McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has confirmed production plans for a limited run of bespoke examples of the McLaren 650S following the strong reaction to the MSO 650S Coupe Concept shown in China earlier this year. Just 50 examples of the MSO 650S will be available globally, available in either a Coupe or Spider body style. Five of these will be sold in the Middle East region. The bespoke McLaren Special Operations division was launched in 2011, and offers a full personalization service for McLaren owners. The dedicated division grew out of McLaren's Customer Care program, which goes back 20 years to the days of the McLaren F1 roadcar, and continues to look after servicing and maintaining cherished F1s for owners, as well as undertaking personalization work for all McLaren models. The MSO 650S carries many of the styling cues over from the original concept, and the team at MSO has worked closely with McLaren Automotive Design Director, Frank Stephenson to further enhance the visual appeal. The exterior of the MSO 650S is fitted with a number of carbon fiber styling upgrades with a satin finish, including extended MSO Side Blades giving a subtle and purposeful look. The three-piece rear bumper includes a carbon fibre center section, and sits above a more aggressive rear diffuser. The MSO 650S is available in three paint finishes, specially formulated by the bespoke division of McLaren Automotive, all featuring a heavy metallic content. ‘Papaya Spark' is the modern twist on the famous McLaren Orange and is joined by ‘Agrigan Black' and ‘Sarigan Quartz'. ‘Agrigan Black' is a stylish metallic black with a deep ruby red metallic flake, and featured on the original concept, while ‘Sarigan Quartz' is a new colour for MSO, being shown for the first time at Goodwood Festival of Speed. It is a vibrant metallic silver with a subtle golden infusion. The exterior design is finished with a set of Palladium colored 10-spoke Super Lightweight alloy wheels, with a unique diamond cut effect to the inside edge of each spoke. These wheels save 4 kg over the standard-fit design, and are held in place by lightweight titanium wheel bolts. Inside the cabin, the MSO 650S is upholstered with carbon black leather and Alcantara, while the stylish satin lacquered carbon fiber detailing extends throughout the driver and passenger zones. In contrast, a gloss finish has been applied to the air vents and handling and powertrain switchgear on the Active Dynamics Panel. A signature dedication plaque mounted to the MSO-branded carbon fibre sill panel completes the enhancements. Each one of the 50 MSO 650S models will be delivered with a Frank Stephenson-signed sketch and a luxury MSO branded, leather holdall. Handcrafted from stealth black carbon fibeleather, the weekend bag is fitted with complementing carbon black handles and stitching, and an Alcantara lining. Ian Gorsuch, Regional Director for Middle East and Africa, commented: “We're very excited to be receiving five of these exclusive and bespoke McLaren 650S supercars in this region. We are definitely seeing more demand for bespoke options here - with so many supercars on the roads, customers are looking to customise and differentiate their cars with special paints, materials and accessories. This is testament to how talented McLaren Special Operations are in creating truly unique supercars that really stand out on the road, turning heads everywhere they go, and with only five examples of this bespoke 650S available in the region, it will be highly desirable.” Pricing starts at $355,185 for the MSO 650S Coupé and $402,531 for the MSO 650S Spider, with first deliveries due before the end of the year. — SG
