Gordon Murray S1: New V12 Manual Supercar Unveiled
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has revealed the new S1 supercar at The Quail during Monterey Car Week. This touring-focused evolution of the S1 LM exudes timeless confidence and showcases the brand's unique approach to driving perfection.
The naturally aspirated, V12-powered, manual supercar builds on the S1 LM platform, which prioritises mechanical grip over high downforce to deliver a distinctive driving experience. Engineers have revised the suspension to enhance comfort and refinement on long-distance journeys, while the car retains Gordon Murray's signature driving-perfection philosophy. The S1 commission marks the latest model from Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, where the team pushes all seven design principles to their most extreme expression.
Although the S1 shares its family DNA with the S1 LM, known as the Special One, its character and purpose differ distinctly. Gordon Murray conceived the S1 LM as the most intense, road-legal, race-inspired celebration of his 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.
Professor Gordon Murray, CBE, Group Executive Chairman, explained the thinking behind the car: "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. It is exclusive, analogue, and deeply driver-focused, but also more elegant, more refined, and more usable over distance."
The S1 sheds the S1 LM's large, fixed rear wing, long front splitter, and deep side skirts, and the design team has created an exterior that is body- and driver-focused. This approach produces a cleaner silhouette inspired by classic proportions.
A new active rear aero system integrates into the bodywork and adapts to the demands of high-speed stability and braking. The focus shifts away from extreme downforce and towards mechanical grip, balance, and confidence on the road.
At the heart of the S1 sits a bespoke 4.2-litre naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 that produces up to 690 PS. Drawing on the same lineage as the S1 LM engine, this 4.2-litre unit delivers exceptional response while retaining the sound, immediacy, and character that drivers expect from a Gordon Murray engine. The low-inertia, high-revving engine features a suite of competition-spec components, including silicon carbide-coated lightweight pistons, titanium valves, titanium connecting rods, and a dry-sump lubrication system. With effortless touring in mind, the S1 offers a broader torque range, delivering 80% of its torque from just 2,500 RPM and peaking at around 500 Nm at 7,000 RPM.
A six-speed manual gearbox pairs with the engine and includes a touring sixth gear as standard. New straighter gearbox cable routing helps the car deliver the precise, rifle-bolt shift feel that remains central to the physical connection between driver and machine.
The S1 retains the S1 LM's width, track, lightweight suspension architecture, and wider tyres. Still, engineers have raised the ride height by 10 mm and retuned the damping for greater compliance while preserving steering precision, agility, and feedback.
Lightweight engineering remains fundamental to the car's design. Ultra-lightweight carbon fibre body panels, lightweight suspension components, and Gordon Murray's obsession with weight reduction help the team hit 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 that of 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 Murray's 1992 Monaco show-car design, which featured similar lower lights that never reached production.
Further unique features include distinctive A-pillar-mounted mirrors that integrate a discreet rear-view camera system, as well as all-new lightweight wheels inspired by the iconic Monaco 1992 show car. The engine bay presents the V12 as a centrepiece, complete with a polished Inconel exhaust and a 24-carat gold-plated heat shield. This bespoke and exclusive V12 by Cosworth features an increased displacement of 4.2 litres. The new unit develops 690 PS and revs to a shrieking 12,100 RPM, delivering 500 Nm of torque, 81 per cent of which is available as low as 2,500 RPM.
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 better suited to long-distance use.
Drivers can tailor the car's feel through switchable, selectable power steering, choosing assistance for relaxed cruising or a more unfiltered connection on dynamic roads.
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 towards everyday usability.
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles will limit production of the S1 to 64 units worldwide. Each owner will individually commission and specify their own car, and the manufacturer has not yet disclosed pricing.
Since unveiling the T.50 supercar in 2020, Gordon Murray has built a family of ultra-exclusive, lightweight, driver-focused supercars that celebrate naturally aspirated engines mated to manual transmissions, alongside uncompromising attention to the relationship between driver and machine on road and track. Now, the S1 carries that philosophy into a more refined, usable, touring-focused form.
