Striking on or off the track — The McLaren 600LT Spider MSO
(February 25, 2019) GENEVA — As the new McLaren 600LT Spider enters production, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is aiming to inspire prospective owners at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show with a specially curated design, adding visual excitement in the form of an accented bespoke treatment in a tribute to the car’s 675LT predecessor.
The Geneva Motor Show car has been designed by MSO to demonstrate how the 592 horsepower convertible can match its single-minded dynamic purpose — shouting to the world through its top-exit exhausts — with a truly individual look that accentuates all the design elements that distinguish a Longtail from other Sports Series variants.
With all 600LTs hand-assembled and available only for a limited time, MSO is providing owners with the opportunity to commission a car that will remain not just rare but unique.
The McLaren 600LT Spider by MSO combines colors, finishes and materials that express in heightened form the drama of the 600LT’s aerodynamically-optimized body. The latest MSO creation follows in a tradition of spectacular MSO Bespoke supercars that have made their debut in Geneva over the past few years.
The car’s striking color palette centers on a Dove Grey body with flashes of Napier Green outlining key design elements of the Longtail concept, from the more pronounced front splitter to the larger rear diffuser. Dove Grey, a solid color to save weight, provides the perfect canvas on which the shimmering metallic Napier Green accents can stand out. The choice of Napier Green provides a link back to the 600LT’s predecessor, the 675LT, for which Napier Green was one of the original hues. It has been available only as an MSO Bespoke color since then.
In a first for McLaren road cars, the Napier Green accents are applied using a new technique that sees the paint applied onto a light and flexible film which ensures a premium quality bespoke color match. The film has previously been used on McLaren 720S GT3 and 570S GT4 race cars and this application typifies MSO’s commitment to new and innovative techniques. The contrast-color film will be available as a bespoke option in the future.
For the 600LT Spider, the film is applied to the splitter, sills and door inserts as well as the rear diffuser, where the four outer vertical ribs create a highly distinctive look.
The car features the full suite of carbon fibre options, including the MSO Defined Visual Carbon Fibre Front Fender Louvres, the ‘gills’ that have rapidly become one of the most popular options for the 600LT. In another homage to the 675LT, all the Visual Carbon Fibre exterior elements feature a satin finish. The retractable hard-top is MSO Bespoke Carbon Black while the 10-spoke Ultra Lightweight forged alloy wheels have a gloss black finish.
Endowed with 592 horsepower from its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the 600LT Spider is lighter than any rival ensuring remarkable performance, with 0-60 mph available in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 201mph with the retractable hard-top in place. With the roof open, top speed falls by just 5 mph while the driver’s connection with the car at any speed is made all the more visceral by the V8 engine’s top-exit dual exhausts close behind the occupants’ heads.