It may be unfair to expect a masterwork each and every time a legend of their industry debuts a new idea, sound, or device, yet Gordon Murray wouldn't have it any other way.

The South African's chosen medium, the automobile, has been forever influenced by his concepts first honed in his home country.

To those in motorsport, his years in Formula One with Brabham and McLaren stand tall, and to those more interested in his roadworthy designs, it is the McLaren F1 that sits at the apex.

As related as the two arenas are, rarely do the two worlds collide.

Colin Chapman and Enzo Ferrari along with Murray prove the exception.

Surely then, when Murray merely suggests an idea, the automotive world becomes abuzz, unable to contain the enthusiasm for a potential design as monumental as the Brabham BT46 Formula 1 “Fan Car” or the center-seat McLaren F1 road car.

After leaving McLaren following the Mercedes SLR McLaren collaboration, Murray founded Gordon Murray Design in 2007.

He initially f...