McLaren unveils racing-bred MSO X

McLaren’s Special Operations (MSO) team has created a limited edition, racing inspired supercar based on the company’s 570S.

The MSO X has a limited production run of just ten examples, says Auto Express, all of which have been commissioned by McLaren dealerships in Newport Beach, California.

The supercar has been heavily influenced by the 570S GT4 racing car, the magazine says. It has the same twin air outlets on its bonnet and the same carbon fibre rear wing as the 570S.

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The car also sports two tow cables, one at the front and one at the back. These are mandatory on competition cars as they help rescue teams at racing circuits recover vehicles that have either crashed or got stuck in gravel traps.

Other exterior features include a roof snorkel inspired by the McLaren F1 hypercar of the mid 1990s, says Top Gear. This sucks in air at higher speeds to help cool the engine, although it doesn’t appear on the 570S GT4 racing car.

MSO has stripped out the supercar’s interior to save as much weight as possible, according to the website. There’s an abundance of carbon fibre and grippy Alcantara surfaces, while the control panel below the centre console has been raised to make it more accessible for drivers.

Despite its racing-car vibe, Top Gear says the MSO X still comes with parking sensors, air conditioning and a touchscreen sat nav system.

It’s powered by a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine that produces 562bhp, says Autocar. In this respect it’s identical to the 570S road car, as is the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and rear-wheel drive configuration.

Sadly all ten versions of the MSO X have already been sold, says Auto Express, but the British supercar firm is “happy to listen to potential customers interested in creating a bespoke McLaren tailored to their needs”.