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McLaren Artura Spider MCL39 Championship Edition

McLaren doesn’t do subtle when it’s celebrating. After bagging its tenth Formula 1 constructors’ championship and handing Lando Norris a long-awaited drivers’ title, the company did what any proper supercar maker would do: it turned a race car into a road car in spirit, then made only ten of them so everyone else could feel left out.

Meet the Artura Spider MCL39 Championship Edition, a hyper-exclusive riff on McLaren’s entry-level hybrid roadster that exists for one reason—to remind the world who won last year. And, because this job was handed to McLaren Special Operations, the brand’s bespoke skunkworks, it’s done with the kind of obsessive attention to detail that makes regular special editions look like rental cars with decals.

The first thing you notice is the paint. This isn’t vinyl wrap or a sticker kit—it’s hand-painted in Myan Orange and Onyx Black, echoing the livery of the title-winning MCL39 Formula 1 car. It’s dramatic without being cartoonish, which is harder than it sounds. Look closer and you’ll find a star-filled “10” to mark McLaren’s tenth constructors’ crown, along with graphic outlines of McLaren’s past championship-winning F1 machines ghosted into the bodywork. It’s history, literally baked into the paint.

The wheels go full stealth mode: Super-Lightweight Dynamo forged aluminum ten-spokes, finished in gloss black with black detailing. Behind them sits a sports exhaust that makes absolutely no effort to hide. Given that modern F1 cars sound like angry vacuum cleaners, this is probably the closest thing you’ll get to a McLaren race-car soundtrack that still stirs your spine.

Inside, McLaren didn’t forget why this car exists. The cabin keeps the light-and-dark contrast going, with Jet Black Nappa leather and Performance Carbon Black Alcantara broken up by Myan Orange accents. A bold orange stripe marks the 12-o’clock position on the steering wheel, just in case you forget you’re in something special. The headrests wear an embroidered “10” in McLaren Orange, and the carbon-fiber door sills are signed by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—a rare moment where autographs actually belong on a car.

There’s also a nameplate listing McLaren’s wins, poles, and fastest laps from last season, which feels less like bragging and more like a trophy case bolted to the dashboard.

Underneath all the championship theater, the MCL39 Edition is still very much an Artura Spider, and that’s a good thing. Its electrically assisted 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 makes 700 horsepower, launching the car to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds. It’s fast, yes—but more importantly, it’s the kind of fast that reminds you McLaren knows how to build road cars that feel like racing machines rather than tech demos.

Only ten people on the planet will get one. They’ll get a hybrid supercar, a Formula 1 trophy, and a rolling piece of McLaren history all in the same garage bay.

Everyone else just gets to stare—and maybe dream a little louder.

Source: McLaren

NEW CARS

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

News

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