The Geneva Motor Show->ke228 is still a couple weeks away, but it's already shaping up to be quite the show. This year, McLaren->ke284 is setting up its largest stand ever and will showcase vehicles like a bespoke version of the 675LT Spider, the recently confirmed 650S GT3 race car, and another, unknown addition to the Sports Series->ke4981 family. However, one of the more interesting vehicles on display will be the McLaren P1 by McLaren Special Operations.

A couple years back, we covered a story about a customer who thought McLaren offered a full carbon fiber body for the P1 at no additional cost. Of course, this was an absurd assumption by someone who was ill-informed, considering such an option would be so costly that the word “free” has no place in the conversation. That may be the case, but it got the idea out there.

Earlier this year, McLaren announced that the P1->ke4608 would be offered with a carbon fiber body conversion, and the first of the 375 road-legal versions of the P1 equipped with this carbon fiber body will be shown to the public for the first time in Geneva. The conversion is obviously done by MSO, and you can’t deny how beautiful it looks from the pictures. Until we get to see the car up close, in its carbon form, let’s take a better look at this special McLaren P1.

Continue reading to learn more about the McLaren P1 By MSO.

What makes the McLaren P1 By MSO special

As you can see by quickly glancing at the photos supplied by MSO, there's no trickery when it comes to changes to the body. The carbon fiber shell is practically identical in every way to the body it replaces. But, that's ok – MSO wasn’t setting out to modify the P1 as far as aerodynamics or style goes. Instead, it was focused on supplying a lighter body and a more luxurious interior, and it did just that.

To start off, the full carbon fiber body is hand-laid and set with a bespoke Lio Blue lacquer. In addition to the Lio Blue carbon fiber body, MSO also dressed up this P1 with a gloss black finish to the wheels, and a 24-carat gold exhaust heat shield – a little something to pay homage to the McLaren F1. Inside, the entire cabin was retrimmed with carbon black Alcantara. The blue and black color scheme continues on the inside, as all the Alcantara is stitched together with blue contrast stitching.

As you can see from the images, the coloration of the carbon fiber body and the black accenting gives the P1 what I like to call a "midnight appearance." If you can imagine the car sitting under a full moon, the Lio Blue would be nicely accented by the light from our floating companion. On the inside, I can’t help but notice how beautiful the carbon trim and Alcantara are when they come together.

Needless to say, MSO did an exceptional job on this P1. If I was lucky enough to be able to afford a P1, I would certainly go for this carbon fiber conversion. I look forward to seeing more of it when it arrives in Geneva.

McLaren P1

At first, the McLaren P1 generated mixed opinions from the public. Some thought the car had just too much going on, and it wasn’t as eye-catching as models like the LaFerrari, for instance. The body of the McLaren P1 is certainly unique and is a combination of some interesting shapes thrown together in a way that somehow makes harmony. Despite its subjective styling, it sure did end up hitting the nail right on the head for some people’s idea of what a hypercar should look like. If you ask my opinion, I think it's absolutely beautiful, and a true masterpiece both inside and out.

Read our full review on the McLaren P1 here.