It might be relatively new to the road car arena, but McLaren has a long history of success on the racetrack. From the MP4/4s that Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna battled each other in to the Can Ams that raced around America in the 1960s, the McLaren brand is steeped in motorsports tradition.
- McLaren Special Operations is paying tribute to this Can-Am heritage that with a limited-run version of the 650S Spider.
For the first time on a McLaren, the 650S Can Am is fitted with a carbon fiber retracting roof, while carbon has also been used for the front splitter, airbrake, rear bumper and side blades.
The car sits on lightweight, five spoke forged alloys wrapped in sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber. Harking back to the wheels on Bruce McLaren's 1960s Can Am racers, they're held on with titanium bolts and look absolutely fantastic when combined with the car's Mars Red paintwork.
There's no extra power, with the Can Am taking the same three seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) on its way to the same 329 km/h (204 mph) top speed as the regular 650S Spider, but MSO has fitted a new exhaust system that gives the car a louder, more distinctive sound.
All up, just 50 Can Am Special Editions will be built to celebrate 50 years since the first race of the Canadian American Challenge Cup in Mont Tremblant.
So, what price exclusivity?
Er, quite a lot actually. The Spider will set you back £255,850 in the UK, or $334,500 if you're in the USA. But if McLaren's collection of past special edition cars is anything to go by, it won't struggle to shift the Can Am.
Er, quite a lot actually. The Spider will set you back £255,850 in the UK, or $334,500 if you're in the USA. But if McLaren's collection of past special edition cars is anything to go by, it won't struggle to shift the Can Am.
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