Tag Archives: McLaren

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McLaren 750S Project Viva Dazzles Ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix

In a city that glows in a million shades of neon, McLaren has chosen to make its statement in black and white. Ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the British marque has pulled the wraps off Project Viva, a one-off McLaren 750S commissioned and crafted by McLaren Special Operations (MSO)—the brand’s in-house atelier responsible for the most exclusive, imaginative, and obsessively detailed cars to wear the McLaren badge.

Project Viva is more than a showpiece; it’s a manifesto of McLaren’s design philosophy. Where most automakers would mirror Vegas’ electric palette, MSO took a contrarian route—reinterpreting the city’s pulse and spectacle through a monochrome lens. The result is an art piece on wheels: intricate, hand-painted linework that transforms the 750S into a kinetic sketch, capturing the rhythm of the Strip, the shimmer of marquees, and the energy of a city that never powers down.

“The ‘Sketch in Motion’ livery isn’t about color—it’s about character,” says Jonathan Simms, Director of McLaren Special Operations. “It captures the story of Las Vegas not through brightness, but through movement and form.”

That form is unmistakably McLaren. The 750S, already the brand’s lightest and most powerful series-production supercar, provides the perfect canvas for MSO’s vision. Underneath the paint lies the familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, punching out 740 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, launching the coupe from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. But for once, the performance isn’t the headline—it’s the artistry that steals the show.

The livery blends Muriwai White, a shade that traces its roots back to McLaren’s founding story, with a newly developed hue called Vegas Nights—a deep black finish flecked with microscopic specks of cyan, magenta, and green, designed to subtly mimic the city’s nocturnal glow. The interplay between light and motion makes Project Viva shimmer like a pencil sketch caught mid-gesture. Every stroke, every fade is hand-applied—a testament to the patience and precision that define MSO’s craft.

Adding an extra layer of personality, McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lent their own touch to the project. Their signatures and sketches adorn the car, alongside the tenth Constructors’ World Championship star etched on the rear bumper—a quiet but powerful nod to McLaren Racing’s enduring pursuit of excellence.

Inside, the Viva maintains its purposeful restraint. Black Alcantara, white contrast stitching, and laser-etched details echo the exterior’s monochrome artistry. It’s theatrical but not gaudy—pure McLaren minimalism, filtered through Vegas’ relentless sense of drama.

Simms sums it up best: “Project Viva captures what MSO is all about—pushing beyond convention to create something truly personal. It’s where craft meets character.”

Project Viva will make its public debut at the McLaren Experience Centre inside the Wynn Las Vegas from November 13–20, just ahead of the Grand Prix weekend. It’s a fitting stage for a car born from contrast—a monochrome masterpiece in a city addicted to color, and a reminder that true spectacle doesn’t always have to glow.

Source: McLaren

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McLaren’s Monterey Car Week Party Reportedly Went Rogue—at an AI Exec’s Mansion

When Monterey Car Week hits California’s coast each August, the automotive world’s top brass descend on the peninsula like exotic birds in migration. Manufacturers spend small fortunes transforming luxury estates into branded playgrounds, wooing collectors, influencers, and VIPs with champagne, carbon fiber, and exclusivity.

But this year, one of those ultra-exclusive soirées apparently crossed the line—from a carmaker’s dream to a homeowner’s legal nightmare.

A Party That Wasn’t on the Guest List

According to court documents first obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, McLaren allegedly hosted an unauthorized event at the Carmel Valley home of Fidji Simo—yes, that Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI. The property in question, a 5,400-square-foot French country chateau on Scarlett Road valued between $6.1 and $7.4 million, became an unlikely stage for the latest Car Week controversy.

Simo and her husband claim McLaren, alongside its event partner BMF Media, used the property without obtaining the proper county permits. What started as a glamorous evening for the British supercar brand reportedly ended with a $761,975 county citation—and a pending lawsuit.

The Permit Problem

Monterey County officials cited BMF Media on August 13 for operating the event without authorization. The initial fine of $505,000 ballooned to nearly $762,000 after a revision, which Simo says she had to pay before even appealing.

According to the lawsuit, representatives for McLaren’s team allegedly told Simo’s property manager the issue had been “resolved,” while quietly concealing the violation and the looming fine. The homeowners claim they endured “annoyance, distress, and mental anguish” as a result—an understatement, considering they’re out three-quarters of a million dollars.

