Gordon Murray S1 LM: The $4 Million Hypercar That Roars Like 1995 All Over Again
The Gordon Murray S1 LM is a hypercar work of art — a 690-hp naturally aspirated V12 tribute to the McLaren F1 GTR Le Mans winner. With a mere 5 cars produced and 12,100 rpm redline, here’s all you need to know about this exclusive $4 million legend reborn.
The Legend That Refused to Retire
Motorsport has a peculiar habit of storytelling. In 1995, the giant McLaren F1 GTR,wrote by Gordon Murray, rolled into Le Mans and proceeded to humiliate every prototype on the starting grid. This was not supposed to transpire. Road cars were not supposed to beat racing cars. And yet, Murray’s featherlight, normally aspirated V12 masterpiece did precisely that.
That win wasn’t for a cup; it was a philosophy of a car. Horsepower doesn’t beat lightweight. Blunt force doesn’t beat precision. Purity doesn’t beat gimmicks. To car fans, the F1 is the Rosetta Stone of hypercars, so ideal that even Ferrari, Porsche, and Bugatti have been trying to keep pace for decades.
Now, in 2025, Murray has come full circle. Meet the S1 LM: not a copy-paste, but an interpretation — a manner of saying “remember when driving mattered?” in a world of hybrids, EVs, and steering wheels that resemble Play Stations.
Inside the Cockpit: Why Plastic is a Dirty Word
Inside the , it is akin to entering an art gallery designed by an engineer who hates compromise. No enormous touchscreens, no haptic buttons. Honest, mechanical, tactile greatness instead.
The center-seat configuration fills the cabin — driver in the center, surrounded by two slender passenger seats. It’s spaceship-like rather than supercar, with visibility that’s on par with a race car. All stitches, all seams, all buttons are intentional.
Carbon fiber isn’t a styling choice — it’s structural, laid bare in a manner that screams “race car.”
Switches is machined out of metal, because Murray shun plastic like Italians shunketchup on past.
Seats are thin and light, Leather-bound, and wrap around you without disturbing cushioning.
Tech spec? A combined analog-digital instrument cluster, air-conditioning (because sweaty billionaires whinge), and just enough connectivity to keep it legal on the road.
It’s not luxurious in Rolls-Royce terms. It’s luxurious in the sense that it wasn’t designed with accountants murmuring “cost-cutting” in the background.
The V12 That Wants to Shatter Your Eardrums
Now let’s discuss the heart of the beast. The S1 LM is equipped with a 4.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 that cranks out about 690 horsepower. Horsepower is just half of it, though — the engine redlines at a madman 12,100 rpm, putting it on the list of the highest-revving road car engines ever built.
Why does that matter? Because revs equal drama. Revs equal tension. Revs equal goosebumps. This isn’t an engine that delivers lazy torque; it’s an engine that rewards commitment, climbing through the gears until your hair stands on end.
Key highlights:
Six-speed manual gearbox — no paddles, no fake noises, no excuses.
Inconel exhaust wrapped in 18-karat gold — lighter, stronger, and shinier than your wedding ring.
Sub-1,000 kg curb weight — half the Lamborghini Aventador’s weight, offering it a power-to-weight ratio that is on the edge of lunacy.
Track-tuned aero — the divided rear wing, roof scoop, and diffuser aren’t props for nostalgia; they’re usable, tuned in wind tunnels for downforce.
The S1 LM doesn't only travel quickly — it's built to get you to feel quick.
Safety: Confidence in Chaos
With performance this ragged, safety had to keep up. The carbon-fiber monocoque is rock-solid stiff, built to take enormous impacts without compromising the driver. Carbon-ceramic brakes provide fade-free stopping, and sophisticated suspension calibration provides stability even when the rear wing is doing its thing.
Harness-ready seats, FIA-spec safety features, and meticulously engineered crumple zones remind you: Murray doesn’t make fast cars; he makes car-survivable ones.
Capabilities: The Unicorn That Resides on Track
Don’t make a mistake about it — the Gordon Murray S1 LM is street-legal. You can, in theory, drive it to Starbucks. But do so, and prepare to scrape that $1 million splitter on the speed bump before you even get your latte.
This is a vehicle engineered for:
Private circuits
Collector meetups
Track days where owners want to make Ferraris obsolete
Its competitors are — Ferrari FXX K, Aston Martin Valkyrie, PaganiHuayra R — but no one has the same direct link to Le Mans success. The S1 LM isn’t simply able; it’s a unicorn.
Pricing and Availability: Don’t Even Ask
Here’s where things get brutal. Only five units of the S1 LM will exist. And all five are spoken for by one anonymous client (we’re looking at you, Sultan of Brunei).
Pricing has not been disclosed, but as the Gordon Murray T.50 costs $3.2 million, the S1 LM should cost of $4 million. Deliveries are set for 2026, so the rest of us will get to spot them on Instagram before we ever lay eyes on one.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Naturally aspirated V12, 12,100 rpm redline
Manual gearbox in an age gone digital
Heritage design connected to McLaren F1 GTR
Labor-of-love, feverishly designed build quality
One of the world’s most unusual cars
Cons:
There are only five — and you can’t own one
Cost makes a Bugatti seem cheap
It is not suitable for regular use
It sacrifices comfort for purity
The Final Verdict: Why the S1 LM Matters
The Gordon Murray S1 LM is not another hypercar to gather dust in a billionaire’s garage. It’s an idea made real — affirmation that driving innocence still exists in the 21st century.
It’s lively, it’s bold, it’s impractical — and that’s precisely why it’s perfect. Because in a world of hybrids and EVs, where silence and independence are conquering noise and craft, the S1 LM bellows a reminder: cars should get your heart going, not merely your commute.
FAQs: Gordon Murray S1 LM
What is the Gordon Murray S1 LM?
It’s a hypercar based on the 1995 McLaren F1 GTR winner of Le Mans, produced by Gordon Murray Automotive.
How many Gordon Murray S1 LMs will be produced?
Just five — all commissioned by one client.
How potent is the S1 LM?
It have a 4.3L naturally aspirated V12 with ~690 hp and top redline of 12,100 rpm.
When do deliveries commence?
Due in 2026.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is not fully disclosed, but is expected to be over $4 million
