Gordon Murray’s Problem With Modern Cars
Few automotive designers carry as much credibility as Gordon Murray, and his assessment of today’s vehicles remains unsparingly direct. The McLaren F1 creator and head of Gordon Murray Automotive has spent more than six decades designing cars around efficiency, lightness, and intelligent packaging.
In an interview with CarBuzz, Murray argued that modern cars have strayed from those principles, becoming larger, heavier, and increasingly compromised by styling trends rather than improved by them.
Murray illustrates his point by tracing the evolution of once-iconic nameplates. “And if you look at the progression of some well-known iconic motor cars, you know, like the VW Golf,” he said, “if you look at the first one, it was 800 and something kilos (1,800 lbs), and the new one is now 25% bigger everywhere and probably 50% heavier. It doesn’t make it a better car.”
For Murray, this steady bloat underscores a broader industry failure: size and weight have grown dramatically, yet the driving experience and everyday usability have not kept pace.
Gordon Murray Design
Why Packaging Still Matters More Than Performance
Despite being synonymous with some of the greatest performance cars ever built, Murray admits that modern sports cars rarely excite him. Instead, he gravitates toward vehicles that prioritize smart packaging and everyday usability, qualities that also define his personal choice of daily drivers.
One of his most frequently cited examples is the original Renault Espace. This relatively compact people mover delivered three rows of seating, impressive interior volume, and low weight without excessive exterior dimensions.
That same philosophy explains his long-standing affection for cars he has actually lived with day-to-day, including the Renault Kangoo, which he owned in multiple countries, and the first-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class. These were not garage queens or weekend toys, but practical daily drivers that embodied Murray’s core beliefs. To him, they represent moments when engineers were empowered to solve real problems creatively, proving that good design is less about performance bragging rights and more about maximizing space, efficiency, and usability within a modest footprint.
Engineering-Led Design Needs a Comeback
Murray’s critique extends beyond individual models to the structure of the modern car industry itself. He believes many manufacturers have shifted decision-making power away from engineers and toward marketing and finance departments, resulting in vehicles that prioritize visual impact and perceived value over technical integrity. He often contrasts this with earlier eras at brands like Honda, when lightweight construction, high-revving engines, and mechanical clarity were core values rather than niche talking points.
Among today’s automakers, Murray has singled out Mazda as one of the few still genuinely committed to weight reduction as a guiding philosophy. While he acknowledges Toyota’s motorsport-driven credentials, he remains skeptical of its current design direction. His own work reinforces that viewpoint. Murray continues to champion compact dimensions, low mass, and engineering purity. In his view, the future of the automobile depends not on being bigger or louder, but on returning to fundamentally right cars.
Mazda
