Dan Mihalascu is an accomplished automotive journalist with over two decades of automotive media work both internationally and in his home country of Romania.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, and he has reviewed (sometimes even raced) cars for most of his professional life.
Prior to joining HotCars.com in July 2025, Dan worked as a news writer and editor for InsideEVs.com, CarScoops.com and Autoevolution.com. He also has bylines at DriveMag.com and ConsumerAffairs.com, among other international media outlets.
In Romania, he wrote for car magazines, sports newspapers and even a TV news station.
Writing and cars aside, he loves reading, cycling, hiking and spending quality time with his family.
What do you do if you’re an exotic car collector and desperately want to buy a McLaren F1 supercar? As you probably know, the supply is very limited for this model, which is why transactions rarely occur.
The last documented sale of a McLaren F1 took place in 2021, according to Classic.com, for a staggering price of $20,465,000. Now, a very similar car has changed hands for a similar amount (excluding inflation), and the crazy thing about it is that we’re talking about a brand-new one.
The Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar, created by an engineering genius who was also behind the McLaren F1, became the most expensive new car ever sold at auction with a winning bid of $20,630,000. Chassis no. 1 of only 5 S1 LMs that Gordon Murray Special Vehicles will ever produce was sold at a Las Vegas auction during the Formula 1 race weekend, where it made a spectacular helicopter arrival at the Wynn Las Vegas venue suspended from a helicopter.
The auction was very lively and turned into a bidding war between collectors present at the event and remote bidders from around the world, culminating in a record-breaking hammer price for a brand-new vehicle – excluding charitable sales. Interestingly, when the S1 LM was unveiled in August 2025 during Monterey Car Week, Gordon Murray Special Vehicles (GMSV) announced that all five supercars were bought by a single individual. So why did the first one go to auction, then?
Exclusive interview with Gordon Murray Special Vehicles on the new Le Mans GTR & S1 LM, revealing unseen specs and the stories behind their creation.
Well, it sounds like the mysterious customer put one of his five S1 LMs on sale, which probably makes this the ultimate car flip. Details around ownership of the remaining four chassis haven’t been disclosed.
“This world record auction result is a defining moment for our entire team and for the automotive world. The S1 LM represents everything I have learned in six decades of design – a pure expression of driving perfection, engineering art, and a true return to beauty. To see it achieve this scale of appreciation is truly humbling.”
Professor Gordon Murray CBE
But why is the S1 LM so special, besides the fact that it’s very rare? Well, as the name suggests, this car is actually a modern-day successor to the McLaren F1 LM, which was a series of five special cars built in honor of the five F1 GTR race cars that finished the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans – including the winning car.
The car blends the timeless design of the McLaren F1 LM with modern, lightweight engineering. It may not feature the F1 LM’s race-derived 6.1-liter naturally aspirated BMW V12 engine, but it gets something equally special – a bespoke 4.3-liter Cosworth V12 engine producing 710 hp at a mind-blowing 12,100 rpm and 370 lb-ft of torque, 81% of which is available from just 2,500 rpm.
The high-revving engine is mated to a newly optimized six-speed manual gearbox and race-inspired suspension perfected for the road. While the official 0-60 mph time and top speed haven’t been released yet, the S1 LM is undoubtedly ridiculously fast considering its targeted curb weight of just 2,110 lbs. Based on the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, the S1 LM’s low weight is partly due to an all-new body constructed from ultra-lightweight carbon fiber panels and a Naked Polish Carbon Fiber interior featuring a central driving position and unique artistic detailing.
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Speaking of uniqueness, Professor Gordon Murray himself will welcome the winning bidder to personally shape every detail of their bespoke supercar during personal specification sessions. The lucky owner will also get development drives alongside four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, as well as exclusive access to the GMSV team, including participation in final vehicle development. That’s a high level of involvement that will make the owner feel a part of the team that created this unique car.
Finally, the customer will get a unique 500-page monograph chronicling the S1 LM’s creation, including original sketches and notes from Gordon Murray’s own design notebook.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
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