You'd think that having one of Gordon Murray's remarkable V12-engined T50 supercars would be enough. Not so, though — the stinking rich out there want to have their cake made that hit more exclusive before they eat it, so Murray has set up a bespoke car division, called Gordon Murray Special Vehicles (GMSV), and these are its first two cars…
Hang on, that one looks like a McLaren F1
Good eye. Murray was, of course, the man behind the engineering and much of the design of arguably the greatest single car of all time, the McLaren F1, which for many years was the world's fastest production car and the only road car to win Le Mans in several decades.
This GMSV S1 LM has been made, at the behest of a presumably loaded customer, to pay tribute to that 1995 Le Mans win, and it does draw some inspiration from the look of the original McLaren F1 GTR racing car.
So as well as bespoke carbon-fibre panels, the LM gets a special aerodynamic package that includes that distinctive GTR-style rear wing and front splitter. Those deliver 'significant' downforce, but the sexy lights at the front just look good.
What engine is it running?
Underneath, the LM uses a special 4.3-litre Cosworth-built V12 engine which revs to 12,100rpm, and with more than 700hp, has way more than the original McLaren F1 GTR ever raced with, but the does copy that cars stunning gold foil heat reflection material in the engine bay — not for bling, but simply because gold is the best heat reflector of all.
There's a manual gearbox, tweaked suspension, and a cabin inspired by fighter jet cockpits.
How many will be made?
Only five of these — road legal, incidentally — S1 LMs will be built, and you can safely assume that you'd need at least a Euromillions win to even have a hope of affording one.
Murray himself says of the car: “I love timeless design. I never want us to join the race to make the most outrageous looking supercar at expense of balance, beauty and proportion. Look at the result, the car is timeless and beautiful.”
Whats the other car?
The second of GMSV's new creations is more closely based on the T50, and it's called the Le Mans GTR. It gets a long-tail rear end cor greater aero performance, inspired not only by Murray's 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail, but by other such longtail Le Mans racers as the Matra-Simca MS660, Porsche 917, and Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3.
Basically, this GTR is an aero-optimised version of Murray's new T50 supercar, dispensing with that car's active aerodynamic fan, and instead getting a bespoke aero package that uses a phenomenon called 'boundary layer control' to deliver maximum ground-effect aerodynamic downforce.
Whats are the other changes?
Compared to the T50, the GTR gets lighter and stiffer suspension, and the option of ultra-sticky Michelin track day tyres. The car uses solid engine mounts for greater overall stiffness as well as an aero-balanced front splitter, deep side skirts, and twin-channel rear diffuser.
Unlike the LM, the GTR keeps rather more of the luxury of the standard T50 inside.
You've maybe slightly more chance of getting one of these as 24 will be made, starting next year.
Murray said: “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."