If there was a winner of Monterey Car Week 2025, it was the Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1 LM. A modern take on the F1 LM’s visuals that also reimagined every component that makes the T.50 great, pretty much everyone both loved it and bemoaned that only five would be made. One allocation sold at auction for $20.63 million. That’s an absolutely unreal figure, and it certainly proved demand for the concept. So why not keep tweaking? Approach it with fresh eyes, dispense with some of the Le Mans influence, and plan for a much larger 64-car production run? Welcome to the Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1. No LM, it’s neater that way.
Under the rear lid, you’ll find a 4.2-liter Cosworth V12 making 680 horsepower without any forced induction. The rev limiter won’t be found until 12,100 RPM, and it most certainly will be found because the S1 comes exclusively equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox. Even that’s seen some tinkering, with more direct shifter cable routing promising an improved gearchange. However, the six-speed’s long touring overdrive gear should give a clue as to how this particular engine is tuned. Peak torque of approximately 369 lb.-ft. may occur at a peaky 7,000 RPM, but GMSV claims 80 percent of that will be on tap from just 2,500 RPM. On paper, it’s the sort of powerband that rewards chasing redline, but doesn’t require it.
Perhaps even more interesting than the powertrain changes is what’s been done to the suspension on the S1. Compared to the LM, GMSV’s raised the ride height and relaxed the dampers. Not by much, as the S1 only sits four-tenths of an inch higher than its LM brother, but even that amount can make a difference over crowns and cambers, bumps and potholes, nasty driveway entrances and sleeping policemen.
While few will be fortunate enough to experience the engineering behind the S1 firsthand, you don’t need to be mentioned in Forbes or the Sunday Times to appreciate the styling. In contrast to much of the ultra-aggro state-of-the-art out there, the S1 doesn’t have a fixed element sticking proud from its deck. It doesn’t have a splitter jutting out like a pouting lip, or blades on the roof, or suspension arms you can clearly see from the front. As a result, there’s a purity to the shape of the S1 we’ve largely lost in the exotic car realm. A substantial chunk of the downforce is simply generated under the car, meaning the latest Gordon Murray creation should rely more on mechanical grip. How exciting.
Such a clean look clearly took great lengths to achieve. Every single panel on the S1 is different from its counterpart on the S1 LM, from the valence to the hood to the doors to the clamshell. The result feels even closer to an F1, even though they’re wildly different in detailing. However, a clean sheet means Sir Murray was able to bring a few items to fruition that were left on the cutting room floor when developing the ultimate car of the ’90s. For instance, check out the recessed driving lamps, just like the ones on the F1 show car that never made it to production.
Naturally, three-abreast seating is the only way to travel in such a machine, and the debut color scheme is positively lovely. As enticing as all the metalwork is, perhaps the most interesting thing seen from this view is that the side-view mirrors are real and not camera-based. Could this mean the S1 is coming to America as a regular car instead of under show-and-display? Only time will tell.
In some ways, the GMSV S1 represents the ultimate luxury: Time. The ability to reimagine a masterpiece using the latest and greatest technology, beyond the physical constraints of the original. Granted, it’s still early days. We don’t yet know exactly how much it’ll weigh, although GMSV claims a figure less than that of the sub-one-tonne T.50. Likewise, pricing is anyone’s guess, although the presence of two commas is practically assured. Still, this feels like an ultra-exotic worth dreaming about. And my word, is it ever pretty sitting next to its rivals.
Top graphic image: Gordon Murray Special Vehicles
My only hope is I get to see these things used.
Many, many years ago, I remember seeing a McLaren F1 going down Massachusetts Avenue of Boston, driven by auto magnate Herb Chambers. This wasn’t anything special, as he did this every single day, and he wanted to do that commute in his F1.
I lived near his HQ for a point, and if you just went down a certain road, eventually an 05-06 Ford GT would go by with a Mercedes SLS AMG (driven by his assistant) right behind it. As again, he was just commuting in it. Every single day.
You see the volume stuff, but it’s VERY rare to see the really special stuff now, outside of large car shows which I’m at least happy some folks will bring them out for others to see and look at in person. Though it’s now less common than it once was.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, tweak it. Porsche’s been doing it for years.
C5 Corvette in a mashup with any generic contemporary mid-engine supercar.
There’s a whole lot to like here. Overall, though, the vibe I get from this car is that it’s about spending millions and still wishing you had an F1, and IMO (as unpopular as it may be) that makes it a little sad.
Whatever happened to Gordon Murray’s plan to revolutionize the car industry with the i-stream concept, potentially making cars much lighter using fewer components? Instead he’s stuck to just redoing and remaking supercars for ultra-rich plutocrats?
Easy: He couldn’t find anyone to invest into it.
He almost had Yamaha give it a go, and they backed out.
That’s been the problem, in that it takes ungodly amount of initial capital to be able to produce this stuff in a volume high enough for a reasonable sales price.
