McLaren is bringing its A-game to Pebble Beach this year. As well as its hardcore P1 GTR, the British manufacturer is planning to show two one off "McLaren Special Operations" (MSO) cars to the 2014 Concours crowd – a 650S Spider and a P1.
Limited edition MSO 650S Spider
If you're interested in a 650S Spider, but afraid the standard car is just too common, the first McLaren special might be the car for you. Based on the MSO edition of the 650S Coupe that debuted at Goodwood, all MSO 650S Spiders are finished in a glossy metal-flake shade of blue, designed to stand out under the Californian Concours sun.
To complement the "Cerulean Blue" bodywork, the 650S has its front bumper, side skirts and rear diffuser finished in satin-finished carbon-fiber, with chromed 10-spoke lightweight wheels topping off the MSO look.
Inside, the carbon-fiber trim has been given the same satin treatment as the exterior, and just in case you'd forgotten what you were driving, McLaren's "speedmark" logo is highlighted in the seatbacks with blue contrast stitching.
The convertible to be shown at Pebble Beach is 1 of just 50 MSO-designed 650S special-editions, and includes a leather McLaren duffel bag in its cost of admission.
One-of-a-kind McLaren P1
For some owners, being one of 50 isn't enough. They want their car to be completely unique. The second car McLaren is showing at Pebble Beach was commissioned as a one-off by a North American buyer who wanted a P1 experience all his own. Although performance remains the same, the special edition P1 features a number of subtle design changes to set it apart from the pack.
On the styling front, the special edition P1 is painted in a special shade of metallic gray, with orange highlights spread around the body. Though they may not stand out to the casual observer, the devil is in the details. Even the brake calipers, which clamp on the same carbon ceramic discs as the standard car, are finished in this bright shade of orange.
Color aside, the defining feature of this P1 comes in the form of a throwback to the legendary McLaren F1. In the engine bay, the P1's heat shielding is finished in 24 carat gold.
Gold was chosen on the F1 because of its excellent reflective properties, and though the standard P1 makes use of different materials, there's no doubting the "cool" factor that comes with the gold finish on the special edition car. In keeping with the contrast theme, the gold heat shielding is also visible around the exhaust and stands out against the gray paint.
Throughout the interior, the owner has kept things low key, opting for grey stitching on black Alcantara. The only flashes of color coming from orange highlights on the center console.
How much is it worth? Unless the special edition P1's owner spills the beans, we may never know.
Both cars will be shown at Pebble Beach, which kicks off on August 17.
Source: McLaren
