McLaren: P1 and 675LT Special Ops Revealed!
By Mike Garcia
McLaren reveals bespoke versions of the P1 and 675LT at the Geneva Motor Show.
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McLaren has a proud, winning history in F1. They incorporated F1 technology back with the original McLaren F1 designed by Gordon Murray. Rear-wheel-drive, a 6.0-liter V12, a manual transmission, and a centralized seating position aligned with the F1 cars of the period. Years later, McLaren stepped it up a notch with the MP4-12c, and adopted a hydraulic suspension system without traditional roll-bars.
Now, they are able to create the ultimate in one-off models with the Special Operations versions of the P1 and the 675LT.
"The exercise starts with the customer describing what they want. I’ll draw it and they might say, “I never thought of it that way.” We have got to help them in the right direction – it has to be a McLaren, it has to look right. Customers are more open to new ideas and advice than you would imagine.‘After that comes drawing, 3D design, clay feasibility studies, building the part and fine-tuning it. For a different part I do around 20 sketches, then select, model, verify and refine it – like a sculpture. In McLaren this is quite a challenge because the part has to meet the exacting standards of the rest of the car. It’s also a challenge because you are working with a car that is optimised already.’ Esteban Palazzo, Designer – McLaren Automotive"
This gives the customer the rare opportunity to be a part-time automotive designer to their own McLaren vehicle. It goes beyond paintwork and options. McLaren designers and engineers can help make the customer’s ultimate desires come true.
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I mean, how much can a customer make a McLaren into a race car, while still being road legal?
That is left ultimately up to the customer’s imagination.