McLaren X-1 - a one-off design by MSO for a client in the Middle East...
#44
So I am going to buck the trend here of saying it is awful and instead suggest that I love it. Qualifying that statement, I will admit that if I had the same amount of money available that was spent on this car and the same opportunity to do something great like this with McLaren, the X-1 would certainly not be the result I would have come up with - that part is true. What I do love about it is that one person had a dream of a car they wanted built and McLaren, with their 'never say no' attitude was able and willing to execute on it, despite the fact that it isn't traditionally something you would expect to see from them.
I spent a lot of time with the X-1 this afternoon and the execution of every detail is quite exquisite. This doesn't look like a one-off car and the three years McLaren have spent working on it with the owner to bring this dream to reality have produced a finished product that gives no indication of its status as a customized vehicle based on another car. This thing is immaculately well built and I honestly think that if you were able to see it in person you might prefer it a bit more to the impression from only seeing it in photographs.
Almost no one is doing bespoke one-offs any longer which is a real shame. There were a flurry of them produced for the Brunei Royal Family in the 1990s - many of which have hardly been seen - and there have been a couple other private efforts like P4/5 for Jim G. This used to be standard practice in the automotive industry and it produced cars that are some of the most desirable you will find at auctions and concours around the world present day. Government regulations around the world just make it far to costly and complicated.
They even went so far as to perform crash testing on the car to ensure there would be no limitations on safety with the changes that were made. For that reason and many others I can assure you that the price quoted here was far too low - really not even close to the cost that went into producing the X-1.
Lastly, if you have not been swayed at all by anything I have said here, perhaps you could consider it some conciliation that the profit generated from McLaren building this will help the brand to build more of the cars we do want to see from McLaren. The P12 supercar will be unveiled at Paris in September and I expect a much different reaction to that car than this one.
>8^)
ER
I spent a lot of time with the X-1 this afternoon and the execution of every detail is quite exquisite. This doesn't look like a one-off car and the three years McLaren have spent working on it with the owner to bring this dream to reality have produced a finished product that gives no indication of its status as a customized vehicle based on another car. This thing is immaculately well built and I honestly think that if you were able to see it in person you might prefer it a bit more to the impression from only seeing it in photographs.
Almost no one is doing bespoke one-offs any longer which is a real shame. There were a flurry of them produced for the Brunei Royal Family in the 1990s - many of which have hardly been seen - and there have been a couple other private efforts like P4/5 for Jim G. This used to be standard practice in the automotive industry and it produced cars that are some of the most desirable you will find at auctions and concours around the world present day. Government regulations around the world just make it far to costly and complicated.
They even went so far as to perform crash testing on the car to ensure there would be no limitations on safety with the changes that were made. For that reason and many others I can assure you that the price quoted here was far too low - really not even close to the cost that went into producing the X-1.
Lastly, if you have not been swayed at all by anything I have said here, perhaps you could consider it some conciliation that the profit generated from McLaren building this will help the brand to build more of the cars we do want to see from McLaren. The P12 supercar will be unveiled at Paris in September and I expect a much different reaction to that car than this one.
>8^)
ER
We're not saying it's not good as a car, that it's not going to help Mclaren's business, that it's stupid or was a poor decision.
It's just fooking ugly.
#45
At 1st I was like 
Then I was like
Followed by some of
Now I'm staying with
I LOVE IT!!!
I can understand some peoples 'lack of enthusiasm' for it, but for me, after the initial surprise and if you actually step back, look at it and read about the story behind it, it's grown on me enough for me to 'out' myself as an X1 lover.
Then I was like

Followed by some of

Now I'm staying with
I LOVE IT!!!
I can understand some peoples 'lack of enthusiasm' for it, but for me, after the initial surprise and if you actually step back, look at it and read about the story behind it, it's grown on me enough for me to 'out' myself as an X1 lover.
#46
^^^^ Throw stones at this man! haha
I certainly appraciate the car, I love the work into it. Its just not that good looking lol
Im glad it is spot on what the owner wanted, very cool. And Erik, thanks for the info and back story!
I certainly appraciate the car, I love the work into it. Its just not that good looking lol
Im glad it is spot on what the owner wanted, very cool. And Erik, thanks for the info and back story!
#47
At 1st I was like 
Then I was like
Followed by some of
Now I'm staying with
I LOVE IT!!!
I can understand some peoples 'lack of enthusiasm' for it, but for me, after the initial surprise and if you actually step back, look at it and read about the story behind it, it's grown on me enough for me to 'out' myself as an X1 lover.
Then I was like

Followed by some of

Now I'm staying with
I LOVE IT!!!
I can understand some peoples 'lack of enthusiasm' for it, but for me, after the initial surprise and if you actually step back, look at it and read about the story behind it, it's grown on me enough for me to 'out' myself as an X1 lover.
#48
It really isn't. This is yet another car that you can not get a feel for in photographs. I happen to really appreciate cars from the period this one got its inspirations from so perhaps that skews my perception, but I'll make no apology for liking it. I certainly was not the only one who saw it yesterday and felt that way.
>8^)
ER
>8^)
ER





