New Gordon Murray supercar set for Monterey
GMA's Special Vehicles department blew minds last year - will history repeat itself?
You know Monterey Car Week is already starting to heat up when the teaser pictures start to resemble an ‘80s-era Cadbury Flake advert. Quite what Gordon Murray Special Vehicles is going for here with the net curtains effect isn’t immediately clear, but probably it doesn’t matter - let’s not forget that last year the manufacturer’s new GMSV division practically stole the show with its S1 LM, a five-unit, don’t-call-us-we’ll-call-you homage to the F1 LM.
This year it apparently intends to go one better. Or at least repeat the feat with another new and very limited edition supercar. Those equipped with more cultured eyeballs than PH possesses might like to venture a guess on what exactly the new model is referencing (its shape is certainly redolent of the McLaren F1 - though you could reasonably say that about the GMA T.50, too). Given that it shares its air duct placement and roof scoop with the S1 LM, a road-going variant of its previous show-stopper may well be in the offing. But we're open to wilder (and weirder) educated guesses.
"It is always a pleasure to return to California, and I am looking forward to sharing our latest Special Vehicles creation with everyone attending The Quail and enthusiasts around the world,” commented Professor Gordon Murray, without giving much away. “We have been working on something very special – I can't wait for the covers to come off."
Of course, GMA has very good reason to tramp back over old ground: when one example of the S1 LM (a car not actually built at the time remember) went under the hammer last November, it fetched 15 million quid, a record for a brand-new car. And on the basis that it feature a bespoke 4.3-litre V12 developing 720hp - and looked like it did - we could hardly argue with the buyer’s logic. Will history repeat itself? Dario Franchitti’s quote suggests you shouldn’t bet against it.
“Since the S1 LM and Le Mans GTR debuted here last year, we’ve made major progress in their development, and the new model will soon join them on the road to production. I’ve loved driving the Le Mans GTR and beginning the process of dialling in the Driving Perfection that gives every Gordon Murray supercar its distinctive appeal.”
Those covers come off on Friday, when it will share the limelight with the Experimental Prototype (i.e. XP1) version of the Le Mans GTR, another Special Vehicle effort. You know where to come for full coverage.
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