McLaren's The Legacy Lives On Showcase : Twenty-One Pilots
McLaren's The Legacy Lives On Showcase : Twenty-One Pilots
Suntec City, Singapore - The return of the Singapore GP saw the Marina Bay Street Circuit abuzz with activity as fans, both new and old, flooded the Marina Bay vicinity to catch a glimpse of the action. The sport's return after two years saw racing teams descend upon our island nation for a race under the spotlights in the 17th round of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
That fateful Grand Prix weekend also saw the launch of the all-new McLaren Artura at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Artura is the brand’s second hybrid supercar after the P1 and the first application of McLaren’s V6 PHEV powertrain in a road-going car. We’ve actually driven the Artura around the Ascari Circuit over in Spain, as well as covered the local launch story (Links are attached for your perusal).
However, the launch event of McLaren’s new PHEV supercar was underscored by the appearance of twenty other vehicles from the British manufacturer. Spanning over a decade, the 21-car showcase (aptly named "McLaren: The Legacy Lives On") consists of cars from McLaren’s Sports, GT, Super and Ultimate series, as well as a unique vehicle spawned from a collaboration between the Woking outfit and Mercedes-Benz.
Our rough estimates indicated that we were in the company of some $40 million USD worth of vehicles. Factor in current exchange rates, and that tally would be almost $60 million in SGD.
The showcase, organised by McLaren Singapore, is the first of its kind in the world and sees several noteworthy vehicles that have been pulled from private collections, or in the case of the Ultimate series cars, flown over from the USA for this unique three-day exhibition.
Ladies and gentlemen, here are the cars from McLaren: The Legacy Lives On.
PHOTOS Jay Tee
McLaren MP4-12C Coupe & MP4-12C Spider
This is the McLaren MP4-12C, McLaren’s second road car after the record breaking V12-powered McLaren F1. Unveiled in 2009 and launched in 2011, the 12C (as McLaren have taken to calling it in later years) was regarded as the thinking man’s supercar. The British contender for the Italian mid-engined supercars, powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 mounted aft of the cabin.
(Click HERE to read our McLaren MP4-12C Spider retrospective)
McLaren 650S Coupe & 650S Spider
The successor to the 12C, the McLaren 650S shares the same carbon fibre monocoque as the car that preceded it. But the boffins at Woking have tweaked the engine so it produced 650 horsepower from the reworked twin-turbo’d 3.8L V8. Also, it bears a similar face to the barnstorming P1.
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren 650S Spider)
McLaren 675LT
Like the 650S you saw earlier, the McLaren 675LT’s name is derived from the car’s horsepower figure. 675hp. And prior to the 675LT, the “LT” (or Longtail) moniker has only ever been used for the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail, the racing variant of the already rapid F1. The lovely Gulf Racing livery on this particular specimen is the result of MSO’s (McLaren Special Operations) treatment. The paintwork (and fluorescent orange rims) alone took 1000 man-hours to accomplish. Also, it’s a one-off, so you wouldn’t see this particular car with this particular livery anywhere else.
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren 675LT)
McLaren 570S Coupe & 570S Spider
The McLaren 570S has often been regarded as the “baby brother” of the McLaren 12C/650S from the super series. Constructed out of aluminium instead of carbon fibre, the 570S models (and some of its derivatives) are intended to be everyday sports cars that are no stranger to track duties and just as competent on public roads. Also, it’s no baby by any means. The 570S is actually longer and wider than the 650S, with the same 2670mm wheelbase.
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren 570S)
McLaren 600LT Coupe & 600LT Spider
More focused, more powerful and more performance-oriented, the McLaren 600LT was intended to be the most thrilling, road-legal vehicle from McLaren’s Sport series. Like the 675LT, it too bears the Longtail designation and a longer derrière. And just like its brethren, the name is an indication of the 600 horsepower it produces from its 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8.
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren 600LT Coupe)
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren 600LT Spider)
McLaren 620R
If the 600LT wasn’t extreme enough, the brand has gone on to create the McLaren 620R. Essentially, it’s the road-going variant of the 570S GT4 race car, complete with stiffer engine mounts, manually adjustable dampers and aero fixtures (including a massive wing with brake lights) that give it 250kg. In the 620R’s application, the V8 powerplant has been tuned to produce 620 horsepower.
