McLaren Special Operations (MSO) was introduced to the public last year, as the customization arm for the famed supercar->ke177 builder. Think of it like Mercedes' AMG without the performance parts. We haven't heard too much from this arm in the last year, but that is because they have obviously been extremely busy.

“Busy doing what,” you may ask. Well, they were busy taking an MP4-12C and turning it into a one-off machine like no other to ever roam the streets. This new monster is the brain child of one lucky McLaren client and McLaren designer, Hong Yeo.

The client actually came to McLaren->ke284 three years ago looking for a car that was more unique than the McLaren F1->ke1159 and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren->ke566 that he had already owned. The X1, which MLaren has just unveiled at "The Quail: A Motorsport Gathering," is based on the MP4-12C and was imagined as a timeless car with inspiration from multiple items, including: 1961 Facel Vega->ke4303, a 1953 Chrysler->ke21 D’Elegance Ghia, a 1959 Buick Electra->ke2025, a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K->ke3874, a 1971 Citroën SM, the Guggenheim museums in New York and Bilbao, a Jaeger LeCoultre art deco clock, an Airstream trailer, a Thomas Mann Montblanc pen, a grand piano, and an eggplant

That's a huge list of inspirations, but when you look at the X-1, you can actually visualize where each piece may have gained its inspiration. Well, except for whichever piece was inspired by the Jaeger LeCoultre art deco clock and the Thomas Mann Montblanc pen, as we have no clue which clock or pen inspired it.

To have a good look at this wild X-1 and read our review on it, click past the jump.

mclaren-x-1

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: mclaren-x-1
Pros
Cons

2013 McLaren X-1

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 McLaren X-1
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 592 @ 7000
  • Torque: 443 @ 3000
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

On the outside, you are looking at one of the most unique cars in the world today. The designers and the car's owner really went to bat and came up with a car that is nothing like anything else. The vehicle may have the monocell of a MP4-12C, but its entire body is bespoke. No “bespoke” isn't some fancy new alloy, it simply means that it's completely custom-built to the customer's specifications. Even the headlights and wheels are fully custom built.

Every single body panel on the X-1 is made from carbon-fiber and is draped in black. By “black,” we mean pitch black, no metallic flakes, no extra tint, nothing at all. This makes the painting process a tough task, as pure-black paint hides absolutely no flaws. If anything, it enhances flaws. The sides of the car feature a lacquered carbon fiber, breaking up the pure-black base coat a little.

All of the X-1's bright work is custom-milled from a solid piece of aluminum then brushed with a nickel finish. This bright work includes: headlight eyebrows, windshield trimming, over-the-shoulder trim down the car's shoulder, a stripe down the side of the car, the McLaren Speed Marque logo on the front of the car, and the entire air-brake wing. That's a lot of brushed aluminum.

From the front of the X-1, you'll notice a sloped nose that runs into a front fascia that boasts a large air intake on each side. Three accent lines on the hood help break the hood into sections, giving it a more aggressive look.

From the windshield to the tail, you'll see a swooping roof that looks like something from a futuristic movie. The mirror boasts the same lacquered carbon fiber as the sides of the X-1. Down the side of the car you're going to see a pair of air vents about three-quarters of the way back, similar to those on the factory MP4-12C, and a long nickel-brushed aluminum separator dividing the upper and lower halves of the X-1. There is a hidden surprise to the rear quarter of the car. At first glance, you notice that almost all of the rear wheels are covered by a skirt, but these skirts easily lift upward at the push of a button. The hinges that these skirts use are described as “some of the most gorgeous hinges you've ever seen”

The doors have the same movement as the 12C has and the same twin-hinge system, meaning they open exactly the same way. However, the actual build of the door skin is 100 percent unique to the X-1.

From the back end, the X-1 does retain one item from its 12C base, the top-mounted exhaust exits. Those, however, are something that we wouldn't have removed either. They fit the X-1's build perfectly, almost more perfect than they fit the MP4-12C. The boomerang-shaped taillights are custom fabricated to the client's exact specification, as are the rear vents, flat rear glass, and the engine cooling vents.

You would often think that a custom-fab job like this would have to retain the vehicle's base specifications. Well, because the 12C's monocell construction allows for major body panel changes, this model is actually slightly larger than the MP4-12c, measuring in at 4,658 mm (193 inches) long x 2,097 mm (82.55 inches) wide x 1,199 mm (47.20 inches) tall, which is 109 mm (4.29 inches) longer and 188 mm (7.41 inches) wider than the MP4-12C. It weighs in at about 1,400 kg (3,080 lbs), which is just about the same as its base MP4-12C.

With all of this custom fabrication, it took a lot of extra work to get this car approved for street use, but it is, in fact, road legal in Europe. We are sure it would pass U.S. standards too, but European standards are all it is certified for.

All we can say on the outside is “Wow!” This car is certainly not the prettiest car we've ever seen by a long shot. Fortunately, prettiness to us is not the goal here. This car was built to satisfy its owner and that's that. We are certain the X-1 does that.

Interior

The basic outlay of the interior on the X-1 is identical to that on the MP4-12C. However, the customer did have it custom-fitted with Harissa Red McLaren Nappa leather on the seats, doors, and roof. The gear shifter is machined aluminum coated with nickel. Aluminum bezel is strewn throughout the cabin, as well. One final interior touch is the addition of carbon-fiber trim with titanium weave, which gives it a 3D effect.

Though there's not many mods to the inside, we are still impressed with the detail that went into it.

Engine and Drivetrain

The engine and drivetrain are 100 percent all from the 12C and have zero modifications. This means that the X-1 boasts the same impressive 3.8-liter turbocharged V-8 engine that the MP4-12C boasts. That gives the X-1 a whopping 592 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 443 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm. It also boasts the 7-speed automated manual transmission from its donor MP4-12C that sends power to the rear wheels.

Given the curb weight remains about the same, it is safe to assume that the X-1 retains the same 3.2-second sprint to 60 mph that the MP4-12C does.

Conclusion

Again, all we can muster up at this point is “Wow.” We are thoroughly impressed with the level of detail and customization that went into this vehicle. It's a little sad to know that underneath all of that sexiness is a McLaren MP4-12C that we already know. Not that there's anything wrong whatsoever with its donor car, we would just like to see something completely new.

What really stinks is that this is a one-off model that you will only be able to buy if the current owner decides he wants to put it up for sale. With the money he has sunk into this, we doubt it's going anywhere anytime soon.