► Two new cars from Murray’s Special Vehicles vision
► One harks back to the McLaren F1
► The other looks to the future of Le Mans
Gordon Murray is back with two cars from his all-new Special Vehicles division. Just like it sounds, the new setup is for those that want something even more bespoke than the standard GMA cars – and its first two commissions set the tone nicely. The S1 LM sees Murray remix his most iconic supercar – the McLaren F1 – while the Le Mans GTR is a compilation of history’s most important longtail cars. Just five of the road-legal S1 LM cars will be made, along with 24 of the Le Mans GTR cars (one for every hour of the race).
‘The Gordon Murray Group has driving perfection, lightweight, engineering art, and exclusivity at the core of all it does. GMSV allows us to explore these core trends, fuelled by the enthusiasm and imagination of our customers,’ said Phil Lee, Gordon Murray Group CEO.
‘Our first two models demonstrate the GMSV team’s exceptional engineering and design capabilities. We are already working on more models and look forward to partnering with the world’s most passionate driving enthusiasts to create more automotive works of art.’
GMA’s cars stick closely to the principles that made the McLaren F1, but the S1 LM sticks to both the form and function of Murray’s most famous supercar. Short for Special One, every surface of the S1 LM is completely new, but it has a strong resemblance to the car that started it all.
Like other supercars, the S1 LM gets a carbonfibre front splitter, rear diffusers and stonking rear wing but it also swaps out the active aero – instead prioritising space for its exclusive 4.3-litre V12. Capable of 700PS, breathing through an Inconel exhaust system and revving to 12,100rpm, it’s also wrapped in 18-karat gold-foiled shielding. Sound familiar?
It’s mated to a gearbox that uses the same internals and casing as the T.50. The suspension is bespoke, cranked down for a reduced ride height and different damper settings for an even more engaging ride.
And one more thing: it uses the same driver-focused, central seating position as the original.
‘I love timeless design. I never want us to join the race to make the most outrageous looking supercar at expense of balance, beauty and proportion,’ said Murray. ‘Look at the result, the car is timeless and beautiful.’
What does the ultimate Le Mans racer look like? The GMSV Le Mans is Gordon Murray’s answer at least. Designed to take in iconic longtail Le Mans cars of both the past and the future, the Le Mans GTR draws on machinery such as the Porsche 917, Alfa Romo Tipo 33/3 and of course Murray’s own creations.
With that in mind, we get a high-revving V12 GMA engine along with a six-speed ‘box, but all covered in the most lightweight and performative form possible. The 12,100rpm-revving engine is fed via a roof-mounted air intake and breathes out a double-exhausted exiting from between the two channels of the rear diffuser. It’s mounted using an innovative system that removes much of the usual vibrations from such installations. Meanwhile, the six-speed box and V12 are also cooled via sidepod intakes ahead of the rear wheels.
There’s no fan again, with the Le Mans GTR achieving its air-bending with just the use of a front-splitter, side skirts and twin-channel rear diffuser for maximum ground effect grip. You also get a huge, full-width rear wing for the best balance between drag and downforce.
‘Longtail racing cars perfectly combine aerodynamic benefit and aesthetic balance, I’ve always loved their mix of considered engineering and flowing design,’ Murray said. ‘Our Le Mans GTR timelessly reimagines the longtail racers I’ve admired since I began designing cars, adding contemporary aerodynamics and our exquisitely engineered chassis, engine, and transmission.’
Curtis Moldrich is CAR magazine’s Digital Editor and has worked for the brand for the past five years. He’s responsible for online strategy, including CAR’s website, social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and helps on wider platform strategy as CAR magazine branches out on to Apple News+ and more.
By Curtis Moldrich
CAR’s Digital Editor, F1 and sim-racing enthusiast. Partial to clever tech and sports bikes
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