Meeting Kilo: A Carbonfibre Feast
It is not often that you find yourself in an underground car park, in an affluent area of London, staring at a work of art; a commissioned vehicular dream, formed into reality by McLaren Automotive’s artists – MSO. Infact it might not be advisable.
But there I was, having met up with the owner of a unique car. A gentleman and a true car nut.
Just three days before Project Kilo – as this car is known – had been delivered to it’s owner in London. Precious few miles had passed under its wheels.DSC_0516sProject Kilo is an extra-ordinary McLaren 650s Coupe and is special because of the extraordinary sum of its parts.
The colour is customised for the owner. It is a stunning Kilo Grey with fine silver flecks through it. It dances under the light.
The colour was chosen for relative subtly – although it lives in London, its future life will be in Hong Kong. This car was not made to scream, ‘look at me!’
DSC_0562bsDelicate touches and flourishes cover the car, which give it away to those in the know. The orange details contrast beautifully.
The orange paint around the door is the most obvious give away when entering and exiting. This, with its ‘MSO’ branding, is inspired by a P1 which was shown at Pebble Beach in 2014, chassis number 084.
DSC_0529sNow if you like carbonfibre, this is the car for you. So many surfaces gleam with the multi-faceted, lightweight material.
The full carbonfibre roof is unique on a 650S. And only one 12C – which lives in Japan – has a similar roof. This saves weight and, more importantly, lowers the centre of gravity.
DSC_0557bsEven the frame around the front windscreen is carbonfibre.
The creases along the side of the car are made of…? Yes – Carbonfibre! Orange MSO logos finish off the look. I was told to excuse the dirt but is it just me that thinks a mucky car is a cool car??
DSC_0561bsThroughout the cars, there are Kiwis. The owner is keen to highlight McLaren’s incredible heritage and its founder Bruce McLaren. The owner was particularly proud of the fact that, when the Bruce’s daughter visited MSO recently, it was his car she complimented, noting the Kiwis.
DSC_0522sInside the car carbon continues to abound. The surrounds of the fans on the dash as partly carbonfibre and partly painted in the cars paint.
The display incorporates gear shifting lights and other light touches that many would be unaware of. The buttons in the centre consols are also painted. The centre band on the steering wheel has become a popular feature on some P1s but this is the first I have seen on a 650S. The paddles are full-sized and from the P1.
DSC_0521 The lightweight seats, once again, might be familiar as they are from the P1 too. You often hear that seats in a car are comfy but these are some of the best I have sat in. The hug you tight, support you in the right place and let you know that you are somewhere safe…and fast!DSC_0534s One of my favourite areas of the car has to be the engine bay. It is not unusual to see a high specifications with carbonfibre lining the engine bay. The twin-turbo 3.8l V8 is nestled away. But with Project Kilo, you would be forgive for assuming that every part of the engine was made of carbonfibre!
This picture shows the superb lengths to which the engine bay has been transformed with the contours and swoops all frozen in material. Body coloured touches with McLaren Orange accents make it a veritable work of art.
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At the rear of the car, the look is dominated by MSO’s massive 650S diffuser. What is more subtle is another P1-inspired detail.
It is often said that no car is complete without gold lining… Well, I have just said it, at least.
Underneath the skin, and surrounding the exhaust is a gold lining. This feature has been seen on a few P1s and traces its inspiration even further back, to the F1 from the 1990s. In this picture you can also see some of the depth of the paint.
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Outside the car is one of my personal favourite details: the key. MSO specially made this key for this car but you can bet others will want to add this, or similar, to their bill when speccing their McLaren in future.
Again, body coloured paint and McLaren accents combine to make one of the coolest cars I have seen.
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In all, Project Kilo is a work of art. It combines subtly, taste and attention to detail. It is not an in-your-face, shocking Picasso. It is, rather, a project of realism with an initial simplicity blown away in the carefully, thought-through touches that add up to a complex and unique manifestation of one man’s idea of near perfection.
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A big thank you to the owner of Project Kilo who was kind enough to give up his morning to show me around the car!