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Gordon Murray S1 supercar: Luxe grand tourer with racing DNA

[Credit: All images courtesy of Gordon Murray Special Vehicles]

 

 

Legendary automotive and Formula One car designer Gordon Murray is making his own limited-edition vehicles now, and the third offering from his Special Vehicles division is a dynamic road-legal supercar that has a lot to offer. The 680-hp V12 S1 is a more road-touring version of the track-inspired S1 LM, mixing max driving performance with enhanced refinement and an exquisitely crafted luxe cabin.

While the S1 shares its family DNA with the S1 LM (purely racing-inspired car), its character and purpose are distinctly different. The S1 LM was conceived as the most intense, road-legal, race-inspired celebration of Gordon Murray's 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours victory. The S1 evolves the elegant design language of the S1 LM, while reframing the setup for fast, engaging, long-distance road driving.

According to the carmaker, "The naturally aspirated, V12-powered, manual supercar is an evolution of the S1 LM platform, which is optimized for mechanical grip, rather than high downforce, to offer a distinctive driving experience." The car's revised suspension adds comfort and refinement for long-distance journeys, while retaining Gordon Murray's signature Driving Perfection philosophy.

The S1 removes the S1 LM's large, fixed rear wing, long front splitter, and deep side skirts; every exterior body panel is new. The result is a cleaner silhouette inspired by classic proportions. A new active rear aero system is integrated into the bodywork, adapting to the demands of high-speed stability and braking. The focus moves away from extreme downforce and toward mechanical grip, balance, and confidence on the road.

"With the S1, we wanted to show how much beauty and purity there is in this design when the more extreme aerodynamic elements of the S1 LM are stripped away," explained Murray. "It has the same intensity, response, and engineering integrity, but has been tuned for a different purpose. This is a car you could drive along the coast from Los Angeles to Monterey in real comfort, still enjoying every gearshift, every corner, and every note of the V12 when the road opens up. It is exclusive, analogue, and deeply driver focused, but also more elegant, more refined, and more usable over distance."

When you are driving the S1, you are alone, though -- at least in terms of front seating. The central driving position has only a driver's seat up front. Single passenger seats are set back on the right and left.

VIDEO: Introducing the S1 supercar. [Credit: Gordon Murray Automotive]

At the heart of the S1 is a bespoke, mid-mounted 4.2-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 producing up to 680 hp. Derived from the same lineage as the S1 LM engine, the powerplant has been developed to deliver exceptional response while retaining the sound, immediacy, and character expected from a Gordon Murray engine. The low-inertia, high-revving engine features a suite of competition-spec components such as silicon carbide-coated lightweight pistons, titanium valves, titanium connecting rods, and a dry-sump lubrication system. With effortless touring in mind, the S1 features a broader torque range, delivering 80% of torque from just 2,500 RPM and around 500 Nm at 7,000 RPM. The engine bay presents the V12 as a centerpiece, with the polished Inconel exhaust and 24-carat gold-plated heat shield.

The engine is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox that features a touring sixth gear as standard. New straighter gearbox cable routing helps deliver the precise, rifle-bolt shift feel that remains central to the car's physical connection between driver and machine.

The S1 retains the S1 LM's width, track, lightweight suspension architecture, and wider tires, but ride height is increased by 10 mm and the damping is retuned for greater compliance while preserving steering precision, agility, and feedback. Lightweight engineering also remains fundamental. Ultra-lightweight carbon fiber body panels, lightweight suspension components, and Gordon Murray's obsession with weight reduction contribute to an overall target weight below that of the T.50, despite the S1's more luxurious cabin trim, enhanced sound system, and additional acoustic refinement.

The S1 features bespoke front and rear lighting, with daytime running lamps integrated into the light cluster, differentiating the headlight signature from the S1 LM, where the running lights sit in a narrow blade below the headlight. Unique main beam auxiliary lights sit low within the air intake at the nose of the car -- a nod to the 1992 Monaco show car design by Murray, which featured similar lower lights and was an element that never saw production. Further unique features include distinctive A-pillar-mounted mirrors that integrate a discrete rear-view camera system, and all-new lightweight wheels, inspired by the iconic Monaco 1992 show car.

Inside, the S1 retains the central driving position and low scuttle height that define Gordon Murray's driver focus, while introducing a more refined and luxurious interpretation of the S1 LM cockpit. Premium leather, bespoke fabrics, tailored trim, touring-level seat comfort, enhanced acoustic insulation, revised infotainment screens, and a bespoke lightweight audio system make the three-seat cabin more suited to long-distance use. The driver can tailor the car's feel through switchable, selectable power steering, choosing assistance for relaxed cruising or a more unfiltered connection on dynamic roads.

The new dihedral doors with integrated drop-down glass replace the Lexan race-inspired ticket window from the S1 LM. These doors allow a wider opening for greater ingress and egress, further underlining the S1's shift toward everyday usability.

Production of the S1 will be exclusively limited to 64 units worldwide. Each car will be individually commissioned and specified by its owner. Pricing remains undisclosed. You may be interested to know the Gordon Murray S1 LM made automotive history in November 2025 when chassis #1 sold at an RM Sotheby's auction for a whopping and record-breaking $20,630,000 -- the most expensive new production car ever sold at a public, non-charity auction. We estimate the starting price for the new S1 will be between $3 million and $5 million.

Learn more at gordonmurray.com/.

Source: Gordon Murray Special Vehicles

Published September 2026

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