GMA blows minds with five-car homage to F1 LM
Say what you like about the advent of Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, its first effort is astonishing
From the outside, it can seem hard to make an impact during Monterey Car Week, given the event brings together essentially every brand new, classic, lesser-known and legendary piece of exotica the world has to offer. But if any company was going to make a splash, it was Gordon Murray Automotive, given the fervour that already surrounds the T.50 and T.33. There are manual, V12 supercars; and then there are Gordon Murray-designed manual, V12 supercars…
As promised earlier in the year, what you’re looking at here are the first two models to come from the new GMSV division - or Gordon Murray Special Vehicles. There will be SV Design projects (limited editions based on existing GMA products), Heritage builds that reimagine old Gordon Murray cars and Bespoke commissions - which kind of do what they say on the tin. Expect plenty more from SV in the future, building the real special stuff, basically, if a GMA car isn’t limited run, exciting or rare enough. If you ever need to know the difference between a GMA and a GMSV, the official explanation is as follows: ‘While sister company GMA focuses on premium, hand-built production cars, GMSV creates one-off commissions, limited-edition special designs and heritage-inspired continuations in response to sustained demand from enthusiasts, collectors, and visionaries seeking unique vehicles that transcend convention.’ So that’s that cleared up.
S1 LM is the more special of the two on display in California, a five-unit homage to the F1 LM (what else?) that promises to ‘push the seven principles of Prof. Gordon Murray further than ever before’ - a million PH points if you know what they are. But there’s said to be a particular emphasis on ‘exclusivity, return to beauty, engineering art, lightweightness, and driving perfection’, which doesn’t sound like a bad base from which to build a V12 supercar. Speaking of which, the engine is larger for this GMSV build than any GMA car, now at 4.3 litres and with more than 700hp - space for the extra displacement was created by the removal of the rear fan and oil cooling pack.
Lighter internals than before mean even a larger engine can still spin all the way to 12 grand, while a higher compression ratio benefits power, torque and responsiveness. What on earth that means given the precedent established by a T.50 is anyone’s guess for the moment - astonishing, most likely. The manual uses the case of a T.50s but the internals of a T.50 with an optimised linkage for an even sweeter shifter. Nailing a downshift and hearing it through the Inconel exhaust will probably be worth the millions on its own.
Suspension for the S1 LM is said to be bespoke, riding lower than any previous GMA alongside new geo and damper settings for a ‘sharp and highly connected driving experience.’ That new carbon aero package ought to keep things steady at higher speeds, too, though it should be noted that the S1 LM is road legal. What a B-road blast it promises come 2026…
Alongside the S1 LM, Special Vehicles is also showing a Le Mans GTR in Monterey. There will be 24 of them produced against five S1 LMs, and all are spoken for already. While there is again some McLaren Longtail influence to the design, the look is also said to have been inspired by ‘icons like the Matra-Simca MS660, Porsche 917, and Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3’. There’ll certainly be no mistaking it for anything else produced by GMA yet, even with some T.33 hints; there’s no fan again, for one thing. The engine is the familiar GMA 4.0-litre V12 with a six-speed manual, though ‘almost every other element of the car’ has been changed.
So there’s a properly track-focused aerokit for the GTR, complete with a twin-channel rear diffuser, deep side skirts, and that front splitter; cooling has been improved for those intending to use the car on track, with ‘stiffer and lighter suspension’ as well as wider Michelins - presumably against a T.50 - to further help matters. The V12 is solidly mounted, albeit with a new method of mounting that should bring all the benefits of solid mounting (immediacy, feel) without any of the nasty vibrations.
Interestingly, given the road racer vibe, the GTR gets a revised interior, with changes to the switches, dials, seat cushioning, and even the pedal pads. However, if the customer wishes to specify their three-seat cabin, Gordon Murray Special Vehicles will only be too happy to oblige. The man himself said of the GTR: “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.”
Little surprise they’ve been snapped up already, with the first cars due to be finished late next year. By which time we might know what the next Gordon Murray Special Vehicles Project might be— fingers crossed for a new Light Car Company Rocket…
Whilst i am fully aware of the heritage and significance of the F1 LM and F1 GTR, i always preferred the standard F1 - i'd love to see an S1 without front splitter and rear wing.
Don't really like the blue one.
This new take looks compromised to me, trying as it is to combine modern styling cues with the original lines.
I still would, mind!
The other one is pretty generic I have to say. You can see all sorts in it. The back is Ford GT, the rear quarter reminds me of the Nissan GTR. The front is just generic super car from no-name Chinese brand. Totally not interesting. According to Harry Metcalf's latest video Joe Macari bought all 24 of them... He's either mad or a genius.
The other one is pretty generic I have to say. You can see all sorts in it. The back is Ford GT, the rear quarter reminds me of the Nissan GTR. The front is just generic super car from no-name Chinese brand. Totally not interesting. According to Harry Metcalf's latest video Joe Macari bought all 24 of them... He's either mad or a genius.
"now at 4.3 litres and with more than 700hp - space for the extra displacement was created by the removal of the rear fan and oil cooling pack. "
Not true, they simply bored out the cylinders.
"now at 4.3 litres and with more than 700hp - space for the extra displacement was created by the removal of the rear fan and oil cooling pack. "
Not true, they simply bored out the cylinders.
But these latest models are also stunning!
GMA make the only current supercars/hypercars that interest me with their high-revving N/A engines, manual gearboxes and light weight.
Now I just need a lottery win.
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