Monterey Car Week has become one of the most exciting periods in the motoring calendar, due to the many new model launches held at various points throughout the week. The Quail is really the epicentre, and in 2025 among the highlights is the debut of Gordon Murray Special Vehicles (GMSV), a sister company to Gordon Murray Automotive. At its global US launch, GMSV unveiled two cars inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the S1 LM, a one-off bespoke commission paying direct homage to Murray’s 1995 Le Mans winner, and the Le Mans GTR, a limited-run road-and-track car recalling the great longtail endurance racers of the past.
S1 LM – a road-going homage to 1995
The first model from GMSV is also its first bespoke commission, the S1 LM. As the name suggests – S1 for ‘Special One’ – it represents a highly personal project born from a customer’s passion for the McLaren F1 GTR, chassis 01R that triumphed in 1995. While unmistakably modern and clean, the S1 LM echoes that car’s high-downforce aero, with a front splitter, rear diffuser and twin-element wing sculpted to recall the endurance racer’s profile.
The bodywork is entirely new, fashioned from ultra-light carbonfibre with a lower roofline than GMA’s T.50. Details such as the Le Mans-inspired lights and flowing housings emphasise the car’s link to its spiritual predecessor. Murray insists on timelessness rather than shock value in his designs: ‘I never want us to join the race to make the most outrageous looking supercar at the expense of balance, beauty and proportion.’
At the heart of the car lies a new 4.3-litre naturally aspirated V12. Developed to rev to 12,100rpm, it produces over 700PS, its sound channelled through a lightweight Inconel exhaust wrapped in gold heat shielding. Power is transmitted to the road through a six-speed manual, with internals from the T.50 but unique linkages and ratios designed for short, rifle-bolt shifts.
Suspension is equally bespoke, with revised geometry, unique dampers and a lower ride height. The result is a package aimed squarely at engagement rather than statistics.
Only five S1 LMs will be built by GMSV’s Bespoke division, each tailored to its commissioning owner. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026. The price remains undisclosed.
Le Mans GTR – the longtail reborn
If the S1 LM looks back to one race and one moment, the Le Mans GTR draws from decades of endurance history. It is the first limited-production model from GMSV’s SV Design division, with 24 examples set to be produced – one for each hour of Le Mans. The car combines Murray’s own memories of longtail racers with inspiration from icons such as the Matra-Simca MS660, Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 and, inevitably, the Porsche 917.
Its flowing form incorporates a deep front splitter, extended side skirts and a twin-channel rear diffuser, all designed to maximise ground effect without resorting to the rear-mounted fan of the T.50. A full-width wing ensures stability at speed.
The GTR uses the same high-revving Cosworth-built V12 as the T.50, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, but almost every other element is unique. Suspension is lighter and stiffer, track is wider, tyres are larger and cooling is increased through new intakes and vents. A solid-mounted engine, as with the S1 LM, provides directness at the cost of some refinement, but noise and vibration are said to have been carefully managed. The exhaust exits through the diffuser tunnels, its sound augmented by a roof-mounted ram-air intake that feeds the V12.
The interior, while stripped for focus, does not abandon quality. All driver-facing components are new, from the dials and switchgear to the pedal box. As Murray himself explained: ‘Longtail racing cars perfectly combine aerodynamic benefit and aesthetic balance, I’ve always loved their mix of considered engineering and flowing design. 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.’
Development is already underway, with customer deliveries due in 2026. All 24 cars have been allocated.
Phil Lee, CEO of the Gordon Murray Group, emphasised this flexibility: ‘GMSV allows us to explore these core trends, fuelled by the enthusiasm and imagination of our customers. 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.’
For more info, see gordonmurrayautomotive.com
