Monday 1st June

New MSO special marks 1,000-race F1 milestone

1000GP Artura debuts at Monaco; just 10 will be sold

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Had it come a few years ago, it’s hard to imagine McLaren shouting too loudly about its one-thousandth grand prix start. When the F1 outfit was really in the doldrums, the last thing on anybody’s mind would have been celebration - not matter how significant the milestone. But with victories and championships having recently returned to Woking (if not enjoying quite the same sort of season this year), the timing looks much rosier...

McLaren will enter its thousandth grand prix this weekend, just the second time a team has reached that marker after Ferrari, and at Monaco too, fittingly enough. This Artura marks the milestone, and the 10 Constructors’ titles - with more than 200 wins - it has attained in that time. 

It’s called the 1000GP (names do rather get to the point at McLaren), with a livery inspired by the design of the MCL40s that Lando and Oscar will drive this weekend. McLaren says the black and orange ‘reflects the perseverance of a team that met challenges head-on, strengthened through adversity’; a sentiment which could also describe the people who worked on the Artura, given the travails it faced at launch.

Anyway, 1000GP spec sees the unique orange graphic applied to the bonnet, lower body sides and wing mirrors; there’s Papaya pinstriping aplenty and a plaque as well, ticking the McLaren special edition boxes. Looks decent enough, right? And it's nice to see MSO with something to shout about, after a period seemingly spent on the sidelines. 

McLaren Group Holdings Chief Exec Nick Collins said: “Racing and road cars have always been shaped by the same mindset at McLaren, and the McLaren Artura 1000GP by MSO celebrates that shared foundation. It reflects the environment Bruce created - an environment built on collective ambition, engineering excellence and a unified approach to progress. Through this shared purpose, our teams continue to craft vehicles that carry his spirit forward. The McLaren Artura 1000GP by MSO is a testament to that legacy and offers our clients a meaningful connection to the MCL40 in a milestone moment.”

So if the 10 cars aren’t spoken for by the end of Monaco weekend, we’ll eat our McLaren Orange hat. And if you’re content with just a plain old Artura, they’re now from less than £130,000. Alternatively, if you'd prefer something McLaren-based that's entirely free to click on, and on the irreverent end of the F1 scale, the manufacturer today shared a video of Lando Norris' first-ever lap of the Nurburgring. Enjoy. 

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• McLaren Artura | PH Used Buying Guide
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[m62tu]

Poor effort. Why not collab with Zagato or similar for a low volume special commemorating the brand's success.

[GTRene]

hahah, that was fun to watch, his comments and of course his first time there, I still remember my first time there on the track in 2007.

[MDL111]

Even Porsche usually does a little more for a special edition and they seem to be the masters at this.....

[thegreenhell]

That was long-winded way of saying "We made some new stickers".

[Mr Tidy]

I think it would look much better in Papaya with black graphics, but as I can't afford one that's not going to bother McLaren!

Still I loved that video of Lando's first lap.

[whp1983]

I haven’t seen a single artura on the roads…. So I’m assuming not big seller in regular spec! Shame as nice for the brits to compete with the Italians

[balise]

Straight out of Ford's 1980s playbook.

[smilo996]

As lazy as a "new" limited edition 911.

[epom]

Very disappointed. At first look I genuinely thought those were flames shooting out the sides

[MDL111]

thegreenhell said:

That was long-winded way of saying "We made some new stickers".

and "some" is stretching it - 3 of them (2 of which are technically just one mirrored sticker)

[Slowlygettingit]

There are some rumours Lando has been round the ring previously. Allegedly he hired one of the ring hire cars and was about 30 seconds faster than anyone had ever taken one of those round previously. All totally anonymously as McLaren would sign it off obvs.

[Sporky]

I misread the article byline as "1000HP Artura".

[bigmowley]

Cringeworthy car and a cringeworthy video to go with it! I just couldn’t watch that Lando lap, I only got as far as Flugplatz and had to give up. The car sounds bloody awful, lots of totally unnecessary downshifts, it sounds like a 4 cylinder golf. The commentary from Lando is just awful. Compare and contrast with a Max Lap of the ring.
Not for me this one.

[marrow]

bigmowley said:

Cringeworthy car and a cringeworthy video to go with it! I just couldn t watch that Lando lap, I only got as far as Flugplatz and had to give up. The car sounds bloody awful, lots of totally unnecessary downshifts, it sounds like a 4 cylinder golf. The commentary from Lando is just awful. Compare and contrast with a Max Lap of the ring.
Not for me this one.

I agree.

[Bluehorseshoe]

When I scrolled past the article at first I thought the photo was of the rear break discs catching fire. So not exactly first impressions mclaren would have wanted

[thegreenhell]

Slowlygettingit said:

There are some rumours Lando has been round the ring previously. Allegedly he hired one of the ring hire cars and was about 30 seconds faster than anyone had ever taken one of those round previously. All totally anonymously as McLaren would sign it off obvs.

Robert Kubica did that. IIRC, most of the rental companies wanted him to drive with an instructor because it was his first time there and they didn't realise he was an F1 driver.

[NGK210]

PH article said:

...1000GP spec sees the unique orange graphic applied to the bonnet, lower body sides and wing mirrors; there’s Papaya pinstriping aplenty and a plaque as well, ticking the McLaren special edition boxes... And it's nice to see MSO with something to shout about, after a period seemingly spent on the sidelines.

Erm, so this "MSO special" amounts to now't more than some orange stickers and a plaque, right?
Considering MSO's track record and talents, it's not really that much to "shout about"?
Or is the writer being sarcastic?

[Bencolem]

marrow said:

bigmowley said:

Cringeworthy car and a cringeworthy video to go with it! I just couldn t watch that Lando lap, I only got as far as Flugplatz and had to give up. The car sounds bloody awful, lots of totally unnecessary downshifts, it sounds like a 4 cylinder golf. The commentary from Lando is just awful. Compare and contrast with a Max Lap of the ring.
Not for me this one.

I agree.

I really enjoyed the video!

[Snowbins]

Combien? Maybe I missed it.

[nismo48]

thegreenhell said:

That was long-winded way of saying "We made some new stickers".