McLaren MSO to the Max at Pebble

On Sunday (August 18), on the Concept Car Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, McLaren Automotive will display the McLaren GT by MSO, which is the company’s grand tourer that is transformed by the company’s McLaren Special Operations (which is what the “MSO” signifies).

What’s interesting is that this is really an exercise in color in many ways. For example, there is a specially developed exterior paint color, MSO Defined Flux Silver. This silver paint is contrasted with MSO Bespoke Satin Graphite, the color that is used for the door skirts, front splitter, side-view mirrors, rear bumper and diffuser.

What’s more, there the brake calipers are also finished with the graphite color. There is the “MSO Bright Pack,” which means that the are a bright chrome exterior upper window surround, polished titanium exhaust finisher, and Gloss Black Diamond Cut wheels.

The inside isn’t ignored. For example, the seat backs, sun visor, door trim, and arm rests have what is called “MSO Bespoke Geoform Stitching.” Certainly all OEMs nowadays are drawing attention to the stitching on their seats, but we’re not aware of any that have considered it quite to the extent that McLaren has: the design echoes the geometric canopy of the British Museum.

Then there are the interior materials, like the Flux White Leather, which has a metallic sheen, and another, Satin Graphite Leather, that contrasts with the white and echoes the exterior color.

And for the obligatory digits: the McLaren GT has a 612-bhp, 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 that goes along with a seven-speed SSG transmission. The zero to 60 time is 3.1 seconds.

And then there’s that all-important number: it will be available in the U.S. in Q4 with a starting MSRP of $210,000.

It is kind of one of those: If-you-have-to-ask-you-don’t-need-to-know numbers.