As the new McLaren 600LT Spider enters production, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is aiming to inspire prospective owners at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show with a specially curated design, adding visual excitement in the form of an accented bespoke treatment in a tribute to the car’s 675LT predecessor.
The Geneva Motor Show car has been designed by MSO to demonstrate how the 592bhp (600PS) convertible can match its single-minded dynamic purpose – shouting to the world through its top-exit exhausts – with a truly individual look that accentuates all the design elements that distinguish a Longtail from other Sports Series variants. With all 600LTs hand-assembled and available only for a limited time, MSO is providing owners with the opportunity to commission a car that will remain not just rare but unique.
The McLaren 600LT Spider by MSO combines colors, finishes and materials that express in heightened form the drama of the 600LT’s aerodynamically-optimized body. The latest MSO creation follows in a tradition of spectacular MSO Bespoke supercars that have made their debut in Geneva over the past few years.
The car’s striking color palette centers on a Dove Grey body with flashes of Napier Green outlining key design elements of the Longtail concept, from the more pronounced front splitter to the larger rear diffuser. Dove Grey, a solid color to save weight, provides the perfect canvas on which the shimmering metallic Napier Green accents can stand out. The choice of Napier Green provides a link back to the 600LT’s predecessor, the 675LT, for which Napier Green was one of the original hues. It has been available only as an MSO Bespoke color since then.
In a first for McLaren road cars, the Napier Green accents are applied using a new technique that sees the paint applied onto a light and flexible film which ensures a premium quality bespoke color match. The film has previously been used on McLaren 720S GT3 and 570S GT4 race cars and this application typifies MSO’s commitment to new and innovative techniques. The contrast-color film will be available as a bespoke option in the future.
For the 600LT Spider, the film is applied to the splitter, sills and door inserts as well as the rear diffuser, where the four outer vertical ribs create a highly distinctive look.
The car features the full suite of carbon fibre options, including the MSO Defined Visual Carbon Fibre Front Fender Louvres, the ‘gills’ that have rapidly become one of the most popular options for the 600LT. In another homage to the 675LT, all the Visual Carbon Fibre exterior elements feature a satin finish. The retractable hard-top is MSO Bespoke Carbon Black while the 10-spoke Ultra Lightweight forged alloy wheels have a gloss black finish.
Napier Green is the MSO Bespoke choice for the brake calipers and this provides the inspiration for contrasting stitching and the 12 o’clock mark on the steering wheel inside the cabin. Unique among Sports Series models, the 600LT is also optionally equipped with super-lightweight carbon fibre racing seats, originally developed for the McLaren Senna.
MSO Bespoke additions on show include 600LT headrest embroidery, Alcantara® headlining and steering wheel and a range of MSO ‘surprise and delight’ features for owners to find. These include an accelerator pedal etched with 600LT branding and an MSO dedication plaque.
In addition, the car has been equipped with many of the most popular features from across the Sports Series range including carbon fibre interior upgrade with interior components, door inserts and tunnel sides trimmed in the material, and McLaren Track Telemetry (MTT) with lap time function and three cameras.
Like any Longtail, the 600LT Spider by MSO has been honed for track driving with increased power, reduced weight and optimized aerodynamics for absolute driver engagement, attributes inherited without compromise from the 600LT Coupe.
Endowed with 592bhp from its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the 600LT Spider is lighter than any rival ensuring remarkable performance, with 0-60mph available in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 201mph with the retractable hard-top in place. With the roof open, top speed falls by just 5mph while the driver’s connection with the car at any speed is made all the more visceral by the V8 engine’s top-exit dual exhausts close behind the occupants’ heads.
“Almost half of 600LT Coupé buyers have benefitted from MSO’s services, so it makes perfect sense to curate our own 600LT Spider to mark its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Our design team relished the opportunity to accentuate the 600LT’s cutting-edge looks and with painstaking attention to detail, including the use of innovative materials, we’ve showcased our craftsmanship too. Few cars deserve MSO’s personalization more than a McLaren Longtail and we can help our clients realize their visions with a car of their own making.”
Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations.
Prospective McLaren owners can also employ MSO’s expertise to craft their perfect car, but spend too long pondering your 600LT Spider and you may miss out completely. McLaren is building the 600LT Spider for a limited time only.
