Well, I can at least tell you that the anon buyer isn't me, not that I wouldn't want this though....
 |
| McLaren Special Operations builds bespoke aubergine-influenced (really) MP4-12C for Pebble Beach debut |
The
Can-Am Edition MP4-12C
previewed earlier this week is perhaps the kind of natural extension of
that car's looks and ethos and reflection of McLaren's racing heritage.
The kind of thing you might expect a discerning customer to request
from McLaren Special Operations, the custom corner of the Woking plant
where money talks and nothing is out of the question.
Even this.
What was that about a 'natural extension' of the MP4-12C? Well, this ain't it. And yet is.
A pretty dramatic demonstration of what MSO is willing to do if you
open your wallet wide enough (nobody's saying but we're guessing pretty
damned wide in this case) the X1 has been built as a unique
interpretation of one McLaren customer's vision of their ultimate car.
Classic influences, lots of chrome, voluptuous lines and faired-in rear
wheels are not, it's fair to say, what you'd expect of the normally
ruthlessly tech-focused and clean minimalism of McLaren. Indeed, our
jaws are still on the floor as we take it all in.
Designed by RCA graduate and McLaren stylist Hong Yeo, under the
guidance of design chief Frank Stephenson and MSO Programme Director
Paul MacKenzie, the X1's influences extend from the automotive - Facel
Vega, Chrysler D'Elegance Ghia, Buick Electra, Mercedes-Benz 540K and
Citroën SM are among those name-checked - to the architectural,
including the Guggenheim museums in New York and Bilbao. Airstream
caravans, grand pianos, Audrey Hepburn and a Thomas Mann Mont Blanc pen
are also in the mix. As is ... the humble aubergine. "The client liked
the shiny texture of the finish," according to Stephenson. What has been
going on down there in Woking? What next, Ron Dennis turns out to enjoy
cross dressing and does the Friday afternoon drinks trolley run in high
heels and stockings? Apologies for creating that vision but, well, it's
all a bit of a curveball.
And what of that client? Well, we know they also own an F1, a McLaren
SLR and a 12C. So they're obviously a fairly committed McLaren fan.
Other than that it's all very hush-hush.
There's a lot to this car. So much in fact we'll let McLaren do the
talking and the full press release accompanying the photos is reproduced
below.
The McLaren press release in full:McLaren
Special Operations (MSO), the division of McLaren Automotive responsible
for the delivery of bespoke projects, will present a breathtaking
one-off supercar at The Quail, an exclusive event on August 17, 2012
that is a highlight of the Pebble Beach weekend in Monterey, USA.
Called the McLaren X-1 and based structurally on the company's
groundbreaking carbon MonoCell but with a totally unique body, it has
been created for an anonymous car enthusiast.
X-1: the brief
It's not every day that a team gets to create
something unique in a project that would take the supercar, even by
McLaren standards, to a different level. The challenge began with a
special brief.
'One of our clients who already owned a McLaren F1, a Mercedes-Benz
SLR McLaren and now a 12C, wanted a unique car,' says MSO Programme
Director, Paul MacKenzie. 'The conversation began with our Executive
Chairman Ron Dennis almost three years ago - before the 12C was even
launched. The client wanted a machine that had all the capability of the
12C but wrapped in a unique body that reflected his needs and
personality.'
In a subsequent meeting, Paul Mackenzie and Design Director Frank
Stephenson went to see him to start to explore the sort of car he
wanted.
Says Frank Stephenson: 'The key qualities the client desired were "timeless and classical elegance". Which was some challenge.'
That meeting with Mackenzie and Stephenson lasted for almost three
hours. From the pages of notes that were gathered, the design team
brought together hundreds of images from the world of automotive,
architecture, fashion, design and even film. These were then presented
to the customer, and were then narrowed down to a mood book, full of
inspiring images from which the design spirit of this unique car would
be derived.
