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Car designer Frank Stephenson wants to show you something ... smaller

Influential car designer Frank Stephenson has often thought small. Now he’s thinking smaller. Throughout the past three decades, he has shaped — literally — some of the most indelible designs in automotive history: the modern Mini, the Ferrari FXX track star, the Maserati Gran Sport, a range of stunning McLarens and down to the funky 21st-century version of the Fiat 500. Now heÂ’s turned his pen to fashioning watches. His Cosmos analog piece, made to mirror “a black hole in space” and detailed “with an orange pinstripe which simulates the supernova glow of a neutron star,” features a Japan-built quartz movement and was created in concert with the Time Concepts company. “ItÂ’s the age-old adage ‘car people are watch people,Â’ so it was a natural step for me to get creative with timepieces too,” Stephenson said in a statement. “The collection showcases the love I have for exceptional and emotionally charged design, just like what is required in designing world class cars.” While Stephenson, who is 64, may be best known publicly for his vision of “affordable style” with the Mini and the Fiat, his ethos also translated to the utilitarian. In the case of BMW in the mid-1990s, the company was hustling to market an SUV, and turned to him for inspiration. His team had six months to complete the project. The result was the high-end X5, which Stephenson sketched during a two-hour flight. In 2018, Stephenson established the independent design company, Frank Stephenson Design, based in London. Related video: Design/Style BMW Ferrari Fiat Maserati McLaren MINI Gadgets watch frank stephenson

What livery would you choose for your McLaren P1 GTR?

What sort of livery would you choose for your McLaren P1 GTR? Given that McLaren will only build 35 of them, each priced at nearly $3 million and almost all of them already built by now, it's a choice few of us will ever have to make. But to give us an idea of the answers arrived at by those who have, the British constructor has provided a rare glimpse inside the McLaren P1 GTR Workshop. Located at the company's headquarters in Woking, next to the McLaren GT racing department and the McLaren Special Operations studio, the workshop is charged with looking after those examples of the P1 GTR that their owners have opted to leave in the factory's care. McLaren will bring the cars to specially organized track days and tend to them in between by a crack team of hand-selected technicians and engineers. McLaren's chief designer helps each customer choose how they want their GTR spec'd out. Pictured above are twelve of those examples. There's one in the throwback yellow and green Harrods livery in which the model was launched, one with a similar treatment in deep blue with a yellow stripe, another reminiscent of the F1 GTR's iconic FINA livery, one in a light blue camo made up of racing circuit layouts, a couple in varying shades of McLaren's signature orange, and a handful inspired by the outfit's more recent grand prix racing liveries – including one that looks just like the concept from Monterey. Of course, each P1 GTR is mechanically identical, with their 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrains tuned to deliver 986 horsepower, unburdened by excess weight, and with aggressive aero. The first seven took part in the first track session at Catalunya in Spain this past October, and they will forever wear a special badge to boast as such. But there'll be more to come this year, including one at Silverstone, another at Spa, a trip to Abu Dhabi, and another to Austin right here in America. Aside from shipping the cars themselves, the staff at the workshop put together 80 metric tons of support equipment for each session. Related Video:

Best of 2016 | The List

The List hosts Jessi and Patrick spent all of 2016 checking awesome adventures off their automotive bucket list, from escaping a car dangling off a cliff, to taking part in The Great Race road rally. In total, our hosts checked 12 challenges off Autoblog's list of "1,001 car things to do before you die," taking them on travels across the United States and the United Kingdom. Check out some highlights from the season as our hosts drive everything from the super modern to the refreshingly classic, and even take their lives into their own hands all for the sake of completing the ultimate car enthusiast's bucket list. As we look ahead to 2017, be sure to send us your automotive bucket list items. Who knows, maybe your submission will inspire Jessi and Patrick's next escapade. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Aston Martin Bentley Land Rover McLaren The List Videos