Text Sarah WETZLMAYR
Few automobiles feel as intuitively attuned to their drivers as McLaren’s hypercars. Within McLaren Automotive’s bespoke division, this guiding principle is not merely sustained but brought to its most exacting expression. A visit to MSO—McLaren Special Operations—where customization is not a promise, but standard practice.
Anyone who has ever sat in a McLaren knows that these vehicles are far more than mere machines. They react precisely and directly, every movement finds its echo—cars that sometimes feel like an extension of one’s own body, a unity of human and technology. This feeling is not accidental: it is the result of the uncompromising tuning that McLaren has elevated to its own discipline—from the exact feedback of the steering and the precise response of the brakes to the balance of the chassis.
During the customization process, customers can draw on the concentrated craftsmanship and expertise of the McLaren MSO team. The possibilities for giving the interior (pictured in the W1) a personal touch are also diverse.
The department at McLaren responsible for customization and restoration takes things several steps further when it comes to the car as a reflection of one’s own personality. From subtle adjustments to complete one-offs, almost anything is possible at MSO, McLaren’s Special Operations Unit, to design a McLaren that not only matches one’s taste but also becomes a moving expression of one’s identity. Moreover, all those who embark on this path of personalization also write themselves into the brand’s history. Jonathan Simms, who previously headed the Bespoke department at Rolls-Royce, among other roles, serves as »Director of MSO McLaren Special Operations«. In Goodwood, he learned what it means when bespoke is part of the brand’s core, meaning customers know exactly the wide range of possible customization options. And, of course, they are happy to make use of them. That’s exactly what he now wants to achieve at McLaren, Simms explains.
Jonathan Simms heads McLaren Special Operations—with the goal of making the three letters
MSO synonymous with desirability.
We are in the premises above the legendary Silverstone Circuit. Here, customization options are explored and paint finishes inspected in a specially designed area. Fingers glide over fabric samples, leather, and Alcantara. Below us, McLarens whiz through Copse, Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel — from the new Artura to the Senna GTR and the Solus GT, almost the entire model range is on display as part of the »Pure McLaren Trackdays« at Silverstone. The latter vehicle, in particular, is impossible to overlook or ignore. However, the most photographed hypercar that day is certainly the brand new W1. The car, equipped with 1,275 hp and incorporating numerous technical achievements and experiences from Formula 1, was limited to 399 units and is a hypercar par excellence. Its name alone reveals that the W1 was developed to join the lineage consisting of the two legends F1 and P1. Unlike other McLaren models, each individual W1 undergoes a tuning and customization process whose extent varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Jonathan Simms explains that the largely untapped potential played a significant role in his move to McLaren. »The level of expertise and craftsmanship at McLaren, for example when it comes to paintwork or airbrushing, is immensely high. I am confident that with this large pool of possibilities, we will succeed in further increasing MSO’s appeal. For the future, I hope that these three letters immediately evoke desire.«
ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS ONE
When it comes to the customization process, the first step is usually the most difficult, Simms adds. »I constantly meet people who have long considered designing a McLaren to their specifications but don’t know how or where to start. Therefore, it’s also important for me to educate much more about the possibilities we have at McLaren for customization. Once this first step is taken, the probability is high that a second car will follow. But of course, only if we have done our job well.«
»The level of expertise and craftsmanship, for example when it comes to paintwork or airbrushing, is immensely high at
McLaren,« confirms Jonathan Simms, Head of McLaren MSO.
Jonathan Simms laughs. And he has good reason to, as he knows about the concentrated craftsmanship and expertise he can draw upon as Head of MSO. As the most important agent of his special unit, Simms also knows that »personal« and »private« are not synonymous, but he is also aware that private experiences often play a decisive role in designing a vehicle tailored to one’s own personality. »I find it exciting to observe that at the beginning of the collaboration, the vehicles usually exhibit all the brand’s typical characteristics. They are distinctly sporty, and hardly any vehicle comes without Papaya. The longer the journey together lasts, the more elements are added that reflect the customer’s personality.«
Ultimately, the main goal is always to reconcile two identities, Jonathan Simms summarizes. However, it is by no means his job to dictate a certain taste, he adds. »Of course, in the end, there are cars I like, as well as those that don’t quite match my taste. I really like it when personal details are incorporated. Just recently, we airbrushed a cartoon from a customer’s childhood onto a door—very small at the bottom. We also always encourage our customers to bring a memento or inspiration to the first session.«
The first session is usually followed by two more. Although Jonathan Simms is the person at the well-oiled lever between vision and implementation, there are still some technical limitations. »We certainly don’t want to stand in the way of our customers’ imagination. They should view the vehicle as a blank canvas. However, for example, with the W1, there’s a part in the rear area that we cannot modify because it gets extremely hot and therefore must be made of a specific material,« he notes.
Named after Ayrton Senna, the McLaren Senna GTR is a tribute to McLaren’s close connection with motorsport.
The tuning process often goes more smoothly and fluidly when things that the future owners don’t like are also discussed, Simms remarks, adding: »If you don’t like something, it usually brings out a pretty strong emotion—you can articulate the reasons for it better and pinpoint them in detail than with things you do like. This process helps us a lot in figuring out what the car should look like in the end.«
Before Jonathan Simms has to return to the lever between vision and implementation, one last question arises: Which part of the entire tuning and customization process does he enjoy the most? Simms laughs and immediately has an answer ready: »I love the moment when extremely successful business people suddenly develop a childlike curiosity and fascination again. It’s always a very special moment when they dare to share their designs with us and are truly proud of what they have created.«
»WE WANT THE CARS TO BE DRIVEN«
MSO originally emerged as an exclusive customer service for the legendary McLaren F1, produced between 1993 and 1997. Today, the scope of work for Jonathan Simms and his team is much broader. In addition to customization, they also handle the restoration and preservation of value for all historical models from the British manufacturer. The fact that the McLaren Special Operations department team includes people who were involved in the development of the F1 is invaluable. The iconic vehicles are restored with original parts and based on design drawings, shining in new splendor. If desired, they are also reinterpreted with modern accents. In this way, the British sports car manufacturer ensures that McLaren’s legacy remains tangible and experienceable for future generations.
McLaren W1 & McLaren 750S Le Mans – a special edition of the 750S Coupé for the 30th anniversary of
McLaren’s victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.
One could take a cue from the fashion industry in this regard, as Jonathan Simms notes during our conversation. »I hope that we, too, will have these moments at regular intervals that all McLaren fans eagerly await because they finally want to know which historical model we have restored. Or which special custom build we will release next.«
Crucially, driving pleasure must not be neglected. Or rather: it can and should, of course, take place on racetracks, but it also unfolds on road trips or daily commutes. Because you don’t own a McLaren just to look at it. Even the W1, which has everything it takes to push a little further to the limit during a track day, is suitable as a vehicle for a weekend getaway. Even a coffee cup can be comfortably placed in the center console. »We want the cars to be driven,« says Heather Fitch, W1 Product Manager, summing up one of the British manufacturer’s most important principles. A good cue to check one last time how well the Silverstone Circuit actually lends itself to getting a little closer to the aforementioned unity of man and machine. Because one thing is certain: the core of the McLaren experience lies in driving.
In Collaboration with McLaren Automotive | FIRST PUBLISHED IN CHAPTER №XIII »IDENTITY«—WINTER 2025/26
