Gordon Murray’s revolutionary city car, the T25, has begun secret road trials near Murray’s design works in Guildford, Surrey.

The T25, a tiny three-seater, foreshadows a new era of tiny, great-to-drive economy cars as well as a highly original manufacturing process called iStream that slashes the investment, factory space and energy required for manufacturing.

The T25, which weighs less than 650kg, has a much smaller road footprint than the Smart Fortwo and Toyota iQ.

Check out Gordon Murray's exclusive interview

Murray has said the T25 could be ready for production in two years’ time, and there are strong indications that the first iStream factory will be in the UK. Eventually they could appear across the globe, close to the biggest population centres. Murray said the car’s unusual design and progressive values have powerful appeal both to leading automotive and non-automotive brands.

The exclusive photograph shows the car’s compact dimensions and reveals the revolutionary single door for the first time. It swings upwards and forwards to allow cabin access for all three occupants. The driver sits centrally with a passenger on either side and slightly to the rear. Despite the T25’s compactness, there is still space for several large suitcases.

Powered by a rear-mounted 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine and six-speed clutchless transmission, the car has a “fairly close” relationship with the similar-sized, battery-powered T27.