Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has revealed the Gordon Murray S1, a new supercar based on the S1 LM but developed with longer road trips in mind.
Only 64 examples will be built, and all 64 have already been allocated to customers.
The Gordon Murray S1 keeps the S1 LM’s mid-mounted 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V-12 and six-speed manual transmission. Power stands at 681 horsepower, while the engine can rev to 12,100 rpm before the fuel cut activates at 12,400 rpm.
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has changed almost every exterior panel compared with the S1 LM. The fixed rear wing, large front splitter and deep side skirts are gone, and the suspension has been retuned for a more compliant ride.
Inside, the Gordon Murray S1 keeps the central driving position and three-seat layout associated with Gordon Murray’s road cars. Thicker seat padding, additional sound insulation and new engine mounts are intended to make the car quieter and more comfortable on longer drives.
Gordon Murray S1 Removes the S1 LM’s Track-Focused Aero
The biggest visual difference between the Gordon Murray S1 and S1 LM is the absence of the latter’s large aerodynamic components.
Gordon Murray initially planned to remove the fixed rear wing, front splitter and deep side skirts from the S1 LM and leave the remaining bodywork largely unchanged.
That plan changed during development.
According to Murray, every exterior body panel on the Gordon Murray S1 is different from the S1 LM apart from the roof.
The cleaner bodywork reduces downforce substantially. That gave the engineering team more freedom to soften the suspension and increase the car’s ride height.
The Gordon Murray S1 sits approximately 10 millimeters higher than the S1 LM.
681-HP V-12 Revvs to 12,100 RPM
Power for the Gordon Murray S1 comes from a naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V-12.
The engine produces 681 horsepower and uses dry-sump lubrication, titanium valves and connecting rods, along with lightweight pistons coated in silicon carbide.
Its redline reaches 12,100 rpm, with fuel cut at 12,400 rpm.
Despite its high-revving character, Gordon Murray says the engine has been tuned to provide more low-end torque in the S1.
Around 80 percent of peak torque is available at 2,500 rpm, while peak torque reaches 369 pound-feet at 7,000 rpm.
The engine remains connected to a six-speed manual transmission, giving the Gordon Murray S1 three pedals and a conventional manual gearshift.
Gordon Murray S1 Keeps the Central Driving Position
The cabin layout remains familiar to anyone who has followed Gordon Murray’s road cars.
The Gordon Murray S1 uses a central driving position with two passenger seats positioned behind and to either side of the driver.
Gordon Murray has retained the three-seat arrangement from the S1 LM while making several changes aimed at improving comfort.
The seats receive more padding, while additional sound insulation reduces noise inside the cabin.
New engine mounts also help reduce mechanical noise reaching the occupants.
Those changes give the Gordon Murray S1 a quieter cabin than the S1 LM without changing the unusual three-seat layout.
Dihedral Doors Get Roll-Down Windows
The Gordon Murray S1 also changes the door design used by the S1 LM.
The new car uses dihedral doors, which are intended to make getting into and out of the cabin easier.
The windows are another change. S1 LM uses fixed Lexan windows, while the Gordon Murray S1 gets conventional roll-down glass.
Together with the quieter cabin and more heavily padded seats, the doors and windows reflect the shift away from the S1 LM’s track-oriented setup.
Six-Speed Manual Remains Standard
The Gordon Murray S1 retains the six-speed manual transmission used in the S1 LM.
There is no automated dual-clutch gearbox replacing it.
The manual transmission is paired with the naturally aspirated V-12 and rear-wheel-drive layout.
For a limited-production supercar built around a 12,100-rpm engine, the manual gearbox is a major part of the car’s character. Gordon Murray has not announced an automatic alternative.
Gordon Murray S1 Is Lighter Than a T.50
Weight remains a major focus for the Gordon Murray S1.
Carbon fiber is used for the body panels, helping keep mass down despite the additional equipment fitted for road use.
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles says the Gordon Murray S1 is lighter than the T.50, although an exact curb-weight figure has not been released.
The company has also not published complete acceleration or top-speed figures for the S1.
The available information instead focuses on the engine, transmission, chassis changes and weight.
