As the F1 GT was a properly engineered and sellable road car (unlike the GT1 cars from Porsche and Mercedes), Gordon Murray insisted on having a brochure produced so, a week after it had been completed (in early 1997) 56 XP GT was driven up to RAF Leeming in Yorkshire where it was photographed alongside a BAE Systems Hawk. This was followed by two days in Scotland and the Isle of Sky.

The car was subsequently seen in the paddock at the Silverstone FIA GT Championship race in May 1997, at which time it was still riding on the same OZ split rim alloy wheels depicted in the F1 GT brochure. These were later changed to the production-spec. five-spoke wheels fitted to the two production cars that followed.

McLaren have retained chassis 56 XP GT from new as part of the company’s heritage collection.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015 chassis 56 XP GT was displayed alongside the new P1 GTR and 675 LT.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: McLaren – https://www.mclaren.com