Inspirational cars included a 1961 Facel Vega, a 1953 Chrysler
D'Elegance Ghia, a 1959 Buick Electra, a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K and a
1971 Citroën SM. There were various examples of architecture - including
the Guggenheim museums in New York and Bilbao - plus a Jaeger LeCoultre
art deco clock, an Airstream trailer, a Thomas Mann Montblanc pen, a
grand piano - and an eggplant. 'The client liked the shiny texture of
the finish,' notes Stephenson. There was also a black-and-white photo of
Audrey Hepburn.
'The client wanted a competition between external designers - some
outside the automotive world - and McLaren's own designers,' notes
Stephenson. In the end, a design by McLaren's Korean-born RCA graduate
Hong Yeo was chosen, and completed under the direction of Stephenson.
One of the biggest design challenges faced by Yeo was that most cars
that embody classic elegance and timeless values have front engines and
rear-wheel drive proportions. This is the exact opposite of a
mid-engined supercar. So a new visual language for the car had to be
found which led to months of sketching and modelling to find that
perfect visual balance.
Stephenson recalls: 'From this design, we then produced a 30 per cent
scale model, then a full-size hard foam model. Initially, we planned to
do it all digitally but the client insisted on seeing "real" models.
'The client was very clear in his own mind what he wanted. But the
only styling feature prescribed were metal brightwork rails running from
the nose, over the shoulderline and hips, to the rear of the
greenhouse.'
In the words of Hong Yeo: 'X-1 embodies the McLaren value that every
part has to have a purpose. No details are simply visual cues, every one
has a purpose. Although I like to think the wide body combined with
pontoon style rear fenders will ensure the car glides when it's moving
just like a superhero's cape...'
The styling took 18 months to sign off but the result is a design
that in a few decades time will be hard to pinpoint exactly when it was
created ... timeless, therefore, exactly as the client requested.
X-1: the creation
The X-1 is the most ambitious example yet of
MSO's expertise. It has a whole new body made of advanced materials.
Everything is bespoke, even down to the lights and wheels, necessitating
new testing and homologation meaning the car took two and a half years
to build, a process that began before the styling was signed off.
The X-1 had its own development programme because crucially, this
wasn't to be a fragile concept car that would never see tarmac. It was
to be a usable car, road legal and capable of travelling at supercar
speeds. It also had to comfortably seat two adults so although the 12C
was already as shrink-wrapped as it could be from a packaging
perspective, the ingenious flexibility of the MonoCell allowed the
creation of a completely different form while maintaining the
engineering purity of a McLaren.
A full CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) aerodynamic testing
schedule ensured high-speed stability, and the car also completed
approximately 625 miles of testing including two intensive testing
stints at the Idiada circuit in Spain with chief McLaren test driver,
Chris Goodwin. After testing, the whole car was meticulously rebuilt, by
hand to concours standard.
X-1: the detail
MSO Programme Director Paul Mackenzie explains:
'The X-1 showcases the skills of McLaren Special Operations. More and
more luxury customers want bespoke or individual features. The X-1
demonstrates that we can provide the ultimate personalisation service.
It also shows that MSO is not just a technology led company. X-1
demonstrates a commitment to perfection and to the highest levels of
quality.'
All body panels of the X-1 are made from carbon, and are finished in a
rich piano black, as specified by the owner. Body sides are lacquered
visual carbon fibre. 'The black paint has no metallic or colour tints
and is one of the most challenging colours to paint, but the finish is
absolutely exquisite and befits the car perfectly'adds Stephenson.
Components were tooled exclusively for the car. They even include
unique head- and taillights, inspired by the McLaren Speed Marque logo.
The brightwork is machined from solid aluminium, and a nickel finish is
then applied. The McLaren logo in the nose is specially machined from
solid aluminium then nickel plated. Wheels are also unique to the X-1,
and are diamond turned with a tinted lacquer to complement the exterior
nickel-plated brightwork.
