McLaren is no stranger to customization programs, having established divisions like McLaren Special Operations (MSO) and personalization packages like “By McLaren” to give its clientele more options to choose from when they’re making their next McLaren purchases. The By McLaren personalization package doesn’t carry the same esteem as MSO, but McLaren hopes to change all that with the introduction of the 570S Design Editions, five different special edition versions of the 570S that was created to showcase what the company’s designers are capable of doing when you let them run wild on a configurator.

The five versions each come with their own unique features and combinations of body colors, wheels, and interior materials. Each of the five versions is themed around a different color, including the Design Edition 1, which features plenty of exterior and interior features all anchored on different shades of the color red. Other colors are available, including Onyx Black, Storm Gray, Ventura Orange, and Silica White.

Since it is, by definition, a package, the Design Edition personalization program removes the ability of customers to specifically pick and choose which individual features they want to get on their McLarens. That may be a turn-off for those who prefer to infuse their McLarens with their own style, but the benefit of the package being cheaper – any of one of the packages will cost drivers an extra £8,500 ($10,500) – compared to individually adding the tweaks should persuade some customers to opt for the Design Edition packages.

Ultimately, future McLaren 570S owners are still given a choice of picking their own personalized upgrades or letting McLaren’s designers pick the upgrades for them. The Design Edition packages cover the latter and for those who don’t have the time and money to browse through McLaren’s seemingly limitless personalization options, these packages are the next best thing.

Continue after the jump to read more about the McLaren 570S Design Editions

2017 McLaren 570S Design Editions

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  • Model: 2017 McLaren 570S Design Editions
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What makes the McLaren 570S Design Editions special

The selling point of the McLaren’s Design Edition is pretty simple as it asks the fundamental question to prospective owners of the McLaren 570S: why bother browsing through all of McLaren’s personalized choices when you can put the decision in the hands of McLaren designers at a lesser cost?

It’s an interesting question to ask. It's a question that comes with it’s own merits, because in my eyes, the Design Edition packages are worth the look and price their based on. Take the Design Edition 1 for example. On the outside, the package is dominated by a Vermillion Red body color and is complemented by a set of diamond-cut, five-spoke lightweight forged wheels with matching red brake callipers, and a Stealth exhaust finisher. Move to the interior and the upgrades are highlighted by seats upholstered in Carbon Black Alcantara and Apex Red Nappa leather. Likewise, the upper facia panel of the cabin gets a Jet Black leather trim while the lower facia gets a similar trim treatment, albeit in Apex Red leather. There’s also a dual-color steering wheel with contrast Slate Gray stitching and a McLaren-branded leather sill trim to complete the package.


Four other Design Edition packages are available. McLaren has yet to release details of the interior portion of these packages, but a peek at the automaker’s configurator reveals that similar exterior treatments are being offered. Design Edition 2, for example, gets the Onyx Black paint finish with similar additions like the diamond-cut, five-spoke lightweight forged wheels with matching brake callipers and the Stealth exhaust finisher. Then there’s the Design Edition 3 featuring a Storm Grey paint finish; the Design Edition 4 that comes with Ventura Orange paint; and the Design Edition 5 with the Silica White body paint. Based on what the interior upgrades are on the Design Edition 1, I think it’s safe to say that each of the other Design Edition packages will feature a similar treatment coinciding with the showcased color of their respective bodies.

Engine upgrades are understandably not part of the Design Edition packages for the McLaren 570S, so if anybody’s looking for one, the aftermarket scene is the best place to get that done. Then again, it’s not like the 570S is a slouch in standard form. It’s actually far from one, thanks in large part to a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine that delivers in excess of 570 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. That’s good enough to allow the sports coupe to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds to go with a top speed of 204 mph.

One of the biggest appeals of McLaren’s Design Edition packages is the fact that the upgrades are already bundled together as an entire package. While it’s not entirely a different approach compared to what other automakers are doing these days, it is a new one that removes the hassle from customers to pick and choose the options themselves. Porsche’s own personalization program, for instance, still relies on customers making specific choices on exterior, interior, and Tequipment accessories. The same holds true for Audi, although to be fair, the German automakers do have their own packages on offer. Audi, for example, has a full leather interior package for $3,000 or a Diamond Stitch leather package that electric and pneumatic seat adjustment, an Alcantara headliner with diamond stitching, sport front seats, and diamond-stitched leather seating surfaces for $5,000.

McLaren’s Design Edition packages are just that too. They’re meant to make it easier for customers to spice up their 570S models without having to worry about mulling over specific choices and spending more than they should. At just £8,500 ($10,500), I’d say that it’s a pretty good deal.