Gordon Murray S1: a 12,100 rpm Cosworth V12 and a six-speed manual, from the man who did the F1
News/News

Gordon Murray S1: a 12,100 rpm Cosworth V12 and a six-speed manual, from the man who did the F1

690 PS, a bespoke 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V12, a manual gearbox with a touring sixth, and active rear aero. 64 cars, all sold before anyone saw it.

By Seper ArjmandiAugust 14, 2026

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles revealed the S1 at The Quail on August 14, 2026, on the same day and at the same event as the McLaren McL 6GT. Two manual-gearbox tributes to the McLaren F1, revealed hours apart, one of them by the engineer who designed the F1 in the first place.

What has been confirmed

  • Engine: bespoke 4.2-litre naturally aspirated Cosworth V12
  • Power: up to 690 PS, about 681 hp
  • Revs: 12,100 rpm
  • Torque: around 500 Nm, most of it available low down
  • Gearbox: six-speed manual, with a touring sixth as standard
  • Aero: a new active rear system integrated into the bodywork
  • Body: every panel redesigned and unique against the S1 LM
  • Production: 64 cars, all sold before the reveal
  • Weight: targeted below the GMA T.50, exact figure not released
  • Price: not disclosed

The touring sixth is the whole brief

A six-speed manual in a 12,100 rpm V12 supercar is unusual enough. Specifying the sixth gear as a tall touring ratio is the detail that says what this car is for.

The S1 LM this descends from was a track-focused special. The S1 keeps its engine and its gearbox and points them at long distance instead: taller top gear, redesigned bodywork, active aero that works for high-speed stability rather than for lap time. Murray has been consistent for thirty years that a supercar should be usable, and the original F1's own reputation rests as much on being drivable as on being fast.

Two F1 tributes in one afternoon

The coincidence with McLaren is hard to ignore. McLaren's McL 6GT is a concept, wingless, with a production version promised for 2028 and no performance figures released. The S1 is a finished car with a delivery list, a named engine supplier and a rev limit.

They are also aimed differently. McLaren reached back to the M6GT, the car Bruce McLaren never finished. Murray reached back to his own work and built a machine that does what the F1 did: a naturally aspirated engine of his own specification, a manual, and no hybrid system anywhere.

The basics

Gordon Murray S1
RevealedAugust 14, 2026, The Quail, Monterey Car Week
Engine4.2-litre naturally aspirated Cosworth V12
PowerUp to 690 PS, about 681 hp
Maximum revs12,100 rpm
TorqueAround 500 Nm
GearboxSix-speed manual with touring sixth
AerodynamicsActive rear system
Production64 cars, fully sold
WeightBelow GMA T.50, figure not released
PriceNot disclosed

***

Sources: Gordon Murray Special Vehicles confirms global debut for new supercar (Gordon Murray Automotive); Gordon Murray S1 V12 Manual Revealed (Motor1); Gordon Murray Special Vehicles Reveals the S1 (Hagerty); Gordon Murray S1 is a V12 manual supercar suited for long-distance travel (The Supercar Blog). Photography: Gordon Murray Special Vehicles.