The brightwork itself is all machined from solid aluminium, and then
nickel finished to give the same hue throughout. Even the McLaren Speed
Marque badge in the nose is machined from solid aluminium, then nickel
plated.
The same brightwork is used for the over-the-shoulder rails (as
specified by the owner), at the base of the windscreen and the back of
the glasshouse, and for the 'eyebrows' over the bespoke headlights. The
McLaren Airbrake rear wing is also machined from solid aluminium and
nickel plated, to complement the rest of the brightwork.
Perhaps the most unusual styling feature is the enclosed rear wheels,
an upshot of the owner's desire to have a car reflecting 'timeless
elegance'. The wheels are accessed by carbon panels using, as Stephenson
explains, 'some of the most gorgeous hinges you've ever seen'. The
styling, too, is in no way compromised by the opening rear wings.
He adds: 'The attention to detail is astonishing. Neat styling
touches feature throughout the design, such as the rear number plate
illuminators finished in carbon, a gorgeous machined aluminium cap is
used for the header tank, and carbon finishers line the engine bay.'
The doors have also been developed specifically for the X-1, although
they retain the dihedral action and twin hinges, and the roof is also
new. Externally, only the glasshouse is carried over from the 12C.
The unique body of the X-1 means most dimensions have changed. The
X-1 is 4658mm long - 109mm longer than a 12C. Width is 2097mm (with
mirrors) - an increase of 188 mm. Despite the revised roofline, the
height remains the same, at 1199mm. Kerb weight is almost identical
(about 1400kg), as the lighter carbon body panels compensate for the
greater length and width. Light weight, as with all McLaren projects,
was a priority.
While the basic architecture of the interior did not change,
personalisation includes bespoke Harissa Red McLaren Nappa leather used
for the seats, door and roof trim, and switchgear with machined
nickel-coated, aluminium bezels. The carbon interior trim has a titanium
weave, to give a magical 3D-like effect. Special Andesite tufted carpet
covers the floor.
All these changes ensured the X-1 needed special homologation for
road use. The car has been thoroughly engineered to be usable and road
legal. The X-1 shares the same the major mechanical components as the
12C, including the twin-turbo 625PS engine, giving astonishing
acceleration and top speed.
Stephenson explains: 'The X-1 epitomises how we can not only create a
truly unique product tailored to the client, but also enable the client
to become a key member of the design team throughout the process. It
has been a truly rewarding and unforgettable experience. And I think
that we as a team have created a completely unforgettable car that is
true to one man's vision.'
Hong Yeo concludes: 'We designers are often blinded by the sun and
assume that whatever we see and understand is the only way forward: to
see the stars, sometimes you need the absence of that blinding light ...
looking at a car from a different perspective is what X-1 stands for.'
After its debut, on the Monterey Peninsular, the X-1 will return to
MSO headquarters in Woking and be carefully checked over before it takes
a place in the owner's collection.
'But it's certainly not just colour and trim,' notes Paul Mackenzie.
'A number of cars have had different front and rear bumpers, which has
increased downforce and boosted performance. These cars had to go
through full aerodynamic CFD testing before engineering sign-off.'
Adds Mackenzie: 'We're here to help the client personalise the car to
their precise taste. They typically come to Woking to see us, or talk
to their dealer, or we go to see them. We'll sit down with them, listen
to their requests, then come up with a new colour or mechanical
components, or - as with X-1 - a new "tailor made" car. Of course we
make recommendations but we're certainly not here to be style police.
Every client is different. Our main job is to listen and then to
interpret the owner's requests into a superb car.'
As Mackenzie concludes: 'This is the first fully client commissioned
MSO car, but it certainly won't be the last. The carbon fibre MonoCell
chassis used in the 12C, is not only stiff and light, it allows for
great flexibility in body styling and provides an affordable structure
from which MSO can develop unique cars, as is demonstrated with X-1.'
Source;
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26198
By Peter Lyon of 
