A new benchmark has arrived, and it carries the name S1 LM. The first commission of the Gordon Murray Automotive S1 LM has set a record that very few modern performance cars will ever touch. What this car represents is simple. It is a direct spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 LM and a focused tribute to the moment Gordon Murray reached the peak of his career. He wanted to capture the purest form of his design philosophy, and he did it without compromise.
Production is capped at five cars, which instantly puts the S1 LM in rarest-of-the-rare territory. This first commission is built through a full collaboration between Gordon Murray himself and development driver Dario Franchitti. Every detail reflects the intent behind the badge. A naturally aspirated 4.3-litre Cosworth V12 sits at the heart of it, producing 700 horsepower at 12,100 rpm. It feeds a six-speed manual gearbox, while the targeted dry weight sits at just 957 kilograms. The bodywork uses carbon fibre throughout, shaped for both sensitivity and stability, while the gold-wrapped Inconel exhaust tips echo the iconic touches first seen on the original McLaren F1.
The story goes deeper than performance numbers. Murray developed the S1 LM during his cancer battle, describing the project as a reminder of why he designs and engineers cars in the first place. That personal meaning gives the S1 LM an emotional weight that collectors understand immediately. It is not simply a follow-up to the F1 LM. It is the continuation of a legacy created by the same person who started it.
When the car went under the hammer in Las Vegas, it arrived in dramatic style, flown above the Strip beneath a helicopter. The final bid reached $20,630,000, making it the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, apart from charity sales.