That’s why he just went straight towards the crazy, because even if you sell in very small volumes, when they’re a few million a piece, they cover your costs.
It’s a testament to how good the F1 was, that this reimagined version still looks fresh and amazing today
I had no idea they were still allowed to make new cars that looked this good
Hah, that was exactly the humor I needed today. It’s also true. Most modern car design is boring or tasteless.
You can do whatever you want when you’re making less than a hundred and selling them for $20 million a piece.
It’s better-looking than the S1 LM, but a lot of the details still feel out of proportion, and the bodyside is still super disjointed.
I agree. The press pic front left qtr looks weird. Glasshouse looks a bit long and the door leading edge looks too far away from the front wheel arch, though it looks better in Griffins pics
I love the original F1… I can appreciate the gorgeous styling and modern interpretation of this. I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion but I wish that it went further to differentiate the styling from the OG F1. It’s stunning, but so familiar, if I could ever afford this kind of car, I think I’d want it to be more unique looking. Again this is incredible, but it’s basically a restomod.
Yep, they aren’t really able to replicate the nuances of the original on a modern car, and it ends up looking forced as a result.
Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the recent Lamborghini Countach built on the Aventador, I think it at least did a better homage without being an exact duplicate only newer.
Murray has actually spoken about a lot of regrets with the F1’s design, mostly in interviews with Harry Metcalfe (Harry’s Garage, EVO founder).
The reason a fair number of things changed from the F1 to the T.50 is some things he did on the F1 had been grinding his gears for 30 years and he was dying for a do over. Even some basic proportions.
Others are right in that probably some things are off-limits for IP reasons, but there’s MANY things — some very basic — Murray has wanted to re-do for decades, and he now has the chance to quell that obsession.
He may have a licensing deal with McLaren considering it was his design or he may have retained rights to it all along, but he probably doesn’t need anything at all since McLaren hasn’t exactly maintained trademark by building F1s in 30 years (ouch). Others have commented about the proportions and details that differ, so it also isn’t an exact replica, which it would have to be if it were to be in violation of a design patent (which is unlikely to exist since it’s so easy to get around design patents with slight alterations—which this new design more than has enough of—and the drawings provided for the patent give a blueprint to those who want to steal it, so this practice pretty much stopped in the 1930s). I’m not a lawyer, though, this is just stuff I picked up over the years, so few grains of salt and all that.
It’s perfect, but that’s mostly because I’m a 1990s kid who played NFS 2 a lot.
I still like the LM better, but who could be a choosing beggar here?
How does Gordon get away with what is virtually theft of McLaren’s design heritage? I’m thankful for it, but surely McLaren should be running these heritage specials themselves?
Yeah I wondered the same thing when the LM came out. Maybe because the “McLaren” company that made it doesn’t exist anymore? (I’ve lost track of their complicated history at this point so could be wrong)
While this car is spectacular. I hate it for the fact that retro styling means “1990s” now.
Except I don’t.
Gah.
Damnit, GM strikes again. I will never, ever be able to afford any of his products, but I respect his conviction to producing absolute analog perfection. It is breathtaking.
I want Gordon Murray’s take on a Miata.
I think that was the Light Car Company Rocket. Two seats, no roof, modest power and low weight.
I’ll never be able to even dream of affording one but I do respect that Murray is the rare rich weirdo that’s just out here making cool shit out of a love for the game rather than like….pretty much any of the other things he could be doing with his immense wealth lol
I know some people who’ve worked at GMA, and I’ve even met Gordon once. He’s a genius engineer. He’d be making something amazing regardless of his resources. But as he has boutique supercar company resources he’s making the best boutique supercars.
“They’ll sell Dozens!”
For once this phrase is a non-sarcastic positive statement.
“One allocation sold at auction for $20.63 million. That’s an absolutely unreal figure”
You think that’s unreal – try looking up recent auction/sales results for F1s.
It makes the new one look like a bargain.
Ok. Deal time. Bring to the US. Sell me one for 500k max(Bye-bye retirement) and I promise to daily drive it until I can no longer physically do so. Figure I have at least another 25 years of driving in me if all goes well. In 25 years it will be the highest-mileage supercar ever. This will also give me a reason to stay fit and give rides to kids who appreciate fine automotive art like I do.
No? Fine. I’ll get fat(er) and to hell with the kids.
There was a S1 LM in the paddock at the track. I walked right up to. How in the world do they let a jabroni like me just walk up?????
Because you look like James Garner?
Yep. Yep this won. I actually want it. Yes, that’s because it tickles the nostalgia part of my brain but this is childhood bedroom poster material.
I’d imagine either the engineering or the body would probably be enough to justify the price. Having both is very good value.
It’s hard not to love it, considering it is literally a modern day McLaren F1. This is the car I drooled over as a teenager and while I couldn’t afford the F1, it turns out, wait, crap. No, I can’t afford the S1 either.