Watch The Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Go Through Torture Testing

Whether an automaker is building a mainstream, affordable vehicle or a six-figure supercar, an automobile must uphold certain minimum safety regulations. Elements like turn signals and headlights are necessary at the most basic level. There are other, more stringent regulations, though.

The Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) T.33 hypercar is now deep into development, but the company still has some safety evaluations to complete. In a new video, the company shows the torture testing that’s necessary for this car to hit the road.

Beating Up The T.33

This poor T.33 has a rough day. The developers drive the vehicle into a curb. They put a fake animal on the road and take the machine over cobblestones. The reasons for the testing are valid, though. The company needs to tell the system when the airbags are necessary and if there’s a false positive reading.

The assessment goes beyond just abusing the car. For example, the testing facility has simulated highways with expansion joints like what you might find on roads all over the world. The evaluation center allows for checking noise, vibration, and harshness values for these conditions in a controlled environment.

The other evaluations are tougher. One of them has the T.33 going over a rough piece of road and then briefly into the grass. The company also tests it over speed bumps and other common obstacles on the street. The T.33 needs to be a vehicle that can handle everyday road conditions, in addition to track days.

A Bad Day For The T.33

The first T33 experimental unit goes by the nickname James, and it’s primarily a powertrain testing vehicle. This machine lives a hard life, so wealthy owners know that they can take their production version anywhere. For example, most owners aren’t going to traverse a washboard section of road at 56 miles per hour due to a fear of damaging something.

The more stringent testing includes taking the car over a small jump and hitting a three-inch metal curb at 31 mph. The boar strike involves hitting an 176-pound obstacle in the road at 44 mph. The most abusive test is smashing into a curb at 13 mph. The impact causes suspension components to break and the brake disc to crack.

James’s hard life at the test track is over for the time being. The car’s next job is to be a dyno vehicle for fine-tuning the engine emissions.

T.33 Specs

Top Speed’s Take

Gordon Murray has a resume that includes building Formula One cars and road-going performance vehicles such as the McLaren F1. He now has a new family of performance cars in production. These machines combine his automotive expertise with the latest technology. The T.33 should be a fantastic vehicle for performance-oriented drivers.