Friday 14th September 2012

McLaren Bespoke Project 8

Ron's Special Operations skunkworks reveals its latest creations

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McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is certainly keeping itself busy. Fresh from unveiling the striking X-1 at Pebble Beach last month, the results of its latest project have now surfaced.

Is the owner a dentist or a Man U supporter?

Again by customer request, this one-off MP4-12C and F1 double-bill came together under the internal code of 'Bespoke Project 8'.

Over the standard MP4-12C the BP8 car gets the red carbon fibre treatment inside and out. Red accents also feature in the grille, wheels and air intakes.

The interior is trimmed in (guess) red and white leather, so the whole driving environment has a strawberries'n'cream feel about it. Very British.

We can't confirm if this was a 'his and hers' commission, but the BP8 F1 is about as close to a sister car as you can imagine. It too receives the red body accents and the interior revamp. Both cars are believed to be mechanically standard.

Here's one they made earlier

Projects like the X-1 and the Bespoke 8 might not appeal to everyone, but you could say that's the point of them. Embracing individual customer requests can only help to revise the perception of McLaren as a 'supercar-by-the-rules' manufacturer. Mine's an F1 and MP4-12C in black with orange please Ron.

 

[rejn]

Another owner with more money than taste.
Doesn't do it for me, I'm afraid.

[T.K]

Good lord.

[RB Will]

Blimey PH keep up at the back Top Gear had a multipage feature on these months ago.

[Gizmoish]

Interesting. Very "English" red and white... is it for Jenson's personal collection?

An Olympian or other English sports star?

[The Danimal]

Oh dear. Will someone with some actual taste please commission these boys to do something... Please!!!!

[Krikkit]

That is fking awful. Sorry, but even bad taste has to have a line somewhere.

[biggy888]

BIG LIKE!!!

[andyps]

I like the exteriors, the interior is not to my taste, however. But the concept of personalisation is very good whatever the outcomes.

[DanDC5]

Like them both to be honest. Makes the MP4-12C just a bit more special.

[chrisironside]

Don't think they're quite getting the most out of the cars looks yet, but CONSIDERABLY nicer than the outrageously hideous crass repulsive putrid ugly vile monstrosity that is the X-1.

[PhatPhil]

Stephen Ireland...

[BelfastBoy]

I'm sure our resident F1 experts Peleton and Hurst know who the owner is, but unless it's someone who wants their identity known, it'll stay a secret.

I agree that money and taste are rarely in tandem where extreme car personalisation is concerned, but do you really think the owner cares? Bottom line is: he/she still owns, at the very least, an F1 and an MP4, so life's probably pretty good already!

[LotusOmega375D]

McLaren has just halved the value of that F1.

I'll watch out for it in the PH classifieds soon,

[WillBrumBrum]

I read this thinking they'd done an F1 special edition! Which would be great, except for the fact that it'd go against the whole ethos of flogging their new motors. Hey, here's an idea:

Ford brought back the Mustang, the Thunderbird and the GT40. BMW the Mini. VW the Beetle.

Why doesn't McLaren bring back the F1, Ferrari the F40, Jaguar the E type and so on...? You see, fashion changes but style is eternal.

[E30M3SE]

PhatPhil said:

Stephen Ireland...

Wrong colur scheme, the clue is in the name.....

[MrKipling43]

[Blukoo]

I prefer the F1 a million times over. The 12C just doesn't work in that colour scheme.

[StottyZr]

I scrolled through the pictures quickly and thought "it looks much better in the bottom picture" then I realised...

[PaulK]

Oh dear not for me I am afraid

[Frimley111R]

Lol, the MP4 is sticking its tongue out!