Latest news with #customdesigns
Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Gordon Murray Special Vehicles Pays Tribute to Le Mans
A spin-off from Gordon Murray Automotive, Gordon Murray Special Vehicles will focus on small-run and custom designs, unveiling its first two projects at The Quail during Monterey Car Week 2025. The GMSV Le Mans GTR is limited to just 24 units and features space-age longtail bodywork. The GMSV S1 LM is a customer special request, and only five examples will be built. Gordon Murray's name remains forever married to the famed McLaren F1 he designed, but these days we've been hearing it more in reference to his refined take on that car, the T.50. But that's all Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA). Just one company can't hold all Mr. Murray's big ideas, which leaves room for Gordon Murray Special Vehicles (GMSV). GMSV allows Murray to play with one-off designs, special commissions, and history-inspired continuation builds. View Photos Gordon Murray Special Vehicles The possibilities are endless, but to start, GMSV revealed two in-process projects at The Quail during 2025 Monterey Car Week. Both cars are Le Mans-inspired and take the high-revving, lightweight format of the T.50 to the next level. The first, GMSV's "Le Mans GTR," plays off the extended rear deck of what's commonly referred to as "longtail" designs. The stretched back allows for better downforce and stability at high speeds, and the look caught the imagination of race fans and car designers. GMSV Le Mans GTR The GTR uses the GMA 4.0-liter V-12 engine and manual six-speed from the T.50, but has a completely different body, aiming for high grip and cornering without the controversial rear fan of the T.50 and T.50S. Its massive rear wing and protruding diffuser might be only a fraction less controversial, but at least the owner won't have to answer questions about how they work. Roof-mounted air intakes will give the GTR a sound to match its racy looks and 12,100-rpm redline. View Photos Gordon Murray Special Vehicles GMSV will also offer the GTR as an SV Design model with a stiffer and lighter suspension, wider track, bigger tires, and more cooling for true track action. GMSV consultant Dario Franchitti said that while it's not accurate to call the Le Mans GTR track-focused, it will have a noticeably different driving personality than the T.50. The display GTR is still in the modelling stage, but the plan is to build 24 GMSV Le Mans GTR models, and GMSV says they are all sold. You get a cookie if you can guess why GMSV went with 24 as the production run. Hint: How many hours are there in the famous endurance race? GMSV S1 LM For the S1 LM, there was no need to find buyers, as the customer came to Murray with a special request for a car that harkens back directly to the modified McLaren F1 GTR that took victory at Le Mans in 1995. It's got a much more McLaren-y look than the GTR, but it tucks in more at the middle, giving it the coke-bottle shape Murray has always bemoaned as missing from the original F1. View Photos Gordon Murray Special Vehicles It looks great on five-spoke wheels, and those should make it through to the final design. Unfortunately, what look like pop-up headlights will most likely get nixed before production. The S1 LM builds around a central airfoil, roof-mounted intake, split rear wing, and a central four-part exhaust. It uses a 4.3-liter naturally-aspirated V-12, which is a bored-out version of T.50's engine. "It's lighter!" said Franchitti. Like its sibling, the S1 LM uses a large wing and a wide rear diffuser to sweep air out from under the body. Just one custom Gordon Murray car wasn't enough for this customer; they have five road-legal S1 LM models on order. Gordon Murray Special Vehicles View Photos Gordon Murray Special Vehicles All these special projects and sold-out runs bode well for the future of the Gordon Murray Group, said CEO Phillip Lee. "The last car is on the production line for T.50," he remarked, adding that the T.50S track variant will start production in September, and the T.33 remains on target for the summer of 2026. In the meantime, Gordon Murray is still drawing cars. "Sometimes we'll be in a meeting and I'll think Gordon is listening and then at the end he'll slide over a piece of paper with something fantastic on it and say, 'What do you think, should we build this?'" Elana Scherr Senior Editor, Features Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn't know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver's license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2." In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club. Read full bio
