Gordon Murray S1 Is The Modern McLaren F1 We've Been Waiting For

The Gordon Murray S1 turns the S1 LM into a lighter, cleaner V12 tourer with active aero, a six-speed manual, and production capped at 64 cars.

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1

Photo by: Gordon Murray Automotive

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Updated: Aug 15, at 11:45am ET

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THE BREAKDOWN

Capped at 64 cars worldwide, the S1 is the spiritual successor to Gordon Murray's McLaren F1 road car.
It uses a 4.2-liter Cosworth V12 producing up to 681 horsepower and revving to 12,100 rpm.
The mid-engine car keeps a central driving position, six-speed manual gearbox, active integrated rear aero, and softened touring suspension.

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has pulled the wraps off the new S1 at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, a limited-run V12 supercar developed from the S1 LM track special and aimed at long-distance touring. With its three-seat layout, central driving position, naturally aspirated Cosworth V12, and focus on low weight, it reads as a modern McLaren F1 in everything but name.

The S1 sits on a carbon fiber monocoque related to the S1 LM but trades that car's fixed aero hardware for smoother bodywork and active rear aerodynamics. Ride height is raised and the suspension is softened for comfort, yet target weight still undercuts the GMA T.50, Murray's earlier F1-inspired supercar, and stays in the same ballpark as his T.33 and T.50 spin-offs.

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1

Photo by: Gordon Murray Automotive

V12 Powertrain And Chassis Changes

Power comes from a custom 4.2-liter Cosworth V12 rated at up to 681 horsepower and spinning to 12,100 rpm. Gordon Murray says the engine delivers about 369 pound-feet of torque, with most of that available from low revs for strong real-world response rather than lap-time chasing. Silicon carbide-coated lightweight pistons, titanium valves and connecting rods, and a dry-sump oiling system underline the racing flavor.

The V12 sends power through a six-speed manual gearbox with a taller touring sixth gear and straighter cable routing to sharpen the shift. The S1 keeps the S1 LM's track width, lightweight suspension layout, and wider tires, but ride height is up by about 0.4 inch and damping is reworked for more compliance while aiming to preserve the crisp steering feel seen on earlier GMA models like the T.33 Spider.

An integrated active rear aero system replaces the S1 LM's large fixed rear wing, long front splitter, and deep side skirts. Gordon Murray Special Vehicles says the aero package is tuned for high-speed stability and braking support rather than headline downforce numbers, with overall grip relying on mechanical balance instead of race-style bodywork. That leaves the more extreme aero work to cars like the fan-assisted T.50s, which GMA has been final-testing as a dedicated track car.

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1

Photo by: Gordon Murray Automotive

Design, Cabin, And Production

Every exterior panel on the S1 is new, with a cleaner profile and lighting that distinguish it from the S1 LM while still nodding to the F1 road car's compact, low-drag shape. Daytime running lamps move into the headlight cluster, and auxiliary main-beam lamps sit low in the nose intake, echoing Murray's 1992 Monaco show car. New lightweight wheels and A-pillar-mounted mirrors with a discrete rear-view camera system are also unique to this model.

The engine bay is treated as a display case, with a polished Inconel exhaust and 24-carat gold-plated heat shield framing the V12. Inside, the three-seat cabin keeps the central driving position and low cowl but gains more leather, bespoke fabrics, extra acoustic insulation, revised infotainment screens, and a lightweight audio system for long-distance use. Drivers can adjust power-steering assistance, and new dihedral doors with drop-down glass replace the S1 LM's Lexan ticket window to make getting in and out easier.

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Professor Gordon Murray, CBE and group executive chairman, calls the car a more relaxed counterpart to the S1 LM: "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." Production is limited to 64 cars worldwide, each individually commissioned, with pricing undisclosed and demand helped along by interest in Murray's earlier F1-inspired specials.

Motor1's Take: Gordon Murray has sanded off the S1 LM's hardest edges to make something you could actually drive across a continent, keeping the screaming V12 and manual gearbox but tuning the details for comfort and stability. With its three-seat layout and naturally aspirated V12, it still lands closer than anything since the 1990s to a modern McLaren F1 for the road.