Lanzante has long been a go-to name for looking after McLarens, sticking turbocharged F1 engines in the back of old Porsche 911s and making track-only supercars road legal so you can nip down to Asda in them. The Hampshire-based specialist, though, is branching out into making cars of its own with this, the 95-59.
That name references the year in which the McLaren F1, complete with sponsorship from a, erm, specialist clinic in Tokyo, took an outright win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and that car’s race number. What’s that got to do with Lanzante? Back then, it was a racing team, and it was behind the running of that very car.
Lanzante 95-59 – rear
The 95-59, then, is designed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of that momentous win. It’s based on an existing McLaren platform – Lanzante doesn’t say which, but all clues point to it being the 750S. It uses the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as its donor car, but with power and torque turned up to 850bhp-plus and 650lb ft.
The carbon tub is the same, too, but it’s been re-engineered to allow for the 95-59’s party piece – its central driving position. Like the F1 and its spiritual successor, GMA’s T.50, the 95-59 is a three-seater.
Lanzante 95-59 – front detail
Despite the extra seat, though, it should be lighter than the car it’s based on. Lanzante is targeting 1250kg with the optional LM30 pack, which adds forged aluminium wheels, a titanium exhaust system with Inconel headers, and titanium body fixings. In a nod to the F1, it also brings gold engine bay heat shielding – not for bling, but because of its better heat absorption.
Styling’s been led by Paul Howse, who used to work for McLaren and helped pen cars like the P1 and 720S (and, by extension, the lightly facelifted 750S on which the 95-59 is based). He’s added details like the stripe running up the bonnet to draw the eye to the central seat, and the massive lozenge of an exhaust outlet. Above that is a massive active rear wing that can lie flush or pop up for max downforce.
Lanzante 95-59 – rear
Given the overarching theme, it was inevitable that either 95 or 59 of these would be built, and since exclusivity is cool, it’s the lower number. Each of those 59 cars will kick off at £1,020,000 pre-tax.
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