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Exclusive Aussie brand beloved by Taylor Swift, Miranda Kerr and Jennifer Hawkins unveils its jaw-dropping new collection
An Australian jewellery brand worn by A-listers has unveiled an exclusive new collection of spectacularly unique rings. Whether it is to celebrate a special life milestone or for an unforgettable proposal, the Engagement & Milestone Edit from ALINKA Fine Jewellery is a bespoke line of customisable designs, handcrafted for individuality. Known for its stackable fine bracelets and necklaces, ear cuffs and statement rings, ALINKA Fine Jewellery is already beloved by a loyal clientele of Australian and international clients with it's ready-to-wear and made-to-order pieces. Featuring a jaw-dropping collection of dazzling diamond and fine coloured gemstones set in 18 carat gold, sourced specially for each bespoke, made to order design. Clients can take inspiration from the designs in the edit, customising the gold colour and stone size to their specifications. The OVAL Horizontal Diamond Ring is a timeless design with an oval cut GIA Certified Natural Diamond, set in the brand's signature basket with engraved detailing on the band. Truly unique and spectacular, the DUO ring features an emerald cut white diamond set beside an oval cut white diamond, set in the ALINKA Duo setting. Truly unique and spectacular, the DUO ring features an emerald cut white diamond set beside an oval cut white diamond Clients can make the ring their own, selecting the shape, colour and size of the two diamonds, with the design tailored to the proportions of the chosen gemstones. The show stopping ECLIPSE ring features a fine emerald mounted on a sculptural ALINKA eclipse band. This unique design is set with baguette cut and round brilliant cut white diamonds. The SHOULDER Diamond ring features an emerald cut fancy intense yellow diamond, set between two crisp tapering baguette cut white diamonds. Another double gem setting, the DUO Hearts ring features two heart-shaped diamonds side by side. The unique designs in the collection offer inspiration for clients, who can then customise the ring with their stone shape, size and colour preferences for a truly individual piece Every ALINKA ring includes a hidden evil eye secret diamond, to symbolise 'protection, unbroken love and good fortune that is bestowed upon the wearer'. The diamonds and gemstones are set in 18 carat yellow gold, white gold or rose gold. The jaw-dropping designs come with designer price tags that reflect the quality of luxury of the brand. Each piece is customised so price is on application and for anyone interested in learning more should book an appointment or request a quotation. 'An ALINKA Fine Jewellery engagement ring is more than jewellery— it's a personal milestone,' Founder and Creative Director Alina Barlow said. Barlow started the brand in 2015, designing bespoke one-of-a-kind pieces for her Sydney clientele, before branching into ready-to-wear collections. Creating a custom ALINKA piece is a personalised, collaborative experience guided by one of the brand's jewellery and diamond specialists With a client-list featuring the country's elite, Barlow opened a flagship showroom in Sydney's exclusive Double Bay, while internationally her designs are also online on Farfetch. The brand has steadily grown a loyal following amongst Australia's most fashionable, and through subtle appearances on the red carpet worn by Jennifer Hawkins, Taylor Swift, Vanessa Kirby, Natalie Dormer and Alicia Vikander in recent years. Natalie Portman and Dua Lipa have been photographed adorned in the jewels for Vogue magazine shoots. The DUO Hearts ring features two heart-shaped diamonds side by side, customised for colour and size The brand's ready-to-wear pieces, such as the RIVIERA Midi Rainbow Sapphire Hoops and KATIA Classic Rainbow Sapphire Ring (left), and STASIA Mini Diamond Bracelet (right), can be purchased online Creating a custom ALINKA piece is a personalised, collaborative experience guided by one of the brand's jewellery and diamond specialists. Clients will select from the edit of signature designs and thoughtfully sourced and hand-selected diamonds and gemstones to create a completely unique piece. Once the design is made, it undergoes three rounds of quality control to ensure it meets the in-house team's exacting standards. For those not in the market for a diamond ring, the brand's ready-to-wear collections of fine jewellery and statement pieces can be purchased online with free delivery.
