McLaren only took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times – in 1995-1998 – and only won the first season. To commemorate that victory, the company will be releasing a special version of its 720S super sports car, titled Le Mans Special Edition.
The McLaren F1 GTR BMW racecar that brought the British automaker its Le Mans gold came equipped by a twelve-cylinder BMW engine rated at “just” 600 horsepower (447 kilowatts). The road-legal variant of the car that emerged later had superior 636 hp (474 kW); out of the 106 total units produced, 64 were road-legal.
The 720S that celebrates 25 years of McLaren’s Le Mans victory comes in two paint options: Sarthe Grey and McLaren Orange. Both are complemented by Ueno Grey side skirts and rear. The LM Series wheels are reminiscent of those installed on F1 GTR racers, and the brake calipers inside are painted gold. Further distinctive features include carbon-fiber gills, special badges all around, and a roof scoop. Each car’s VIN starts with “298”, which corresponds to the number of laps in the endurance race of 1995.
The batch draws its power from the same V8 4.0 TT rated at 720 hp (537 kW) and 770 Nm (568 lb-ft) of torque. Paired with a seven-speed DSG, it takes the 1,419kg coupe from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds and up to 341 km/h (212 mph).
McLaren will keep the production quantity down to 50 units, out of which only 16 will be available in Europe. Sales will start in September, and the minimum price tag is £254,500 (you can buy a normal 720S for roughly £35,000 less).