What are the two new hypercars, the GMSV, only available to the world’s most successful people? [Monterey Car Week]

More than a showstopper

The hypercar brand that surprised not only those who were at The Quail that day, but also car enthusiasts around the world who were watching Motorsport Gathering (MSG) online, was not Bugatti, Pagani, or Koenigsegg, but GMA (Gordon Murray Automotive).

Just this past July, the company celebrated the 60th anniversary of its revolutionary design work at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS). Just when you thought it was about time to announce “100 more special models,” it instead revealed two completely unexpected two-off models, far from being a show stopper.

GMA’s commercial models are already rare. The T.50, which is nearing the end of production, the T.50S, and the T.33 (Coupe and Spider) are just about to enter production, with a total of 325 units. It’s no surprise, then, that they’re going to build even more limited-run special models based on these road cars, especially the T.50 series, to meet customer requests.

The special model will be produced by a new team called Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, or GMSV for short. The first and second models were both announced at MSG.

A modern interpretation of the long tail

Newly developed 4.3-liter V12 engine — “GMSV Le Mans GTR”

The first car is the “Le Mans GTR,” the brainchild of Joe Macari (London), one of the UK’s leading luxury car dealers. This project began when Joe asked Gordon, “If you were to build a car for Le Mans right now, what kind of car would it be?” Upon seeing the answer, Joe immediately commissioned production. 24 cars were to be built in time for the 24-hour race, with all slots already reserved by Macari’s important customers.

It’s a center-seater, naturally aspirated V12 engine with no fan, designed to significantly increase rear downforce aerodynamics. In short, it’s a modern interpretation of the long tail, a traditional design at Le Mans. The snorkel is also distinctive.

The base model was actually the T.50S. The T.50 is already nearing the end of production, and it is not possible to increase the number of units. However, it was possible to use components from the T.50S, which will be produced in the future.

Gorgeous lines reminiscent of a Coke bottle

However, it seems that the attention of car enthusiasts was focused on the other car, the “S1 LM” (in a popularity poll I saw on a certain website, it received over 80% of the votes). After all, at first glance, it looks just like a modern version of the best of the supercar world, the McLaren F1 LM.

The person who ordered this was a private collector (let’s call him Mr. X), who apparently wanted to recreate the F1 LM using the T.50, as everything about it is F1 LM, including the five star-spoke wheels and the front, rear, and body side designs. However, there are some slight differences from the original. Compared to the McLaren’s relatively flat design, this is a much more glamorous finish, as Mr. X explained with glee, pointing to the sensual lines reminiscent of a Coke bottle.

Like the LM GTR, this car is based on the T.50S, but it is equipped with a V12 engine with a displacement increased to 4.3 liters, and its maximum output is said to easily exceed 700 PS (the T.50S Niki was 725 PS). Only five units will be produced. This means that there will be other lucky people besides the person who ordered it who will be able to purchase one, and this is apparently another reason why GMA accepted this project. Of course, it has sold out, and those lucky people are apparently “people who have achieved some of the world’s highest levels of success in their field.”

The secret hidden in the front mask design

There was also a fun little story about the S1 LM. If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see that the holes in the interior and exterior are long and oval. They look like sausages, so Gordon apparently said, “This is the SV, not a special vehicle, but a sausage vehicle.” If you meet him, you’ll understand that while he’s a serious engineer, he’s also a very playful and stylish guy.

For this project, Mr. X, who originally placed the order, worked with experienced independent designer Florian Flatu to create the basic design, which was then used as the basis for the final product by the GMSV team led by Gordon. Gordon, who was recovering from a serious illness, apparently found great strength in this project. The S1 LM was a miracle cure.

By the way, according to Mr. X, the design of the front mask has not yet been finalized. It looks retractable, but this is apparently just a cover. We can’t wait to see the true look.

PHOTO/Jun Nishikawa, Gordon Murray Automotive