McLaren GT
For those who’d prefer a comfortable grand tourer but need that extra dose of power and performance, the McLaren GT is the solution. It’s got a mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 tucked behind the cabin, a luggage compartment beneath the rear glass canopy, a front trunk and a cabin for two. Enough space for golf clubs, and enough pace for gentleman racers.
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren GT)
McLaren 720S Coupe & 720S Spider
720 horsepower, 770Nm of torque, 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 341km/h. Those astonishing figures come courtesy of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo’d V8 mounted in the mid-section of the McLaren 720S, the third addition to the McLaren Super series family. McLaren says that the design of the car is inspired by a teardrop, but it’s hard to believe that the beautifully sculpted bodywork is the result of some R&D in an aerodynamics lab.
(Click HERE to read about the McLaren 720S)
McLaren 765LT Coupe & 765LT Spider
It’s a simple recipe really. Take a 720S, put it on a diet, add power, add downforce, and add “Longtail” to the name. The end result: the McLaren 765LT Coupe & 765LT Spider. It’s the most powerful Longtail model in the super series to date, producing 765hp/800Nm. Sadly, all 765 examples of the 765LT (in both coupe and spider silhouettes) have been spoken for.
McLaren Senna
If it’s named after one of the best Formula 1 drivers in the world, you’d best believe it’ll be good. This is the McLaren Senna, an 800-horsepower track weapon that comes with licence plates, and it just happens to be road legal in Singapore. Those massive wings and aero fins you see generate a combined 800kg of downforce, which is round about 40% more than you get in the P1 hypercar in its max attack mode. Suffice to say, the late Aryton Senna would be proud of this car. His nephew, Bruno Senna, certainly is.
(Click HERE to read about Stewart Hine & his McLaren Senna)
(Click HERE to read about Amanda Toh-Steckler and her McLaren 'Ultimate Series' super-sportscars, including this particular Senna)
McLaren Speedtail
The McLaren Speedtail is quite unlike any other McLaren vehicle, even those from the Ultimate series. Like the McLaren F1, it has central seat with two passenger seats on either side of the driver. It might have a track-focused driving position, but isn't made for the track. It's made for big top speed numbers. And to achieve said top speed, it has an immensely aerodynamic body with a drag coefficient of just Cd 0.17 and 1050 horsepower from its hybridised V8 twin-turbo powerplant. As such, it can hit a top speed of 403km/h. Big speed requires big numbers. This is proof of that.
(Click HERE to read about Amanda Toh-Steckler and her McLaren 'Ultimate Series' super-sportscars, including this Speedtail)
McLaren Sabre
This McLaren Sabre is perhaps the rarest car on display at the “McLaren: The Legacy Lives On” showcase. The Sabre is a USA-only, one of 15 limited-run Ultimate series car that is based on the Senna, but it has been reworked by the folks at MSO. Almost every visible bit of bodywork is different to that of the Senna's, thus it doesn't have the same amount of downforce that the track monster has. Understandably, it is pricey. But we wouldn't have to concern ourselves with that here in Singapore because this US special only comes in LHD. Ergo, not road legal here.
(Click HERE to read about Amanda Toh-Steckler and her McLaren 'Ultimate Series' super-sportscars, including this Sabre)
McLaren Elva
The beautiful specimen you see above is McLaren’s lightest vehicle, the brand’s ultimate expression of an open cockpit roadster. The achingly pretty McLaren Elva has no roof, no windshield and nothing stopping you from feeling the wind in your hair. It produces 815hp/800Nm and has a top speed of 326km/h. We’d recommend you put on a helmet before you attempt a speed run. And be careful while you’re at it, because this car is limited to just 149 units worldwide.
(Click HERE to read about Amanda Toh-Steckler and her McLaren 'Ultimate Series' super-sportscars, including this beautiful Elva)
Mercedes-McLaren SLR “McLaren Edition”
This car may bear the three-pointed star of a Mercedes, but it is in fact a Mercedes-McLaren SLR. Jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, the SLR has a supercharged 5.4-litre V8 from Mercedes and a chassis built by McLaren. This particular model, limited to just 25 units worldwide, is the McLaren Edition. So it has revised body panels, a reworked suspension system, a bespoke engine tune and a custom titanium exhaust. All courtesy of McLaren Special Operations. It’s a car that’s about a decade old by now, but it's still one of the coolest (and rarest) cars from McLaren.
