This McLaren special commission took six weeks to paint

McLaren has unveiled a bespoke Speedtail with the most complex paint theme ever completed by McLaren Special Operations.

Named the 'Albert', the bespoke commission is one of the final vehicles in the 106-car Speedtail production run and a homage to the first Speedtail attribute testing vehicle from 2018.

The name of the commission echoes that of the 1992 McLaren F1 test mules, which themselves were named after the Albert Drive premises in which the F1 was designed and built in Woking, UK. The name also follows from the original MVY02 Speedtail prototype vehicle was also christened 'Albert' as a respectful tribute to its three-seat predecessor.

This prototype was developed to validate the concept of the Speedtail's central seat driving position, testing driver ergonomics and visibility and rear-view camera positions. Originally built with the front panels from a 720S, it was the first Speedtail to be driven on public roads.

It sported an exterior design 'camouflage', achieved via a two-metre vinyl body wrap with design lines printed to represent the optimised airflow over the car. The commissioned 'Albert' Speedtail now carries on this legacy, sporting one of the most complex paint themes ever completed by MSO.

Finished in Magnesium Silver - the colour that the F1 road car was first shown in at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix - and Ueno Grey, the colour of the F1 GTR that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, the commission required a six-week painting process wherein the livery masking was completed by two specialist paint technicians.

This had to be completed on the built car, with wheels fitted, to ensure accurate cross-panel alignment of the design as it flows around the vehicle. In total, the masking of the livery required almost 2km of fine line-out tape to complete the initial design layout.

After the first paint application, all body panels were treated and refitted to ensure perfect alignment and only after this the final clearcoat was applied.

The 'Albert' Speedtail will make its public debut at Sunset GT, a luxury cars and coffee event hosted by O'Gara Beverly Hills, which takes place at Sunset Plaza, Los Angeles, USA.

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.