McLaren F1 to be reborn as ‘hyper-GT’

The cabin will mix nods to the F1’s heritage with ultra-modern materials and finishings to create a luxurious feel in line with the car’s cross-country goal. A bespoke luggage set is also said to be among the standard equipment.

The car’s high-end design ambitions are said by our insider to give the interior a look “closer to a piece of art than a car”. It is rumoured that the entire switchgear will be bespoke and customers will be able to select from a huge range of finishes and materials, making it almost certain that no two cars will be the same.

As such, the car is being billed as a showpiece for the technical and design prowess of the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) division.

A bespoke version of McLaren’s carbonfibre monocage is understood to be under development to enable  a central driving position and space for a passenger either side of the driver, as made famous by the original F1. The monocage was first developed for the P1 and is itself a development of the monocell that is the basis for every other production McLaren road car.

The car’s final look is uncertain beyond the F1 references, but the design team has been briefed to apply a carbonfibre body that looks shrink-wrapped over the interior and mechanical parts to convey “extreme elegance”.

READ: How can a ‘hyper-GT’ merit an F1 association?

Our insider added: “It takes McLaren’s current language into a new arena. There are lots of nods to the F1, but this is not a retro car. It’s relevant to the modern day.”

The renderings you see here, although speculative, signify our belief that the car’s GT credentials will not be allowed to compromise that look in any way, even around the rear.

Another key element will be the exhaust outlets, which are expected to be mounted high in the rear bodywork to leave the rear diffuser section clear and give the rear end a clean look. McLaren bosses are said to have pushed the design team to give the new car all of the visual drama of the original F1.

The three-seat layout is believed to have been long requested by customers of MSO in order to allow them to “take McLaren ownership even further”. MSO was set up in 2011 to provide “everything from bespoke customisation options through to building ultra-exclusive limited-edition or one-off models”.

Because of the complexity of developing a three-seater, as well as the symbolism of it, McLaren is believed to have rejected all proposals around the theme until now. Its confidence is underpinned by rising profits, record production and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to its most recent launches, the 675LT and 570S.

MSO has form in creating bespoke cars based on existing vehicles, but until now it is not known to have created any ground-up designs. Most notably, it revealed the strikingMcLaren X-1 at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car was based on the 12C and built for a loyal customer, who wanted a one-off design. The project — codenamed BP1 for Bespoke Project One — took three years to complete.

That car is relevant because, to date, it is the only MSO vehicle believed to have been given its own project name. However, the project to recreate the F1 has been codenamed BP23, referencing Bespoke Project Two and the fact that it is a three-seater. Autocar’s source has dropped strong hints that 64 examples will be made, the same as the number of road-legal F1s built.

The car’s mooted launch date in 2018 also ties in with the F1’s history, because it marks the 30th anniversary of the fabled conversation between McLaren boss Ron Dennis, McLaren part-owner Mansour Ojjeh of TAG, technical director Gordon Murray and marketing boss Creighton Brown that led to its creation.

The quartet were said to be killing time while waiting for a delayed flight home from the 1988 Italian Grand Prix — the only race they didn’t win that year — when Murray brought up the subject of designing the ultimate driver’s car for the road to disrupt the established supercar hierarchy, which was led at the time by arch track rival Ferrari.