Ecurie Ecosse at McLaren Glasgow 09 | 12 | 2016
BLACK BULL ECURIE ECOSSE trio, McLaren works driver Rob Bell, and British GT4 Rookies of the Year Sandy Mitchell and Ciaran Haggerty, took centre stage at the motorsport evening held at McLaren Glasgow.
But while the three drivers — accompanied by ex-British GT4 champ Ross Wylie, and former rally ace Robbie Head — took part in a Q&A with award-winning compere, Knockhill’s Duncan Vincent, even they were overshadowed by the unveiling of a rare McLaren MSO Carbon Series 675LT. The car is one of only 25 in the world.
“It’s beautiful; a phenomenal looking car,” admitted Bell, who won the Blancpain Endurance Championship with McLaren, and powered the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3 to victory in the final British GT round at Donington with team-mate Alasdair McCaig.
“It’s a very special car, and I have to say, it’s probably the nicest-looking McLaren I’ve ever seen.”
Already sold-out, the McLaren 675LT MSO Carbon Series — which was inspired by the carbonfibre-bodied P1 that made its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show — features around 40% more carbonfibre parts than the standard 675LT Spider on which it is based.
And because all of the new carbonfibre pieces have been designed and fitted by the MSO team specifically for this model, they can't be retrofitted to a regular model.
Look closely at the photos and you’ll see the car is fitted with a a gloss finish on its electrically retractable carbonfibre roof, A-pillars, bonnet and rear deck, side blades, front and rear wings and fuel filler flap.
And while the customer ‘Garage 59’ GT3 car, which also made its debut at the Scottish dealership, boasts impressive aerodynamic louvres on the front wings, the 675LT MSO Carbon Series benefits from more understated louvres inspired by the motorsport version.
Powered by the same 666bhp 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 as the regular model, the carbonfibre edition covers the 0-62mph sprint in 2.9secs and carries on to a top speed of 203mph.
Before unveiling the McLaren 675LT MSO Carbon Series with Mitchell and Haggerty to the specially-invited audience, Bell gave the audience an insight into the McLaren GT3 car, with a walk-round explanation of the car’s styling and a first-hand description of its on-track performance.
And Bell, who next week is at Paul Ricard in southern France for a two-day test with Pirelli, was delighted with the evening.
“It was really, really nice atmosphere; very personable,” he continued. “It wasn’t all about McLaren Glasgow and Park’s Motor Group. They highlighted the fact they have two very promising up-and-coming young drivers in the shape of Sandy and Ciaran. I genuinely thought it was an excellent evening.”
Not surprisingly, the two British GT young guns were also impressed with the evening.
“It was great to see the carbonfibre 675LT,” 16-year-old Mitchell, from Forfar, and the Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Young Driver of the Year, said. “It looks really impressive.
“It was great too to spend time again with Rob and Ciaran, and explain to the guests of McLaren Glasgow what it’s like to race a 570S GT4 car in the British GT Championship, and to win two races.”
It was a sentiment echoed by 20-year-old Haggerty from Johnstone.
“It really was a super evening,” he said. “The guests were so knowledgeable about McLaren, and they’d heard of the success Sandy, Rob and I had achieved in British GT this year with Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse. Now we can’t wait to get back racing in 2017.”
The McLaren GT3 race car — which shared the Hamilton showroom with a McLaren 540C and 570S (Read our roadtest of the McLaren 570GT) — will be on display at McLaren Glasgow until around noon on Sunday (Dec 11).
Related: McLaren 570S gets Track Pack
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Jim McGill