The Gordon Murray Group (GMG) has announced its leadership of a new consortium aiming to develop an “ultra-lightweight” monocoque chassis known as M-LightEn. The project, supported by the U.K. government, brings together key partners, including Carbon ThreeSixty, Constellium, and Brunel University of London.
Founded by legendary McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray, GMG is the parent company of Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA)—the supercar brand behind the T.50 and T.33 V-12 supercars. According to the company, the M-LightEn project aligns with GMA’s commitment to cutting-edge materials and technologies to enhance performance while reducing environmental impact.
GMG announced on Monday that the project’s first phase is already underway, focusing on new materials and joining techniques. A core objective is to develop a chassis that significantly lowers carbon emissions during its production and throughout its lifecycle. The broader ambition is to create scalable lightweight solutions that could eventually be used for a variety of vehicles, including next-generation supercars.
“The potential for this project is exciting to Gordon Murray Automotive as the company constantly strives to utilize the very latest materials, technologies, and processes to produce its driver-focused supercars,” said Jean-Phillipe Launberg, GMG’s strategy and business director, in a statement.
Gordon Murray
GMG anticipates that the first low-volume applications of the M-LightEn chassis could arrive as soon as late 2027, with potential for higher-volume production afterward.
This is not the first time a British firm has pursued an advanced lightweight platform. In 2020, Lotus announced a similar project focused on a lightweight EV platform. Gordon Murray himself has also explored this path before with his iStream chassis, developed last decade, though it never saw widespread adoption.
The latest announcement comes just a week after GMG established Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, a new division dedicated to bespoke cars and ultra-low-volume specials built on unique vehicle platforms.