New Gordon Murray S1 Revealed as 690PS V12 Manual Supercar, Limited to 64 Cars

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has revealed a new supercar called the S1, a road-focused evolution of the track-tuned S1 LM. Only 64 examples will be built, and each one gets individually specified by its owner. Pricing has not been announced, but the specification sheet puts it in rare company: a 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V12 built by Cosworth, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a target mass lower than Murray’s own T.50.

The car made its public debut at The Quail at Monterey Car Week on August 14. Where the S1 LM was built around Murray’s 1995 Le Mans win and leaned into extreme downforce, the S1 strips away the big rear wing, front splitter and deep side skirts to create what the company calls a touring-focused car, one built for long drives rather than lap times.

A Manual V12 With Real Range

The engine is the headline. Gordon Murray’s team took the S1 LM’s V12 architecture and grew it to 4.2 litres, producing up to 690PS at a screaming 12,100rpm. Peak torque lands at 500Nm, and 81 percent of it arrives from just 2,500rpm, a figure most turbocharged rivals would envy without the lag. The engine pairs with a six-speed manual gearbox that includes a dedicated, more relaxed sixth gear for cruising, and Gordon Murray says new, straighter cable routing gives the shifter a rifle-bolt action.

Under the skin, the engine uses silicon carbide-coated pistons, titanium valves, titanium connecting rods, and a dry-sump lubrication system, hardware normally reserved for racing applications. In the engine bay, the V12 sits exposed behind a polished Inconel exhaust and a 24-carat gold-plated heat shield.

Comfort Added, Downforce Traded Away

Where the S1 LM chased maximum grip through aggressive aerodynamics, the S1 moves the priority to comfort and everyday use without giving up the family’s driving character. Ride height rises 10mm over the S1 LM, and the suspension has been retuned for compliance while keeping the steering precision Gordon Murray cars are known for. A new active rear aero system replaces the fixed wing, adjusting automatically for high-speed stability and braking instead of relying on a static, downforce-heavy setup.

Every exterior body panel is new. Gone are the S1 LM’s large rear wing, long front splitter and deep side skirts, replaced by a cleaner silhouette drawing on classic proportions. New dihedral doors with drop-down glass replace the S1 LM’s race-style Lexan window, widening the opening for easier entry and exit. A-pillar-mounted mirrors now house a rear-view camera, and the lighting signature has been redesigned around slim daytime running lamps, with auxiliary lights positioned low in the nose, a nod to a 1992 Monaco show car Murray designed that never reached production.

Lightweight Construction Carries Over

Gordon Murray’s focus on cutting mass carries over from the S1 LM, and the target for the S1 sits below that of the T.50 even with a more luxurious cabin, added acoustic insulation and a larger audio system. Carbon fibre body panels, a carbon fibre monocoque derived from the S1 LM platform, and lightweight suspension components all contribute. The car keeps the S1 LM’s width, track and wider tyres, and Gordon Murray fits new, lighter wheels styled after the 1992 Monaco show car that also inspired the headlight layout.

A More Livable Cabin

Inside, the S1 keeps the central driving position that defines every Gordon Murray road car, but the cabin trades some of the S1 LM’s stripped-out character for comfort geared toward longer trips. Leather, fitted fabrics, extra acoustic insulation, a new infotainment display and a lightweight audio system all feature in the three-seat layout, and drivers can switch the power steering assistance between a relaxed setting for cruising and a sharper one for back roads.

The S1 arrives at a moment when few manufacturers still pair a manual gearbox with a naturally aspirated V12. Pagani’s Utopia and Ferrari’s 12Cilindri Manuale both keep three pedals alive at comparably rarefied prices, but neither drops the wing and splitter for a touring-focused setup the way the S1 does. That makes the car as much a grand tourer as a track weapon, closer in spirit to a customer who wants to drive it rather than trailer it.

Production Limited to 64 Cars

Gordon Murray will build just 64 examples of the S1, with each customer working directly with the company to specify their car. Pricing has not been released, though the S1 LM’s previous sale for $20.6 million at auction, along with the exclusivity of the commissioning process, points to seven-figure territory once deals are struck.

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.”

The S1 continues a run of naturally aspirated, manual-gearbox specials from Gordon Murray that started with the T.50 in 2020 and has included the T.50s Niki Lauda, T.33, T.33 Spider, S1 LM and Le Mans GTR. Each car in that lineage has sold out well ahead of its reveal, and the S1’s rarity, just 64 units against a customer base that has already bought out every previous model, points to another car allocated long before deliveries begin.