Following a dramatic aerial stunt that saw the car make an entrance suspended from a helicopter, the Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1 LM supercar sold for a staggering $20,630,000, making it the priciest new vehicle ever to cross the auction block. The sale, hosted by RM Sotheby’s, was for the last of five production slots for the T.50-based S1 LM, whose design is clearly inspired by Gordon Murray’s first supercar design, the McLaren F1.
The GMSV S1 LM, which was revealed alongside the Le Mans GTR track-day special during Monterey Car Week, descended onto the auction venue in spectacular style. Hanging from a helicopter hundreds of feet in the air, the GMSV passed by Las Vegas landmarks like the Sphere before arriving at the Wynn hotel in time for the auction, which was part of amFAR’s Gala Dinner. According to the automaker, fierce bidding between gala attendees and remote parties resulted in the stratospheric $20.6 billion result. The final gavel price makes the GMSV S1 LM the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, excluding those that were for charity.
Since the supercar’s production run hasn’t begun yet, the sale also includes some remarkably personal touches. The unnamed auction winner will also get to attend personal specification sessions with Gordon Murray himself, which will comprise colors, materials, and unique details to make an already-rare car even more special. Furthermore, the new owner will be able to enjoy development drives alongside Dario Franchitti, the three-time Indy 500 champion who now serves as the executive product and brand director at Gordon Murray Group. The auction winner will also have access to the GMSV team for behind-the-scenes insights on the car’s final development, and the ownership experience also includes a 500-page commemorative book on the S1 LM, including Murray’s own sketches and notes early on in the car’s genesis.
The GMSV S1 LM was conceptualized to honor the original McLaren F1 GTR‘s inaugural appearance and overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995. Five F1s competed that year, thus inspiring the project’s five-unit production run. Although the exterior design clearly borrows from the legendary 1990s supercar, the engineering comes from Gordon Murray Automotive’s existing T.50, which features an ultralight carbon-fiber monocoque that weighs about 60 pounds less than that of the F1 and a total curb weight of just under 2,200 pounds. The S1 LM will also use the T.50’s naturally aspirated 6.0-liter Cosworth V12, which makes 654 horsepower at an eye-watering 11,500 rpm in the “production” car.
It’s full-speed ahead for the niche company, promising more V12 manual supercars for years to come.
Given the GMSV S1 LM ditches its GMA sibling’s exciting-but-complex underbody downforce fan, we expect it to be even lighter, perhaps slotting in just over 2,000 pounds. That would make it 500 pounds lighter than its F1 predecessor, and its slippery shape could uncork just enough aerodynamic advantage to exceed the old car’s 240.1-mile-per-hour top speed. And as one would expect of a flagship Gordon Murray design, the S1 LM keeps its driver in the middle for ideal weight distribution, visibility, and just plain old awesome factor.
Source: Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, RM Sotheby’s
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