McLaren Project Endurance: Race Car For The Road

It started with a question from Sony in 2017. They wanted a car for the new Gran Turismo. McLaren answered with the Vision GT, a digital monster where the driver literally lay in it like a motorbike. Millions played the game. Then a group of customers asked the factory to build it as a real road car. McLaren said “absolutely not”, however they created the track only Solus GT. Equally insane looking, only 25-30 exist. At its heart screams a 5.2L normally aspirated V10 derived from a Judd engine. It revs to 10,500 RPM and with ram air at 240Kmh, the Solus hits 640 Kw. Customers loved it, and wanted more.

McLaren started thinking as they planned a return to the Le Mans 24-hour. While Formula One remains the brand crown jewel, the World Endurance Championship (WEC) offers more accessibility than F1 – deeper engagement and a closer look behind the scenes. What if customers could have a WEC car? This ambition birthed a new customer program. Take the upcoming top-flight endurance car and offer a version to a tiny group of global collectors? Sure, why not. This project reconnects McLaren with race car builder Dallara in Italy. Not everyone has heard of Dallara, however you’ve heard of their cars. They build every single Formula 2, Formula 3 and IndyCar. History binds these two companies because when Giampaolo Dallara started the business sixty six years ago, he had two drivers. One was Roger Penske, the other was Bruce McLaren.

The full Le Mans car requires a complex hybrid unit, and while it is a marvel of engineering, it is not conducive to a customer car. For the private buyer, McLaren removes the hybrid system entirely. This sheds one hundred and fifty kilograms and removes complexity. Endurance hybrid systems give economy not power so the customer car is not down on grunt. It utilizes a bespoke 2.9 litre twin turbo V6. While it shares a displacement with the Artura, the similarities end there. This is a full race engine – a work of art machined from a single solid aluminium block in a process that takes months. McLaren chose the ATM built V6 because the compact packaging allows the engine to sit low in the car for ideal weight distribution. It features an Xtrac sequential transaxle gearbox and the customer car should be around 740ps (545 Kw), in a car weighing less than 1,000kg.

McLaren hand picks a tiny few customers – we are talking only 25-30 – for the privilege, yet securing this car buys more than just a machine. The seven-figure purchase price includes a two-year immersive track program, storage, preparation between each of the six events, and servicing. Owners fly into cities like Barcelona, stay at calibre hotels, and spend two days on track with a McLaren pro driver coach and a team to support the cars. The education is rigorous. New owners begin with coaching sessions in a Solus GT or Senna GTR. Before the first physical delivery, customers visit Dallara to use the professional simulator.

Every vent and curve serves a purpose. The design team embedded twelve proof points to satisfy the ACO that this car truly represents McLaren. The lighting pods evoke the Senna. The front apertures nod to the F1 GTR that won Le Mans in 1995. This car is the true successor and the grandson of that legendary machine. The front fenders derive from the Can Am cars. The carbon strakes on the rear wing endplates mirror the M8D, the last car Bruce McLaren ever drove. The cockpit shape echoes the Solus GT. The vertical rear lights come from the Sabre, and the rear section is very P1-esque. Even the gaps above the tires serve a function. They stop the pressure from building up in the wheel arch so the car does not flip. Handy that.

The New Zealand connection remains the spiritual heartbeat of this program. McLaren remains very keen to promote the car in New Zealand and maintains a very close relationship with Amanda McLaren. This passion extends to the University of Auckland where they are building a Bruce McLaren Centre. This innovation piece fosters a new generation of engineering talent through internships at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. Students travel from the university to spend time at the factory. This legacy is important. McLaren is a sixty two year old racing team. Even though the automotive business is only twelve years old, racing sits in the DNA.

Inside the technology center, the trophies now number over seven hundred. They line the hallways, reminding every employee and visiting customer that racing is everything. This new track car represents the ultimate collaboration between McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. It combines experts in ultra luxury with experts in winning races. It turns the dream of Le Mans into a private reality for a lucky few while honoring the heritage Bruce McLaren built from nothing.