Gordon Murray’s S1 V12 Manual Supercar Is Basically A Modern McLaren F1

If you grew up with a McLaren F1 poster on your wall, buckle up, because Gordon Murray, the legendary designer behind that iconic vehicle, just pulled the sheet off his newest creation at Monterey Car Week, and it’s every bit as wild as you’re hoping.

Say hello to the Gordon Murray S1, a naturally aspirated V12 supercar with a real manual gearbox, a three-seat cabin, and a production run so small most of us won’t even see one in person. Here’s why this car has the entire automotive world buzzing, and why guys who love raw, analog performance need to know its name.

A Touring-Focused Evolution Of An Already Insane Car

The S1 isn’t a clean-sheet design. It’s built off the platform of the S1 LM, the five-car, race-inspired homage to Murray’s 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours win that sold for a jaw-dropping $20.6 million at auction last year. But where the S1 LM was all business, stripped-down and aero-heavy, the S1 is meant to be lived with. Think long coastal drives instead of lap times.

Every single exterior body panel has been redesigned. Gone are the S1 LM’s massive fixed rear wing, long front splitter, and deep side skirts, replaced by a cleaner silhouette that leans hard into classic supercar proportions. In their place is a new active rear aero system built directly into the bodywork, tuned for high-speed stability rather than chasing downforce numbers on a spec sheet.

The V12 Engine Guys Actually Want to Hear

At the heart of the S1 sits a bespoke 4.2-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 producing up to 681 HP at a screaming 12,100 rpm. This isn’t a turbocharged engine pretending to sound exciting through a speaker. This is a real, high-revving V12 with silicon carbide-coated pistons, titanium valves, titanium connecting rods, and a dry-sump lubrication system, straight out of the competition parts bin.

For a car built to actually be driven long distances, Murray’s team widened the torque band significantly, delivering 80% of its 369 pound-feet of torque from just 2,500 rpm. Meaning you don’t have to redline it in traffic to feel like you’re driving something special.

Yes, It’s a Real Manual

In an era where most supercar makers have all but killed the manual gearbox, the S1 pairs that V12 with a six-speed manual featuring a touring sixth gear as standard. New, straighter gearbox cable routing was engineered specifically to deliver a precise, rifle-bolt shift feel, keeping the driver physically connected to the machine in a way paddle shifters simply can’t replicate.

Built for the Road, Not Just the Track

The S1 keeps the S1 LM’s width, track, lightweight suspension architecture, and wider tires, but the ride height has been raised by 10mm and the damping retuned for more compliance. Steering precision and feedback stay sharp, but the whole package has been softened just enough to make a real road trip enjoyable instead of punishing.

Professor Gordon Murray CBE, Group Executive Chairman of Gordon Murray Group, explained the thinking behind the shift in a statement:

“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.”

That’s about as clear a mission statement as you’ll get from a supercar builder: all the soul, none of the punishment.

A Cabin Built for More Than One Trackday Buddy

Like the F1 that made Murray famous, the S1 keeps a three-seat layout with a central driving position and low scuttle height, putting the driver front and center, literally. But the interior has been leveled up with premium leather, bespoke fabrics, extra acoustic insulation, revised infotainment screens, and a bespoke lightweight audio system, so it feels more like a grand tourer than a stripped-out race car.

New dihedral doors with drop-down glass replace the old Lexan “ticket window” from the S1 LM, making it far easier to actually get in and out. Drivers can also switch between different levels of power steering assistance, dialing in either relaxed cruising or a more raw, unfiltered feel depending on the road ahead.

Only 64 Will Ever Exist

Here’s the part that stings a little – production is capped at just 64 units worldwide, with each car individually commissioned and specified by its owner. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but given the S1 LM’s record-setting auction result, don’t expect it to be cheap.

Every panel on the engine bay is treated like a showpiece too, with a polished Inconel exhaust and a 24-carat gold-plated heat shield surrounding the V12, because if you’re building one of the most exclusive supercars on the planet, you might as well make the engine bay look like jewelry.

The Bottom Line

The Gordon Murray S1 is proof that the man who created the McLaren F1 still knows exactly what makes a supercar unforgettable: a screaming naturally aspirated engine, a manual gearbox you have to actually drive, and a design that doesn’t need a giant wing to look fast.

While it won’t be in your driveway anytime soon (unless you’re rich-rich), it’s the kind of car that reminds us why we fell in love with cars in the first place.