2018 Mclaren 720s Luxury on 2040-cars

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We spec a McLaren Senna supercar with MSO

A rarely considered similarity between hypercars: poor or nonexistent configurators. The Ferrari LaFerrari configurator let you choose between three colors. Bugatti once let you change the colors and wheels on the Chiron, but no more. McLaren didn't bother with a configurator for the P1. Only the digital playground built for the Porsche 918 Spyder bucked the trend. That's likely because as soon as an MSRP requires two commas, shoppers become "clients," and clients deserve hosts in Hermes to help them navigate the party. No supercar better demonstrates this trend than the McLaren Senna. And, it just so happens, McLaren invited Autoblog to Beverly hills to roleplay as one of the 15 LA-area residents who bought Sennas. I'd be assisted in the act by two MSO Bespoke Liaison Managers – Katie Newell and Emily Monk – who were on an international jaunt shepherding actual buyers through the process. MSO doesn't send the duo on global tour dates for every offering, only the limited, special ones. When I asked what the personal service accomplishes, McLaren said, "The benefit of working directly with a MSO Bespoke Liaison Manager to spec your car is that they are deeply familiar with the ins and outs of the vehicle, and understand how different fit, finishes and options will interact together. They also understand what is feasible from an engineering, manufacturing and paint perspective given the years of experience they have building P1, 720S, etc." Boiled down, that means institutional knowledge, and they also know when to propose curbing your egregious enthusiasms. There will be no whale penis leather here, thank you, now let's move on. Ultimately, a configurator is a configurator – the mechanics of selection and dialogue boxes apply equally to cars, dress shirts, and pizza. The difference with the Senna is in having oh-so-many-more dialogue boxes, as well as two Ye Olde Worlde assistants, champagne, and petits-fours. And this comes before one casts about for unique electives. I heard a client from a previous car sent half a hair dryer to be color-matched – just the kind of fantastic eccentricity I expect from the word "bespoke". An MSO briefcase on the table in front of me provided abundant starting points: exterior paint swatches, carbon fiber colors, stitch types and thread colors, laser-etched accelerator pedals, different finishes for the rather large key, a sample of the 24-carat gold engine bay heat shield.

Jenson Button returns to F1 at Monaco while Fernando Alonso drives at Indy

MANAMA (Reuters) - Britain's Jenson Button will stand in for Fernando Alonso at next month's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix while the Spaniard competes in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day, McLaren announced on Friday. "I'm thrilled to be making a one-off return to Formula One racing, and I couldn't think of a better place to make that return than my adopted home Grand Prix: Monaco," the 37-year-old said in a statement at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Monaco resident Button handed over his McLaren seat to Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne at the end of last season but remained under contract to the team with the possibility of returning in 2018. He won the showcase race in 2009 on his way to the title with Brawn GP. Honda-powered McLaren have endured a tough start to the season, with no points from two races, but Monaco's tricky street circuit could suit their car better and is also one where drivers can make the difference. Button will be the most experienced driver in the race as he makes his 306th start, with the Briton third in the all-time list behind the retired Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher. He is also the last driver to win a race for McLaren, in Brazil in 2012, but cannot hope for such success this time. FAVORITE TRACK "It's one of my all-time favorite racetracks," said the winner of 15 grands prix who made his Formula One debut 17 years ago with Williams. "OK, I realize we won't have a realistic chance of repeating my 2009 victory, but I think we'll have an opportunity to score world championship points, which will be very valuable to the team in terms of constructors' rankings. "As for Fernando, I hope he not only fares well at Indy but enjoys it too." McLaren announced earlier in the week that double world champion Alonso would compete at Indianapolis with a car run by Andretti Autosport, last year's winners. McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said Button, who has kept his fitness up by competing in triathlons, would spend time in the team's simulator but there was no need for him to join an in-season test in Bahrain next week. "I rang him and his first reaction was, 'Great, I'm so excited," said the Frenchman of their short conversation after initial text exchanges. "You could feel the excitement on the phone was real. "Jenson was the choice from day one, the obvious choice by far," he told reporters.

McLaren teases roaring new 675LT ahead of Geneva debut

McLaren is set to reveal the new 675LT at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but before it does, the F1 team turned exotic automaker has been peppering us with teasers of the new track-focused supercar. The 675LT promises a raft of enhancements over the 650S on which it's based, starting with the engine: McLaren's ubiquitous 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 has been fitted with lightweight components and new turbo spools to drive output up to 666 horsepower (675 in metric terms, hence the first part of the nameplate) and 516 pound-feet of torque. It also gets revised bodywork with a longer tail (hence the LT) that helps produce 40 percent more downforce, and a dual-tip titanium exhaust. We'll have more on the new McLaren 675LT as its debut approaches less than a month from now, when it will form part of the brand's newly aligned Super Series (alongside the 650S and Asian-market 625C) above the upcoming entry-level Sports Series. But in the meantime, you can hear that upgraded engine roar through the new exhaust in the video clip above. AERODYNAMICALLY OPTIMISED, THE McLAREN 675LT STAYS TRUE TO THE ICON - Active 'Longtail' Airbrake contributes to a 40 percent increase in overall downforce - 700 Nm (516 lb ft) produced by a heavily revised 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 featuring lightweight components and new turbos - Bespoke titanium crossover exhaust ensures optimised performance. See, and hear, it at: http://youtu.be/tOl7gZ8bQdY The 675LT, the first McLaren in nearly two decades to wear the LT – or 'Longtail' – name, will stay true to the spirit of its iconic predecessor with aerodynamically optimised, dramatically enhanced styling that results in 40 percent more downforce than the 650S which it will sit alongside in the McLaren Super Series. A total power output of 675PS (666bhp), and torque figure of 700 Nm (516 lb ft) plus a focus on weight saving will ensure an electrifying, engaging and visceral driving experience. These output figures are produced by a heavily revised 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 featuring lightweight components and new turbos. A controlled torque delivery of 600Nm (443 lb ft) ensures optimised acceleration and traction from a standing start in first gear, rising to the full 700Nm available from 5,500-6,500 rpm, through each of the other gears. A redesigned crossover exhaust system, bespoke to the 675LT, is formed from lightweight titanium. Two circular titanium exhaust pipes exit centrally through exposed bodywork below the rear 'Longtail' Airbrake.