Gordon Murray Automotive might have slipped under your radar over the past year or so. The lead, Gordon Murray ought not to though. A pioneer in Formula 1 with design credits from both Brabham and McLaren. Throughout the 1990s Murray led McLaren cars giving birth to the legendary McLaren F1 road car. Back in 2007 Murray built a less obvious car the Type 25, a futuristic city car. Returning to his roots the designer launches two supercars. The Type 50 and Type 33. The T.50 weighs less than 1000kg and packs a mighty V12 with 654 horsepower. Competing directly with the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Formula 1 derived Mercedes-AMG Project One. The T.50 evolves the McLaren F1.

With a price tag of over $2 million, presumably owners of the car will drive with a reasonable amount of caution, even though the car handles like a Lotus. However, as mandated by law these cars need crash protection measures. This means airbags and crumple zones, which surely add weight to the car at the manufacturer's inconvenience.

Cars of this pedigree tend to end up getting into trouble. Quite famously, comedian Rowan Atkinson crashed his McLaren F1. With only 64 produced any crashes truly are a disaster. The same is the case for the T.50 which will only see 100 examples leave the factory gates. But driven to their limit, the airbags need not deploy in performance driving. The designers at Gordon Murray Automotive document the process of achieving this.

See how practical and usable the GMA T.50 hypercar is on awful roads.

How Do They Test Airbags On The T.50?

Yes the T.50 put the needs of the driver above all else. But safety and reliability are key concerns. After all, a car that won't start is no use for anyone. Visiting ATP Papenburg, an automotive testing facility in Germany, the engineering team put the T.50 through the harshest of driving conditions. According to ATP Papenburg, these tests all form part of their Misuse Testing Services, which comprise 12 tests in total. The first of these includes a cobbled street at 60 km/h which is roughly 37 mph. A close-up of the supercar clearly shows the dampers working overtime to keep the wheels in contact with the road. Clearly not an off-roader, this shakes the T.50 quite dramatically.

Related: 10 Greatest Road Cars McLaren Ever Produced

Gordon Murray Automotive T50
Via: GMA

The test facility has a few peculiar tests. Cobbled streets are in every ancient and picturesque town, one need not stretch their imagination to find their supercar down one of these streets. But driving up a gravel heap at 10 mph is not quite as likely. The T.50 beaches itself with the low slung floor scraping on the stones. Successful passing these tests as the airbags don't deploy.

Another more realistic test comes in the form of the pothole strike. A section of tarmac sits lower than the rest with a harsh-looking metal section surrounding it. In other words, this is the pothole from hell. A close-up of the T.50 shows the car's suspension performing admirably. The next tests come in the form of a rail crossing, a sleeping policeman a.k.a a speed bump. But the most wincing moment is when the T.50 attempts the small ramp jump at 43 mph. All of these the T.50 deals with excellently. Any future T.50 owner can breathe a sigh of relief that their multi-million dollar car can handle the smoothly paved stretches of tarmac, as well as terrible road conditions with aplomb.

How Tough Is The T.50?

Gordon Murray Automotive T50
Via: GMA

The final tests that ATP has in store for the T.50 showcase the strength of the car's chassis. In one such test, the steel beam quite literally involves crashing into a flat steel beam. This leaves almost no mark on the car, only bending a tire rod. A similar test called the Wild Boar involves hitting an 80kg (176 lbs) simulated wild boar, essentially a sandbag at 40mph. Just as in the case of the steel beam damage to the front fender is practically none existent. The fastest test so far comes in the form of the washboard test, an undulating road taken at 50mph. The suspension once more performs admirably.

How Does This Make The T.50 A Piece of Art?

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 Pedals
Gordon Murray Automotive

Daro a designer at Gordon Murray Automotive showcases some of the car's engineering features. According to the designer, the car is a piece of "engineering manufacturing perfection". With much of the bodywork removed the T.50 clearly has only what is necessary. The wishbones look smooth and simple. Even the pedals, sitting patiently on a table seem light and delicate. Although they'll surely withstand a heavy right foot. Every part on the T.50 has a careful design or selected meticulously. Unlike supercars of old an owner won't find the window switches from a mid-sized hatchback.

RELATED:Same Mind, Different Machines: How Gordon Murray's T.50 Compares To The McLaren F1

Most lightweight super cars struggle with practicality in the real world. Front lift hydraulic systems introduced over the past decade greatly bolstered the everyday usability of these special vehicles. But these systems add extra weight which goes against everything that the T.50 and Gordon Murray stand for. Yet the designer's team still achieved this excellent ground clearance while still maintaining brilliant performance.