Dream Come True — McLaren MSO HS

‍What was your poster car growing up?

Lamborghini Countach.

What was your first car?

Ford Capri 1.6.

When did you join Supercar Driver?

I can't remember exactly when I joined, but I was a very early member. One of my favourite events was at Bruntingthorpe, the very first secret meet where I took my Volcano Red McLaren 12C, my very first proper supercar. I met Adam and we discussed me becoming a member, I did, the rest is history.

Why did you get into McLaren Automotive so early with the 12C?

I have always been a fan of British engineering and always tried to buy British. I've had two Nobles — M12 GTO 3R and an M400 — and a Lotus Elise 135R, so when I saw that McLaren was going to start manufacturing, I thought this is it, I want a McLaren, but I remember sitting at my desk at work on the McLaren configurator and rapidly realising I couldn't afford one!

I had read all the magazines and reviews, and it wasn't received well by the press, but as soon as I drove it I thought to myself, "They don't get it". McLaren went off-piste when they designed the car with its high-tech suspension; it needed to be driven differently, it could be pushed hard, the rear brake steer in place of a limited-slip diff was outstanding.

I bought one and yes, it had its niggles, went back to McLaren quite a few times for several issues, however I put it down to a young company just starting out with their first 'mass-produced' supercar, designed and manufactured in Britain — I like to call it character! It certainly got attention, constantly being followed whilst being photographed and filmed.

What came next?

Ah, the one car I was desperate for, the 675LT. I had purchased the MP4-12C from Alastair Bols, and little did I know that I was his very first client! We got on so well together and later it would pay dividends. I called every dealer in the UK to get the LT, they were all sold out, not a chance, I was told, but I didn't give up.

I heard on the grapevine that one dealer was getting a cancellation, it was McLaren London, I heard this on the week of Goodwood and we had been asked by SEAT if we would drive our racing car up the hill in the shootout. I knew McLaren would be there so I took the 12C. I didn't have an invitation but I banked that having a McLaren key would get me into hospitality, and it did. I went to the reception person on the door and explained what I wanted, an LT. She laughed and said the obvious, not a chance. I asked her if she would call me when the dealer principal for London arrived, she did whilst we were running up the hill — not good timing!

As soon as we finished, I ran to the hospitality area and found Andy. We started talking, he asked my history, I mentioned I had the 12C and all the trips I had done in her-Le Mans, European trips etc-and then asked the question, "Can I have a 675LT?", he laughed, you know the rest, however he said he may get a cancellation-I didn't tell him I knew that would happen. My response was that surely they had a waiting list, he said it was as long as his arm. That was it, I had failed.

On Monday morning, I got an email from Andy saying he had a cancellation, would I like it? It had to be configured in a week, deposit paid, it was mine. I asked why, he said because I am passionate about the brand and he thought I would use it. I did. The first trip was a 3,000-mile drive on the Mille Miglia with fellow SCD member Chris Cooper. Adam of SCD introduced us, a huge thanks to him. As a result, the Mille Miglia people changed the rules, no more McLarens were allowed on the event.

Did the MSO HS come about any easier?

I had the 675LT and said I would never sell, however, I heard about an MSO HS for sale, copied the link and sent it to Alastair - it was the green one. I had no idea that they existed, read up on it and thought this is the ultimate LT. I asked Alastair how much he thought it would cost to respray as it wasn't my colour. He sent a photo to me with it buried into the back of a truck, and said that's not the one you want. We discussed the MSO HS as a whole, he gave me the full history, and I knew then that if I ever got the chance, it would be the only car I would swap the LT for, but with only 25 ever made and only seven right-hand drive, I knew I would never be in a position to get one.

I was racing at Silverstone and got a WhatsApp message from Alastair Bols, I didn't read the whole message as it was between races, I just scanned and thought it said I have a special car for you, ring me when you have time. I did not call. Monday morning came and he called me, I had no idea what it was as I had scanned rather than read the message, but it turns out he was calling with the car I never thought I'd find.

I wasn't looking for anything else as the 675LT was my keeper for life, what could possibly be better than that? But the MSO HS is like an LT on steroids, and this car is fully loaded, so I had to take the opportunity.

Tell us about the spec.

It's one of only three in full visual carbon fibre, and of those, it's the only right-hand drive in the world. The visual carbon body alone was a £143,000 option for the original owner, amongst loads of other carbon options. If it isn't carbon fibre, it's material that covers carbon, this includes the floor mats.

The lacquer has a red tint which was £46,500 on top of the visual carbon body! The logbook says it's black, my so-called friends say its brown, others call it Candy Apple Red and McLaren call it Red Hot on the spec sheet. The bonnet is carbon with two very thin red stripes, all edges have been finished with a red stripe, the roof is bare carbon as is the scoop. It looks fairly conservative until the sun shines on it, then you can see the vibrant red. There are slashes of black carbon all over the car, and it needs to be seen to fully appreciate the workmanship.

