Market Find: RM Sotheby’s with Gordon Murray S1 LM – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Build Opportunity

At most auctions, the winning bidder takes home a car. At RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas sale, the winning bidder takes home something far rarer: an invitation. It is an invitation to step back into the mindset of the early 1990s, sit beside Professor Gordon Murray, and help shape the modern spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 LM. This is not simply the first S1 LM commission offered publicly—it is an unrepeatable opportunity to co-develop one of the most significant supercars of the modern era alongside the man who created the original icon.

The S1 LM is the inaugural project from Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, conceived to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the McLaren F1 GTR’s epoch-making 1995 Le Mans victory. Only five cars will be built, directly echoing the rarity of the five customer F1 LMs. Each will stand as a crown jewel in Murray’s post-McLaren portfolio, and ownership grants the buyer priority access to all future models from both GMA and GMSV.

At the heart of the S1 LM sits a bespoke 4.3-liter Cosworth-developed V-12 producing over 700 horsepower at a staggering 12,100 rpm. It is one of the lightest, most responsive, most power-dense naturally aspirated engines ever intended for road use. In proper Murray fashion, weight is kept to an absolute minimum, with a target curb weight of just 957 kg and body panels formed from ultra-thin carbon fiber. A six-speed manual gearbox—chosen out of sheer principle—connects the driver to the engine through crisp, ultra-short mechanical throws. And in a nod to the original F1, the driver once again sits at the centerline, the purest embodiment of Murray’s philosophy that absolute control equals absolute joy.

While the S1 LM draws its inspiration from the F1 LM, it is not an homage so much as an evolution. The bodywork—sculpted first in clay, a rarity for Murray’s modern programs—brings a more taut, athletic interpretation of the F1’s classic proportions. The coke-bottle waistline, the muscular fenders, the exposed carbon surfaces, and the roof-hinged engine cover with its gleaming gold-leaf shielding all serve as sculptural signatures of a machine designed without compromise. It is engineering art presented with a degree of emotional clarity that few modern supercars attempt, let alone achieve.

Development extends far beneath the surface. The carbon monocoque has been reengineered to deliver a lower roofline and improved airflow, while suspension geometry, mounting points, and even the routing of the gear cables have been revisited to elevate driver feel. The car’s aerodynamics were shaped through cutting-edge CFD and will undergo full wind tunnel validation—a process the buyer will be invited to witness firsthand.

That access is the defining feature of this auction lot. The winning bidder will not simply order an S1 LM; they will help create it. They will collaborate directly with Murray and Executive Product and Brand Director Dario Franchitti, participate in final development drives, and shape the car’s performance characteristics according to their own preferences. They will specify materials, finishes, and colors—not from a menu, but through a collaborative design conversation with the people who conceived the car. They will receive a 500-page monograph documenting the S1 LM’s design, complete with original sketches and handwritten notes from Murray’s personal notebook. And they will take delivery of the completed car in Windlesham, United Kingdom, after which importation (including Show or Display eligibility in the U.S.) can be supported by the GMSV team.

The S1 LM is also deeply personal to Murray. Portions of the project were developed while he was undergoing cancer treatment, with the work serving as a source of focus and resilience. Now in remission, he views the S1 LM as a triumph of both engineering and spirit—an object that reflects not only his lifelong principles but also his perseverance.

For collectors, this is the rarest intersection of provenance, participation, and future legacy. No other offering grants this degree of access to a modern automotive great. No other car so clearly channels the philosophies that made the McLaren F1 a legend. And no other example will ever be “the first of five.”

For one bidder in Las Vegas, the S1 LM will not be the end of a paddleshake. It will be the beginning of a journey—a chance to help shape a car that stands apart from the electric and hybrid future, a machine powered by an unfiltered V-12 and guided by the last great analog master. In an era of algorithms and autonomy, the S1 LM is something far more rare: a dream made real, crafted by hand, and shared by only five.

More Information: RM Sotheby’s