect many to be built, and don't expect it to be cheap, either, though Murray didn't provide exact figures. If any come to the US, it'll be under a show and display exemption because Murray doesn't plan on going through the full federalization process for such a low-volume car. That won't be the case with his lightweight sports car.
We've got of cool insight from Murray, so watch this space for more. Until then, feel free to fantasize about a successor to the F1.