$20 million:Gordon Murrays New Supercar Just Broke an Auction Record

When a vehicle shows up at an auction, the way it arrives can give a good hint about its potential value. A standard open trailer is usually for ordinary cars. An enclosed trailer suggests a higher value. And if the car arrives by helicopter, your accountant might start panicking. But thats exactly how a car like the Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1 LM is meant to be delivered. A record-breaking sale gives the GMSV team a reason to pop expensive champagne in Las Vegas. Chassis number one just sold for $20,630,000—the highest price ever for a new car sold at auction. That’s quite an impressive sum, considering the car hasn’t been built yet and no one has even driven it. So what does the $20 million get you? Gordon Murray Special Vehicles plans to build only five examples of the S1 LM. This auction is for the first one. The buyer will have sit-down sessions with Gordon Murray himself to decide how the car will be customized. There will also be development drive sessions where the owner can give feedback to the engineering team. Three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti will also attend those sessions. Finally, the owner will get a 500-page book showcasing the creation of their car. Besides being the ultimate coffee-table showpiece, this book will feature original sketches and notes from Gordon Murray’s notebook. While it’s true that no one has driven an S1 LM, it’s easy to predict that the car should be quite remarkable. The exterior design pays tribute to the 1995 Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR. Beneath the surface, however, the S1 LM is a modified version of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50. At the rear sits a 4.3-liter V12 engine that produces around 710 horsepower, delivering that power to the road through a six-speed manual transmission. The cabin is purely functional. The S1 LM has the classic centrally positioned driver’s seat, with two passenger seats set back on each side. You’ll need to wear headphones when driving it, as the roar of the V12 probably gets quite loud. Gordon Murray Special Vehicles initially claimed that all five models had already been sold. In reality, only one buyer ended up purchasing all of them. However, this auction for chassis number one indicates that might not be accurate. We may learn more about the owner or owners of the five-car S1 LM series once deliveries start, expected sometime in 2026.