You may not have realized it, but supercars don’t really advertise their crash testing. Whether it’s because these companies don’t want us to see these dream cars as a part of reality or if it’s just a simple matter of people don’t buy supercars based on their crash test scores, we don’t see these often. No matter the reason for the secretive testing, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) just released their T.50 supercar’s airbag testing regimen. I’m starting to understand why Ferrari doesn’t show us this stuff.

Gordon Murray’s T.50 Supercar gets tortured in airbag testing

According to MotorTrend, airbag testing is a bit more involved than just crash testing. We want airbags to go off at the right time, but just as important is keeping them from deploying when we don’t want them to. The testing regimen covers hitting curbs, speedbumps, and even jumping off a ramp. The tests only get crazier from there. 

Dario Franchitti, a Gordon Murray Automotive developer, opens the video with a polite overview of the T.50 and the media rollout of the amazing supercar. Franchitti’s pleasant Scottish accent calms and disarms viewers before we are reminded of why we watch this video. 

We smash cut from the pleasant overview to a T.50, hucking it up a loose gravel hill, bouncing to Hell and back. The rear end even lifts up, tires off the ground. But that’s nothing compared to what’s to come. 

You’ll have to watch the supercar testing to believe it

Following the aggressive opening test up the gravel hill, the folks at GMA run the T.50 into a gravel bank at 30 mph. It’s oddly upsetting. Then comes the pothole testing, which is equally hard to watch. After that is the “railroad crossing,” where the T.50 slightly ramps the depression in the road, sending a shower of sparks behind. 

Taking the Gordon Murray T.50 supercar off a ramp is most likely the test that will wake up viewers. The ramp is small (approximately 255 mm), but the T.50 hits it at 70 kph. The T.50 amazingly rolls away as if it had made the jump 100 times. There are no airbags, no fuss, just a clean jump from a nearly $3 million supercar.

After the ramp comes the speedbump test. Admittedly not as brutal as the ramp, but the “steel beam test” more than makes up for the lack of drama. Even Franchitti mentions that this test is hard for him to watch. 

The T.50 lines up to hit a steel block that is about as tall as a normal curb. The car hits the steel block and bounces away with a dull thud. Believe it or not, after all this, they still make the T.50 hit a simulated boar and drive through a long line of offset potholes at speed. 

How much does the Gordon Murray T.50 cost?

The limited Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 supercar costs around $3 million. Before we faint or mumble about eating the rich, this video is only one reason the T.50 costs this much. Another good reason is that GMA is only making 100 examples, and of course, they are all sold out. 

GMA has clearly spent countless hours developing one of the safest and most durable supercars on the market. Supercars are notorious for being finicky, fragile, and temperamental. The T.50 aims to change that. Although this grueling testing is tough to watch, it’s a big part of why GMA could so easily find 100 people willing to spend $3 million on a car.