It has the full track pack with three cameras, one at the front, one at the rear and one on the driver. One of the best features is the 24-karat gold shielding in the engine bay like the original F1 which is very cool and another £16,000 on the original invoice.

The seats are black Alcantara with red diamond stitching which I am pretty sure they only did on the MSO series. The vents are carbon, steering wheel, floor mats, everything. The switches are gloss black and there are gearchange lights on the dash which are pretty rare. They weren't available on the early 675LTS, they became an option quite a bit later.

Each MSO HS is individual to the person who specced it. The car was built by McLaren Special Operations which meant anything was possible, and this one has everything. The spec sheet makes an interesting read with even the carbon floor mats costing in excess of £2,500. The original owner added £250,000 on options, taking the total build to within a few hundred quid of £600,000.

How is it different to the 675LT it's based on?

The 675LT was built on the P1 production line and you can tell. Quality issues are rarely found on the 675LT production line. To drive, the 675LT is a raw beast. It rattles and shakes whilst stood at traffic lights and roundabouts, and you can feel it is built for the track. There are no airs and graces, it just wants to go.

Sport mode is where the character of the car is, between 5,000 and 6,000rpm on upshifts the gunshots are amazing, and the kick in the back makes the passenger feel like the car is an animal. In track mode, all that disappears, gear changes are completely seamless, all the gunshots are gone, it's all about moving the car forward as fast as possible. Braking hard, the front actually goes light, you can feel the understeer as the rear wing raises as an airbrake. Overall, I thought nothing could come near it for feel, drivability and performance.

The MSO HS, wow, it's another level. The car was built by McLaren Special Operations and that shows in both build quality and performance. Starting her up, she sounds like the 675LT, just a bit raunchier, a bit louder. Once the engine warms up to idle, you realise you have something special. The engine hunts like a race car engine with a lightened flywheel, but there are no rattles like the LT. The whole thing feels tight, composed, a coiled spring.

It has a smidge more power at 688 PS which I think equates to 679bhp, and the 516lb ft kicks in earlier than the LT, staying all the way from 3,000 to 7,000rpm. The engine is slightly different, blueprinted and optimised with the heads hand-ported and shaved by Cosworth to give higher compression.

There's more focus on downforce, so it has a huge active rear wing which gives two advantages. One, more downforce of course, and two, I can actually see what's behind me now whether the wing is up or down-a huge bonus. The front wings have dive planes to counterbalance the additional downforce of the rear wing. There are MSO and HS logos, the HS is on the wing endplates and the MSO on the rear.

All MSO HS have the roof scoop which was a very rare and expensive option on the 675LT. My LT didn't have it, and wow what a difference they make. It adds so much drama, you can hear the car breathing, gulping in gallons of air. The more gas, the louder it gets.

Driving in normal mode is uneventful apart from the noise from the scoop gulping in air when the throttle is pressed, but really, it feels similar to the LT. In sport mode, the car's personality completely changes. Upshift gunshot sounds now come in over 6,000rpm and acceleration feels similar to the track mode of the LT. Once full gas is applied, it pulls and pulls and pulls, never running out of power. It just doesn't tail off, I never felt it did in the LT until I drove this!

Flick to track mode and all hell breaks loose. The LT has nothing on the MSO HS, it's unbelievable. I could chuck the LT around, any gear, any mode, but I am still getting used to the HS! Braking hard from speed, unlike the LT, there's no understeer, the front doesn't go light. I suspect this is a result of the dive planes holding the front down. Grip is also on another level, I haven't had understeer yet, and again I think as a result of the additional downforce. It corners on rails, even in the wet. The car is on Trofeo Rs, which I love, wet or dry.

Does it feel overly precious given the rarity?

This is a difficult one. I am a driver and have always put miles on all my cars, however this is genuinely a one-of-one. I have already had three people chasing me to buy it, offering more than I paid, one of whom in particular owns many many supercars and can afford whatever he wants.

I need to be aware of how special this piece of art is and treat her appropriately. Does this mean I won't be driving her? No. Is she a garage queen? Absolutely not. She will be driven, just not huge trips to Europe, Le Mans etc like I did in the LT. If I do, she will be trailered out and back.

When will we see it at an event?

See you at the secret meet, shhh!

I won't be doing track days because I race, and when I get on track, no matter what car I am in, I can't help trying to find the limit. I said ‘trying’, and that can lead to spins, gravel traps and Armco! I will be doing more driving tours but I have a Ferrari F12 for that with full IPE exhaust. I love that car with its naturally-aspirated V12 and old Formula 1 soundtrack!

Is it a keeper?

Yes, it's my dream come true. I often open the garage just to go and have a look and I pinch myself because I can't believe I have her. A huge thanks to Alastair Bols because he had five people on his list to call but I was number one because I was his first client and we got on so well, he remembered our conversation and knew I would want to own something so special.