HOW MCLAREN FULFILLS YOUR WILDEST HOT WHEELS FANTASIES
THE $210,000 (RM822,000) McLaren 570S is a great car. Its V-8 engine gets 570 horsepower and can do zero to 100kph in 3.1 seconds. Top speed is 328 kph -80kph faster than what it takes to get a plane off the runway. From the cockpit, you might as well be driving a rocket.
But when several thousand other people own one, it can feel . less special. And we all know the point of owning a supercar is to feel special.
One option is to make your own. Or rather, come up with a concept and pay McLaren to make it for you. It’s not going to come cheap-roughly $420,000(RM1.64 million), or double the price of the “regular” 570S. But for those who can afford it, it’s the only way to fly. Er, drive.
McLaren Special Operations has produced one-off, custom and bespoke cars at company headquarters in Woking, England, since 2011. In 2015 the division built a McLaren 650S Le Mans; in 2016, a 650S Can-Am. It traces its origins to before the foundation of McLaren Automotive, all the way back to the launch of the McLaren F1 in 1992.
The company doesn’t disclose exactly how much money it makes from the shop, other than to say the MSO business grows roughly on pace with the rest of the business. The biggest benefit is that it allows the company to increase revenue while retaining the exclusivity of its brand and product. As one person close to the company put it, volume isn’t the only way to healthy financials. MSO helps cater to customer demand while maintaining strong margins.
Roughly 90 percent of the cars in its top-of-the-line Ultimate Series (the McLaren P1 and F1) go through the shop. For the 570S and others in the Sport Series line-considerably cheaper models, relatively speaking-that figure is closer to 10 percent.
“When you are spending that kind of money, you want certain aspects that are unique elements,” says Dan Kang, 50, an avid customer who lives in Orange County, Calif. “You can’t get that off a dealer’s lot.”
Kang came up with an idea to build 10 similar models based on the McLaren F1 GT4 about 18 months ago, keeping one for himself and selling the rest. It’s a 570S coupe made to match the iconic F1 GT4 race car, but with updates that allow it to drive legally on city streets. Most of those updates are cosmetic on the face-the engine and horsepower ratings on Kang’s car match those of the V8 in the 570S-but their sum total is worth more than their parts.
Kang’s custom-build took eight months before delivery last month in Las Vegas. If you want vegan-dyed faux leather for the seats, that could take longer. Forged carbon fiber seats, a safe in the glove box, and a roll cage? Don’t get too antsy.
“I own quite a few megacars in excess of $3 (RM11.73m) to $5 million (RM19.56m), but to have an entry-level car that can do all this is a big deal. You need to really get a lot for your money,” says Kang, who also owns a Koenigsegg Regera, a Pagani Zonda, a Porsche 918 Spyder, and a $2 million (RM7.83m) Lamborghini Centenario, among other cars. “Driving it feels like being in a mini P1.”