McLaren’s Monterey Misstep

McLaren is no stranger to making headlines during Car Week—it’s a cornerstone event for launching limited-run supercars and entertaining its most elite customers. But even by Monterey standards, this one’s a curveball.

Simo’s legal team voluntarily dismissed the suit on October 30 with plans to refile, suggesting more defendants may be added. That means McLaren and BMF Media might not be the only names tied to the debacle.

While neither McLaren nor BMF Media has publicly commented, the saga raises a curious question: when your brand trades in exclusivity and opulence, how do you accidentally throw a party at the wrong person’s mansion?

The Afterparty

For now, Monterey’s most infamous afterparty isn’t remembered for a new McLaren hypercar or celebrity guest list—but for a county citation that costs more than a 750S Spider.

And in a region where private jets outnumber parking spots, that’s saying something.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle; Photo: Redfin

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States of Endurance: McLaren’s 3,867-mile Ode to Le Mans

Three McLarens. Eight states. Nearly 4,000 miles of American tarmac. On paper, it sounds like the world’s most indulgent Cannonball run. In reality, it was something purer: McLaren celebrating 30 years since its immortal Le Mans win with a road trip that mashed together endurance racing grit, luxury performance, and the sort of transcontinental madness only supercars can make glorious.

The cast? A McLaren 750S Coupé, its roofless Spider sibling, and the new Artura Spider, each one painted in liveries inspired by the Dawn, Day, and Night phases of a 24-hour race. The mission? To prove that McLaren’s racing DNA isn’t just for podiums—it’s baked into cars you could drive coast-to-coast and still have enough stamina left to do another lap.

Behind the wheel were a trio of pros—Paul Rees, Jack Barlow and Oliver Webb—who know a thing or two about endurance. Their playground was the open road, their pit wall a string of McLaren retailers, and their hospitality suite… well, a TUMI backpack stuffed into a frunk.

A Road Trip with Racing Pedigree

The 3,867-mile route stretched from Monterey, California, the hallowed stage of Car Week, to Miami, with pit stops in Newport Beach, Scottsdale, Dallas, Atlanta, and Orlando along the way. At each stop, owners joined the convoy, crowds gathered, and the States of Endurance cars became rolling billboards for the idea that lightweight engineering and obsessive attention to detail are just as relevant on Route 66 as they are on the Mulsanne Straight.

And yes, the distance driven wasn’t arbitrary—it eclipsed the mileage of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Because McLaren doesn’t do symbolism by halves.

Nostalgia Meets the Future

Alongside the road trip circus was a showcase of McLaren’s 30-year Le Mans legacy: the 750S Le Mans edition and Project: Endurance, a prototype that previews McLaren’s return to endurance racing’s top class in 2027. It was less a retrospective than a baton pass—proof that endurance isn’t about one victory, but a mindset that never clocks out.

That idea was hammered home when the convoy crossed paths with people whose lives embody endurance: astronauts, ranchers, athletes, and even Justin Bell, who drove a McLaren F1 GTR at Le Mans back in ’95. Because if anyone knows how to stay awake at 3am in the middle of Sarthe, it’s him.

The Machines

The road trip doubled as a live-action ad for McLaren’s current range. The 750S remains the lightest and most powerful series-production McLaren ever, a car that somehow balances scalpel-sharp track ability with the sort of cross-country comfort that doesn’t require a chiropractor on standby. The Artura Spider, meanwhile, showed how hybrid power can be more than an emissions Band-Aid—it’s a proper performance enhancer wrapped in carbon and theatre.

But the biggest tease came at the finish line: the forthcoming McLaren W1, spiritual successor to the F1 and P1, and currently undergoing its own “States of Endurance” testing programme. If the 750S is McLaren’s greatest hits, the W1 promises to be the band’s next concept album—one we can’t wait to hear at full volume.

The Takeaway

This wasn’t just a PR road trip. It was a rolling metaphor for McLaren itself: relentless, uncompromising, always testing itself against longer distances and harder roads. As Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, McLaren’s Chief Commercial Officer, put it: “Endurance isn’t just racing—it’s a feeling, a mindset to live by.”

And when your mindset involves blasting nearly 4,000 miles in cars designed to lap Le Mans, that’s not endurance. That’s excess, perfected.

Source: McLaren