So some design elements are patently obvious, the Citroën SM was no surprise, and the 1953 Chrysler d’Elegance Ghia and 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K really look absolutely beautiful with wonderful proportions.The term “special operations” conjures images of furtive, masked figures in black, emerging like ninjas from stealthy vehicles to infiltrate a target. Those evocations are amply reflected by a one-of-a-kind supercar, the McLaren X-1, the first full product from the British marque’s Special Operations program.
The program was announced last year with an emphasis toward color and interior customization. The X-1’s hand-fabricated form, however, indicates that the company has greater ambitions than it originally hinted.
Bearing little resemblance to the MP4-12C donor vehicle on which it is based, the X-1 was introduced on Aug. 17 at the Quail Gathering, one of the satellite events on the Monterey Peninsula last weekend.
As a supercar with a bespoke body, the X-1 follows loosely on the model of Pininfarina’s custom-ordered versions of Ferraris, notably the P4/5 commissioned by James Glickenhaus, unveiled during Pebble Beach week in 2006, and the 612 Scaglietti Kappa of Peter Kalikow, unveiled that same year at the Villa d’Este in northern Italy.
“One of our clients who already owned a McLaren F1, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and now a 12C, wanted a unique car,” Paul MacKenzie, the director of the program, said in a release. “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.”
The debut of the X-1, at the Quail on Aug. 17.McLaren AutomotiveThe debut of the X-1, at the Quail on Aug. 17.
McLaren expects a full 20 percent of its owners to turn to Special Operations. The department occupies a building near the McLaren Technology Center in Woking, England. With the X-1 project, McLaren said the 12C’s carbon monocell structure allowed for easy modification of exterior panels without compromising the car’s structural rigidity.
McLaren declined to name the client who ordered the X-1, but provided a long list of the inspirations he wanted to be reflected in the car, some of which were specific models: a 1961 Facel Vega, a 1953 Chrysler d’Elegance Ghia, a 1959 Buick Electra, a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K, a 1971 Citroën SM and an Airstream trailer.
Also tossed into the inspirational blender was architecture — the Guggenheim museums in New York and Bilbao — as well a product design: a Jaeger LeCoultre art deco clock; a Montblanc pen; and a grand piano. The proverbial cherries on top were a black-and-white photo of Audrey Hepburn, as well as an eggplant.
Frank Stephenson, design director for McLaren Automotive, said that from this free-association stew, the client wanted timeless and classical elegance to emerge. “The client was very clear in his own mind what he wanted,” Mr. Stephenson said in the release. “But the only styling feature prescribed were metal bright work rails running from the nose, over the shoulderline and hips, to the rear of the greenhouse.”
The client also wanted the company to set up a competition among McLaren designers, outside designers and nonautomotive designers to provided alternative ideas. The vehicle that emerged from the process has long, covered, pontoon-style rear fenders, imparting a 1940s feel, as well as sleek sides and dihedral doors.
The winning design was the work of Hong Yeo, a McLaren designer who was born in Korea and graduated from the Royal College of Art in London. Mr. Yeo found particular challenge in expressing classic car proportions in a midengine format.
“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,” Mr. Yeo said in the statement.
The reference to a cape may hold a clue to the client. By all appearances, the long, black, low-riding X-1 would be at home in one of cinema’s enduring garages. Did anyone spot Bruce Wayne at the Quail?
But the Airstream trailer and the eggplant? Oh well, maybe money can buy happiness. I can't guarantee sanity, though.
