Gordon Murray's T.25 and T.27 Microcars Headed for Production

The T.25, powered by a three-cylinder petrol engine, and the T.27, an electric vehicle, have been seen in prototype forms a handful of times over the past few years, but Murray has announced on his blog that his company, Gordon Murray Design, has sold the T.25/T.27 concept to an unnamed customer who will begin producing the cars in 2016.

Both city cars offer 1+2 seating, so the driver sits up front and center, and up to two passengers sit side-by-side in the back, similar to the McLaren F1. They only have one door, which swings up to allow the driver and passengers entry and egress. The gasoline-powered T.25 weighs a bit over 1,200 pounds, while the T.27 weighs in at 1,500 pounds due to its heavier electric drivetrain. Still, the T.25 and T.27 both weigh much less than the 1,800-pound Smart ForTwo.

The vehicles employ GMD's iStream assembly process, which means the tubular steel and composite chassis and all of its components are put together separate from the body, which is married to the chassis near the end of the assembly process. This process streamlines production, and the resulting car has performed well in crash testing.

GMD now has four contracts for iStream products, and two more projects not related to the new assembly process are also in the works, so the company recently hired 30 new staff members to facilitate its expansion. Murray notes in his blog that he can't yet mention who is involved with the contracts or who will build the T-series cars, but that we'll find out more soon.