One Of The Last McLaren Speedtails Built Is A Tribute To One Of The First Test Mules

When McLaren was getting the Speedtail ready to test on public roads, it wanted to give it a special livery that looked cool and hinted at its aerodynamic nature. One buyer liked it so much that they asked for the stripey pattern to be painted on their car.

Named Albert, the test car paid homage to the Albert Drive premises where the McLaren F1’s test mules were developed in 1992 since both were three-seater cars. The livery, meanwhile, represented the “optimized airflow” that the Speedtail offered.

Unfortunately for McLaren Special Operations, it’s much easier to print out a vehicle wrap for a test mule than it is to actually paint a special livery for a customer who’s paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for your car.

Read More: McLaren Speedtail Prototype Embarking On Year-Long Test Drive

The team first painted test panels to check the feasibility of the project, then two specialists masked the car. This had to be done with the wheel on to make sure the cross-panel alignment was accurate since the lines flow all around the car.

In all, it took almost 2 km (1.2 miles) of line-out tape to complete the design layout. Then the body had to be disassembled so that the panels would have a flawless finish. After the first coat, the body was reassembled to ensure alignment, then disassembled again for the subsequent paint coats.

In all, the job took 12 weeks, with two dedicated to masking, six to the process of painting, and the remaining four weeks for drying and reassembly. The colors chosen for the paint scheme are special, too. At the front, “Albert” is finished in Ueno Grey, the color the F1 GTR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in, while the back is finished in Magnesium Silver, the color in which the McLaren F1 was first shown at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix.

“The Speedtail experience has been an exciting journey for our customers, from visualizing their imaginations to realizing these inspirations and sharing their delight when unveiling the finished product,” said Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations. “‘Albert’ brings this project to a conclusion and we are thrilled to finish on a high note.”

The Speedtail is set to make its public debut on August 8 at the Sunset GT luxury cars and coffee event in Beverly Hills, near the dealership through which “Albert” was ordered.