At The Quail during Monterey Car Week earlier this month, Gordon Murray Special Vehicles (GMSV) revealed the new S1, a touring-focused evolution of the S1 LM—the “Special One.” While the S1 LM was conceived as the most intense, road-legal, race-inspired celebration of the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours victory of the Gordon Murray-designed iconic McLaren F1, the S1 evolves the design language and reframes the set-up for road driving.

To recap, GMSV says it collaborates with “visionary customers” to create unique, ultra-low-volume vehicles that draw upon the design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise of Gordon Murray. Since unveiling the T.50 supercar in 2020, the company has developed a family of exclusive, lightweight, driver-focused supercars that celebrate naturally aspirated engines, mated to manual transmissions, and with “uncompromising attention” paid to the relationship between driver and machine, on road and track. Its current range is T.50, T.50S, T.33, and T.33 Spider.

Every GMSV project is guided by the same philosophy that underpins those Gordon Murray vehicles, with each vehicle engineered and designed to deliver an unrivalled driving experience and a uniquely driver-centric connection. This philosophy is rooted in Gordon Murray’s seven core principles: driving perfection, lightweight, engineering art, premium brand, a return to beauty, exclusivity, and the customer journey.

For the two other vehicles the S1 is joining in the GMSV lineup, this means that the 5-unit-run S1 LM is powered by a 730-hp (544-kW) 4.3-L naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 and weighs 957 kg (2110 lb). The 986-kg (2174-lb) Le Mans GTR, with production limited to 24 units, is powered by a 4.0-L version of the Cosworth V12 producing 664 PS (488 kW).

The S1 is optimized for mechanical grip rather than high downforce to offer a distinctive driving experience. The revised suspension adds comfort and refinement for long-distance journeys. Weight is targeted at under 997 kg (2198 lb), significantly less than the legendary McLaren F1 road car’s 1260-kg (2778 lb) curb weight.

“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,” said Gordon Murray, Executive Chairman of the Gordon Murray Group. “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, analog, and deeply driver-focused, but also more elegant, more refined, and more usable over distance.”

 

Touring focused

Now, the S1 carries that philosophy into a more refined, usable, touring-focused form. With the focus moving away from extreme downforce and towards mechanical grip, balance, and confidence on the road, the S1 does without the S1 LM’s large, fixed rear wing, long front splitter, and deep side skirts. Every exterior body panel is new, resulting in a cleaner silhouette. A new active rear aero system is integrated into the bodywork, adapting to the demands of high-speed stability and braking.

At the heart of the S1 is a custom 4.2-L Cosworth V12 producing up to 690 PS (507 kW). Derived from the S1 LM engine, the new slightly larger displacement unit was developed to deliver exceptional response, while retaining the sound, immediacy, and character expected from a Gordon Murray engine.

The low-inertia, high-revving V12, with its polished Inconel exhaust and 24-carat gold-plated heat shield, 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 its torque from just 2500 rpm and around 500 N·m (369 lb·ft) at 7000 rpm.

The engine is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, featuring a standard touring top gear. A straighter gearbox cable routing helps deliver a more precise shift feel.

The S1 retains the S1 LM’s width, track, lightweight suspension architecture, and wider tires, but ride height is increased by 10 mm (0.4 in), and the damping is retuned for greater compliance.

We estimate that it puts the S1 at 4443 mm (174.9 in) long, 1891 mm (74.4 in) wide, and 1159 mm (45.6 in) tall on a 2700-mm (106.3 in) wheelbase. For comparison, its generally bigger than the iconic McLaren F1 road car at 4287 mm (168.8 in) long, 1820 mm (71.7 in) wide, and 1140 mm (44.9 in) tall on a 2718-mm (107.0-in) wheelbase.

 

Lightweight engineering

For Murray and his company, lightweight engineering remains a fundamental focus. Ultra-lightweight carbon-fiber body panels, lightweight suspension components, and an obsession with weight reduction contribute to an overall target weight below that of the original T.50 despite the S1’s more luxurious cabin trim, enhanced sound system, and additional acoustic refinement.

Earlier this week, Managing Composites announced it was partnering with Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, engineering composite applications not only for the S1 but also the S1 LM and Le Mans GTR. The news follows the dynamic debut of the Le Mans GTR at Le Mans Classic, the continued development of the S1 LM, and the unveiling of the S1 during Monterey Car Week.

The partnership is said by Managing Composites to be a technical alignment built on shared principles, where intent, structure, and execution are held to the same uncompromising level.

“Our team has helped develop some of the world’s most exclusive hypercars, but this [Gordon Murray Special Vehicles] project is taking craftsmanship and personalization to a completely new level,” said Lluc Martí, CEO of Managing Composites. “Every detail is being challenged, refined, and tailored to create something truly unique. We’re helping define the identity of each car by pushing materials, finishes, and manufacturing techniques beyond what has ever been done before. This is the kind of program where even the smallest details deserve to be extraordinary.”

Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, Managing Composites is an expert in composites engineering, from crash simulation to layup optimization. As an “engineering boutique,” its team blends design, simulation, materials expertise, problem solving, and manufacturing mastery to deliver solutions especially for the hypercar world.

The company runs the largest composites-focused LinkedIn community and powers two spinoffs: The Native Lab, its training division shaping tomorrow’s composites talent; and ESEN·EYE, its computer vision tech that inspects composite parts and boosts manufacturing quality.

 

Design differentiation

The new S1 features unique front and rear lighting, with daytime running lamps integrated into the light cluster, differentiating from the S1 LM’s running lights sitting in a narrow blade below the headlight. Unique main beam auxiliary lights sit low within the car’s front air intake, a nod to the 1992 Monaco show car design element by Murray that never saw production in the F1. Further unique features include A-pillar-mounted mirrors that integrate a rear-view camera system and new lightweight wheels inspired by the Monaco show car.

Inside, the S1 retains the central driving position and low scuttle height that define the brand’s driver focus, while introducing a more refined and luxurious interpretation of the S1 LM cockpit. Premium leather, custom fabrics, tailored trim, touring-level seat comfort, enhanced acoustic insulation, revised infotainment screens, and a custom 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 drop-down glass replace the race-inspired Lexan “ticket window” doors from the S1 LM. The new doors allow for a wider opening and greater ingress and egress, further underlining the shift towards everyday usability.

Production of the S1 will be limited to 64 units worldwide. Each car will be individually commissioned and specified by its owner, with pricing undisclosed.