A luthier in Miami, Florida has created a one-off guitar that takes inspiration from one of the McLaren Speedtail prototypes that the British marque used in the development of its Hyper-GT.
In creating this special guitar, Dean Gordon started with his Virtus model and crafted the body from old stock lightweight alder wood while the neck is made from master-grade flamed maple. The lower horn of the guitar has then been milled from aircraft-grade aluminum and the fretboard uses ebony wood in its construction.
The Speedtail prototype which inspired the guitar is known as XP2 and is painted in Saragon Quartz. Gordon’s guitar is finished in a similar shade of silver and much like the car, it includes a large piece of carbon fiber, located on the backplate. McLaren’s Speedtail XP2 prototype, which was driven to its 250 mph top speed more than 30 times at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds, pairs the Saragon Quartz paint with Oxblood Red upholstery throughout the cabin.
The guitar also replicates these red elements in the wiring cavities while the neck of the guitar receives a black satin finish and carbon fiber laminate on the back of the headstock to mimic the XP2’s satin carbon door sills. A handful of other red accents are present as are laser etched details to match the Speedtail’s engine cover and various exterior details at the rear.
Watch: Jay Leno Drives A McLaren Speedtail Unlike Any Other
“McLaren being synonymous with cutting-edge design and pushing boundaries made it a no brainer choice of inspiration for my ‘Automotive’ inspired line of guitars,” Gordon described. “These guitars are my artistic exercise, where I not only try to make the best playing and sounding guitars possible, but to put an artistic flare on them beyond what I normally do. The Speedtail was the perfect muse.”
