McLaren has made yet another special one-off car thanks to the hard work of their MSO division: the P1 GTR “Beco”.
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. He won three F1 championships under McLaren's banner before he died in a tragic accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. He's widely considered as one of the greatest Formula One drivers to have ever lived.
And whoever commissioned this one-off version of the McLaren P1 GTR must have thought awful highly of him, because it’s decked out in the same livery that Senna wore on his first F1 championship win.
We don’t know who the buyer is, as McLaren doesn’t disclose the details of the mystical billionaires that can both afford their services and then also race around in the finished product. We do know that whoever it was ordered the very best P1 ever made because it sports not just a neat paint job: it also received engine tuning to make it the most powerful P1 ever.
But let’s start with the paint. This red and white makeup is the same livery as used by Senna’s MP4/4 F1 racer when he won his first championship, which happens to be the same colors as the Marlboro cigarette company. McLaren didn’t acknowledge Marlboro’s responsibility in killing millions of people globally, but they did at least sensor their logo with a barcode that would be shown in countries that prohibit cigarette makers from advertising.
Under the hood are the same 3.8-L twin-turbo V8 engine and an electric motor that powers the original P1 GTR, but tuned to produce "a ‘suitably pleasing’ increase in power." McLaren didn’t tell us just how many more ponies this baby produces, but the original got 986 horses, so we’d expect this to have at least 1,000 at its beck and call.
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In addition to the engine tuning, the heat shield has been upgraded with 24-karat gold (just as on an F1 car or the Space Shuttle), and a Lexan rear cover with modified engine shrouds.
This “Beco” also makes additional downforce to the tune of 1763 lbs thanks to a larger front splitter, new front dive planes, a rear Gurney flap with new bargeboards, and a rear wing with larger endplates to mimic the look of the MP4/4.
On the inside, the P1 gets the same racing seats as the Senna (which, as you might have guessed, was also named after the famed Brazilian racer) and a steering wheel covered in Alcantara and stitching that once again mimicked Senna’s original F1 car.
To top it off, a specific crash helmet was made that bears the same colors as the car.
As for the name “Beco”, apparently that was the nickname given to Senna by family and friends. Now it’s the best P1 ever made. A suitable tribute to a legendary racer.