ART OF RACING

McLaren creates five racing- themed supercars – with hand- painted livery

They’re racing cars, but are they art? Actually yes, we reckon they might be. McLaren Special Operations ( MSO) has created five unique “LM” examples of the Senna GTR, each painted in a livery that pays homage to the five F1 GTRs that crossed the line in the 1995 24 Hours Of Le Mans ( first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th).

It was a landmark year for the brand: the first time McLaren had raced at Le Mans and just three years since the now- legendary F1 had been launched.

The five cars each wear bespoke hand- painted livery that either replicates or pays tribute to the design of the 1995 racers. Hand painted? Yes, that’s for real, with each car taking at least 800 hours and a few “individual cars far exceeding that”, says McLaren.

Special permission was sought from sponsors of the time such as Gulf and Harrods to recreate their logos. The only piece of vinyl in the livery is the replica scrutineering sticker.

The best bit for MSO is that each car is a “customer commission” – meaning they were all bought and paid for before the paintbrushes were dipped in their jars.

The new owners even get to drive their cars around the Le Mans circuit on the morning of the 2021 race, accompanied by the original F1 GTRs from 1995.