Gordon Murray S1 LM sets record as brand-new supercar sells for NZ$34m
Gordon Murray Automotive has smashed the auction record for a brand-new car, with the first build slot for the upcoming S1 LM selling for an eye-watering US$20.63 million (around NZ$34m) in Las Vegas.
That figure is staggering on its own, but even more so when you consider the car doesn’t actually exist yet. No one has driven an S1 LM, and the winning bidder has effectively purchased the right to help create it.
A supercar sold before it’s even built
Only five examples of the S1 LM will be produced, and this auction secured chassis #1. The buyer now gets a seat at the design table with Professor Gordon Murray himself, working through how the car will be specified. They’ll also take part in development driving sessions, providing direct feedback to engineers with three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti along for the ride.
As a final flourish, the owner will receive a bespoke 500-page book documenting the car’s creation, complete with original sketches and notes from Murray’s personal notebook.
Inspired by an icon, engineered for extremes
While it has yet to turn a wheel, expectations for the S1 LM are high. The exterior pays tribute to the 1995 Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR, while underneath it’s a heavily modified evolution of the T.50 hypercar.
Power comes from a 4.3-litre naturally aspirated V12, producing around 530kW, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. As with the T.50, the S1 LM retains Murray’s signature three-seat layout, with a central driving position flanked by two staggered passenger seats.
Inside, it’s pure focus: lightweight materials, minimal distractions, and a V12 scream loud enough that owners are expected to wear headphones on the move.
Mystery surrounds full production run
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has previously said all five S1 LMs were sold to a single buyer. But the public auction of chassis #1 raises questions about whether that deal shifted – or whether the anonymous owner has already begun selling allocations privately.
Deliveries of the S1 LM are expected to begin in 2026, at which point the world will finally see – and hear – what a NZ$34m, owner-co-developed Gordon Murray supercar looks like on the road.
