Newly revealed Gordon Murray S1 is a modern-day grand touring McLaren F1
Gordon Murray has revealed his latest supercar at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, which takes the S1 LM and evolves it into a grand tourer as the company continues to seek ‘Driving Perfection’.
On the surface, the S1 — created by the Gordon Murray Special Vehicles division — is as close to reimagining the McLaren F1 as possible, although contemporary building methods and bespoke engineering bring it into the modern era.
While the S1 borrows many elements from the S1 LM, it removes the large fixed rear wing, long front splitter, and deep side skirts to give the car a cleaner, more classic silhouette. As a result, a new active rear aero system is integrated into the bodywork and focuses the car towards mechanical grip and balance on the road, rather than extreme downforce.
Powertrain & Lightweight Engineering
Powering the S1 is a bespoke and exclusive 4.2-litre V12 Cosworth engine, putting out 680bhp at 12,100rpm and 500 Nm of torque. it is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox featuring a touring sixth gear as standard, while new straighter gearbox cable routing helps deliver more precise gear changes.
The engine bay showcases the V12 as a centrepiece, with a polished Inconel exhaust and a 24-carat gold-plated heat shield.
As with all Gordon Murray vehicles, there’s a focus on lightness, aided by ultra-lightweight carbon fibre body panels and lightweight suspension components, giving the S1 an overall weight below that of the T.50. This is despite a 10mm increased ride height and retuned damping.
Interior
To get in the S1, drivers and two passengers will open new, wider dihedral doors with integrated drop-down glass in what is marketed as a GM car shifted towards ‘everyday usability ’. Inside, the low-riding central driving position that defines Gordon Murray designs remains, although the cockpit is a much more luxurious affair compared to the S1 LM.
A combination of premium leather, bespoke fabrics, tailored trim and touring-derived comfortable seats, along with enhanced acoustic insulation, revised infotainment screens, and a bespoke lightweight audio system make this a car that three people will want to sit in for a long-distance journey. Let’s just hope these cars get used for that purpose…
Drivers will be able to tailor the car’s feel through different power steering settings and the option of relaxed cruising or a more unfiltered connection to the road.
“It is exclusive, analogue, and deeply driver focused”
Professor Gordon Murray, CBE, Group Executive Chairman, said: “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.”
Only 64 S1 models will be produced by Gordon Murray, with each car individually commissioned and specified by its owner. The brand is also being rather secretive when it comes to pricing, but any figure is likely to be in the millions.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Gordon Murray Special Vehicles