Gordon Murray S1 Is Designed for Long Road Trips
Dario Franchitti, who worked closely with Murray on the car, described the Gordon Murray S1 as a vehicle intended for longer road journeys rather than short blasts to a circuit.
The S1 LM was developed around a different use case. Franchitti described it as a car suitable for driving to a circuit, using the circuit hard and then driving home.
The Gordon Murray S1 takes a softer approach.
Higher ride height, more compliant suspension, additional sound insulation and thicker seat padding all support its touring role.
The central driving position and high-revving V-12 remain, but the chassis is no longer built around the same aerodynamic demands as the S1 LM.
Only 64 Gordon Murray S1 Cars Will Be Built
Production of the Gordon Murray S1 will be limited to 64 cars.
That figure is unusually high for Gordon Murray Special Vehicles.
Murray said the original plan was to build only around five, 10 or perhaps 20 examples of its special projects.
Demand changed that plan.
More customers wanted the car, and the final production figure reached 64.
All 64 examples have already been spoken for, meaning new customers cannot place an order for a production S1.
Gordon Murray S1 Price Has Not Been Announced
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has not disclosed how much customers are paying for the Gordon Murray S1.
The company has kept the transaction price private.
The recent auction result for an S1 LM provides some context, although it does not establish a price for the new S1. An S1 LM sold for $20.63 million at an RM Sotheby’s auction.
That figure reflects an auction sale of an S1 LM and should not be treated as the price of a new Gordon Murray S1.
GMSV has not published an MSRP for the 64-car model.
S1 LM and Gordon Murray S1 Use Different Chassis Setups
The mechanical relationship between the two cars is close, but their chassis tuning is different.
| Feature | Gordon Murray S1 | S1 LM |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V-12 | 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V-12 |
| Power | 681 hp | Not specified in supplied information |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual | Six-speed manual |
| Redline | 12,100 rpm | Not specified |
| Body panels | Carbon fiber | Carbon fiber |
| Ride height | About 10 mm higher | Lower |
| Rear wing | Fixed low-profile design | Large fixed wing |
| Front splitter | Removed | Yes |
| Side skirts | Reduced/removed | Deep side skirts |
| Seating | Three seats, central driving position | Three seats, central driving position |
| Windows | Roll-down glass | Fixed Lexan |
| Production | 64 cars | Limited production |
The Gordon Murray S1 sacrifices some aerodynamic load from the S1 LM in exchange for a more compliant chassis and quieter cabin.
Gordon Murray S1 Follows the M6GT and T.50
The Gordon Murray S1 sits within a road-car history that includes several of Murray’s most distinctive projects.
Murray’s original M6GT was developed as a road-going car derived from his racing work in the late 1960s.
Decades later, Gordon Murray Automotive produced the T.50 and T.33 before Gordon Murray Special Vehicles was created for lower-volume projects.
The S1 is the third model from GMSV.
Its relationship with the S1 LM is closer than the earlier GMA models, but the changes are substantial enough for Murray to describe it as a separate project.
All 64 Gordon Murray S1 Cars Are Sold
The Gordon Murray S1 is already sold out before production begins.
GMSV will build just 64 cars, and every example has been allocated.
The production number is higher than the tiny runs originally envisioned for GMSV, but it remains extremely small compared with conventional supercar production.
No further customer allocations are available.
Gordon Murray S1 Brings the V-12 Into a More Comfortable Package
The Gordon Murray S1 takes the S1 LM’s core mechanical ingredients and changes how they are used.
A naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V-12 still revs beyond 12,000 rpm. A six-speed manual still connects the driver to the engine. Carbon-fiber construction still keeps weight under control.
The major changes involve the body, suspension and cabin.
Removing the S1 LM’s large aerodynamic pieces allowed Gordon Murray Special Vehicles to raise the ride height and soften the suspension. More seat padding, additional insulation, new engine mounts and roll-down windows make the cabin better suited to longer journeys.
Only 64 Gordon Murray S1 cars will be produced, and every one has already been sold. GMSV has not disclosed pricing, while production is expected to follow the S1 LM program.
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