New Gordon Murray GMSV S1 is a 21st century tribute to the McLaren F1
Only 64 will be made, featuring a 4.2-litre naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 that revs to 12,100rpm
Meet the ravishing new GMSV S1 – the latest creation from Gordon Murray’s Special Vehicles division and the closest homage to the legendary McLaren F1 we’ve seen yet.
The ultra-exclusive V12 manual supercar was revealed at The Quail during Monterey Car Week in northern California. We saw the track-focused version of this car, the S1 LM, unveiled at the same event last year as a magnificent tribute to the McLaren F1 GTR that was conceived by Murray and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 1995.
The S1 LM’s wingless, touring-oriented sibling was created from the same platform, and they share the same remarkably elegant design language. But every body panel has been redesigned and is unique for the GMSV S1, plus it gets a new active aero system, a revised suspension set-up for comfort and refinement and a more luxurious cabin.
Murray said of his new creation: “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. 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.”
One key component that has been carried over from the S1 LM is the 4.2-litre naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 that revs to a shrieking 12,100rpm and produces 681bhp. It also delivers 500Nm of torque – 80 per cent of that from just 2,500rpm, and the full monty at 7,000rpm – while the polished Inconel exhaust emits a soul-tingling scream.
All that power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, featuring a special touring sixth gear as standard and new straighter gearbox cable routing to help deliver a precise, bolt-action rifle feel to the shifter.
The driver can also tailor the feel of the power-steering, opting for more assistance when cruising along and those rare occasions that they might be driving through town, or for a more unfiltered connection on twisty roads.
The S1 features the lightweight suspension set-up from the more aggressive LM version, and its wider track and tyres. But the ride height has been increased by 10mm, and the damping is more compliant, to better suit longer drives while preserving the sense of precision, agility and feedback for the driver.
Murray, who famously obsesses over every single gram in his cars, is hoping to have the S1 weigh less than the GMA T.50 he launched in 2020, which tipped the scales at just 997kg dry. The new car’s carbon fibre body panels and suspension components should certainly help with that.
But as you can see, the S1 isn’t a stripped-out lightweight special. The interior features lots of leather and tailored luxurious trim, revised displays, a bespoke enhanced sound system and additional acoustic insulation to boost refinement.
Of course, it still has a central driving position, just like the McLaren F1, and a low scuttle height for the best view of the road ahead. Meanwhile, new dihedral doors don’t just provide drama, but a large opening for easy ingress and egress.
The S1 ditches the massive, rather intimidating rear wing from the LM, along with its long front splitter and deep side skirts, to create a cleaner silhouette that’s remarkably close to that of the McLaren F1.
In place of the fixed spoiler is a new active rear aero system integrated into the bodywork, which helps with high-speed stability and braking, as the S1 relies more on mechanical grip and balance than maximum downforce.
One interesting feature is the positioning of the main beam headlights within the air intake on the nose of the car. This was inspired by the original McLaren F1 concept shown in Monaco in 1992, but the idea didn't make it to the production car. The lightweight wheel design was also influenced by those on the show car, and the engine bay – the centrepiece of the S1 – has a 24-carat gold-plated heat shield, just like the nineties icon.
Only 64 examples of the GMSV S1 will be made, making it even more exclusive than the GMA T.50, 125 of which were produced in total.
The company isn’t disclosing how much each costs, but it’s definitely going to be in the millions. Just five examples of the S1 LM are set to be built, with one selling at auction recently for $20.6 million (£15.2m), breaking the record for the most expensive new car ever to go under the hammer.
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