McLaren Special Operations is the department within McLaren that will paint, stitch and, depending on your perspective, ruin a perfectly normal McLaren to its buyer's heart's content. Usually known for building ‘controversially specified’ models like the fuchsia 720S seen at Pebble Beach, MSO has come over much more sophisticated with the reveal of this limited edition 570GT.
Painted to match an incredibly rare McLaren F1 XP GT ‘Longtail’ that was built to homologate the Le Mans winning F1 GTR, the special 570GT features unique ‘XP Green’ paintwork with contrasting tan pin-stripes on the leading edges of the splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser. MSO also finishes the secondary surfaces in jet black in contrast to the dark grey or carbon fibre of ‘normal’ 570s.
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> Click here to see the fuchsia 720S from Pebble Beach
MSO has set this colour-palette off with stealth-finished 5-spoke wheels and a tan stripe leading off a monotone union jack, all very subtle stuff from a division known to have previously descended into white alcantara territory.
Inside this opulent theme is continued, with rich saddle tan leather wrapped over the seats, dash and doors. This finish is made unique by the addition of green colour-matched stitching and a pleasing lack of any carbonfibre trim inside. The six models that MSO will build will all have the GT Upgrade pack, constituting an upgraded B&O stereo, nose lift, reverse camera and an upgraded alarm.
Priced at £188,567, it does represent a fairly significant £34k jump in price over the standard 570GT, but considering the amount of optional equipment, not to mention the unique colour palette, is unlikely to leave the showroom costing much more than most privately specified 570GTs.
> Click here to read our review of the 570GT
MSO will be building six vehicles in total, each with a numbered plaque inside, and will be going to customers in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
