TROY, MI, Sep 18, 2025 – Altair has teamed up with the Gordon Murray Group (GMG) on the M-LightEn project initiative, supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), to build a lightweight, low CO₂ vehicle platform for Gordon Murray Automotive. The collaboration will utilize the Altair C123 process, a simulation-led concept development process, to test materials and vehicle architectures to identify structural solutions.
“We are proud to support GMG on such a forward-looking program,” said Dr. Royston Jones, global head of automotive, Altair. “By applying our C123 digital concept development approach, we will help significantly reduce development time while enabling the creation of highly optimized, ultra lightweight structures. This aligns perfectly with GMG’s ambition to innovate rapidly and sustainably across its next generation of vehicle platforms.”
Under Gordon’s direction, the M-LightEn project – in partnership with Altair, Brunel University of London, Carbon ThreeSixty, and Constellium – aims to develop a production-ready, ultra lightweight, low CO₂ monocoque structure to support a range of future high-performance vehicles. This project is funded by the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade and facilitated through the APC in partnership with Innovate UK.
This collaboration highlights a shared focus on sustainability and advances in vehicle platform development.
Altair’s C123 is a three-stage concept development process that applies optimization and simulation during early design phases. It lets engineers test structural ideas across platforms, materials, and manufacturing methods before committing resources. Built on the Altair HyperWorks platform, C123 includes a toolbox that improves CAD interoperability – helping teams move designs from concept to production with fewer iterations.
Source: Altair
About Altair
Altair Engineering, founded in 1985, is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, and provides software and cloud solutions for simulation, high-performance computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and digital twins. Its flagship platforms – HyperWorks for design and simulation, HPCWorks for high-performance computing and cloud, and RapidMiner for data analytics and AI – support industries including aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, electronics, healthcare, industrial machinery, rail, semiconductors, financial services, architecture and construction, and consumer goods. The company has operated for nearly four decades and is acquired by Siemens valued at nearly $11B.
About Gordon Murray Group
Gordon Murray Group is a British automotive engineering, design, and manufacturing company that develops supercars, lightweight vehicle platforms, special vehicles, and provides engineering consultancy. It serves the premium automotive and supercar sectors, with work in electrification and lightweight materials. The group traces its roots to 2007 and is headquartered in Surrey, United Kingdom. It includes Gordon Murray Design, Gordon Murray Automotive, and Gordon Murray Special Vehicles. Gordon Murray Design has reported estimated annual revenue of about $166M. The group employs several hundred people and focuses on low-volume, high-specification manufacturing and advanced engineering for niche markets.
About Advanced Propulsion Centre UK
Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2013 to support the development of zero-emission and low-carbon automotive technologies. It provides funding, R&D, and industry insight to automakers, suppliers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and academic institutions. The center focuses on electric powertrains, batteries, motors, fuel cells, hydrogen systems, power electronics, and other net-zero propulsion technologies. APC is headquartered at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. It manages a £1B investment fund supported by the Department for Business and Trade and the automotive industry.