Recently, McLaren Automotive has launched its most bespoke and ambitious theme to date – the complex and astonishing 3-7-59 theme.
Executed by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) paint technicians, the theme is presented on the McLaren 750S supercar.
This commemorative edition was unveiled by McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris, McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward, and former McLaren F1 driver Derek Beli, who competed twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a McLaren F1 GTR. Also present at the event were Michael McDonagh, Managing Director of MSO and Motorsport at McLaren Automotive.
Unveiled at the Velocity International luxury sports racing event at Sonoma Raceway, USA, the 3-7-59 theme is a tribute to McLaren’s victories in the ‘Triple Crown’ from the Indianapolis 500, Monaco Grand Prix, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. The launch event is one of the most memorable moments in the brand’s 60-year anniversary since its founding in 1963.
To complete this commemorative paint theme, McLaren took over 1,200 hours to paint six 750S cars, including two coupe and spider versions. All six cars have been sold.
Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive, shared about the special 750S theme: “To celebrate McLaren’s 60th anniversary, McLaren reflects its heritage in always pushing boundaries, both in the world of motorsport and excellence in recent supercar and hypercar models. The 3-7-59 paint theme is inspired by both fields, it is a demonstration of McLaren’s exceptional performance, honoring McLaren’s Triple Crown success. This is the most challenging project ever undertaken by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), a highly specialized paint technique executed on a new standard-setting supercar in the segment.”
The name of the 3-7-59 theme is associated with the racing numbers that McLaren cars won in each race of the Triple Crown: number 3 on the M16D model in the Indy 500 race won by Johnny Rutherford in 1974, number 7 on the McLaren MP4/2 car won by Alain Prist at Monaco in 1984, and number 59 on the McLaren F1 GTR car won at Le Mans in 1995 by Yannick Dalmas, Masanori Sekiya, and JJ Leto.
Similar to the extraordinary winning cars in the races and iconic Triple Crown achievements, the 3-7-59 theme also reflects the colors of the three winning cars, combining them into a vibrant mosaic, an artwork illustrating all three races and the victorious cars.
The 3-7-59 theme elevates McLaren’s paint application capabilities, combining more than 20 colors to create a striking exterior. To achieve the incredible depth and detail on each car, MSO paint technicians drew on decades of experience and techniques developed for previous one-off models commissioned by customers.
The story of the Triple Crown through the 3-7-59 theme begins even before the driver steps inside. It is the key that carries the hand-painted multicolored artwork reflecting the car’s exterior appearance. The front part of the car takes inspiration from the white and red appearance of the MP4/2 car, accompanied by the number 7 on the bonnet and elegantly integrated into the paint’s “broken” effect from this F1 car.
The sides of the car pay tribute to the 1995 Le Mans victory of the McLaren F1 GTR car, represented by a gray tone with the number 59, and the shining green dots on the car represent the participation of the car in the GT1 class in this prestigious 24-hour race.
The intricate details of the paint also tell stories related to the Triple Crown, including hints about the winning cars, the years McLaren won at the Triple Crown event, and the development of the original McLaren logo to the current Speedmark logo being used today.
Similar to the extraordinary winning cars in the races and iconic Triple Crown achievements, the 3-7-59 theme also reflects the colors of the three winning cars, combining them into a vibrant mosaic, an artwork illustrating all three races and the victorious cars.
The 3-7-59 theme elevates McLaren’s paint application capabilities, combining more than 20 colors to create a striking exterior. To achieve the incredible depth and detail on each car, MSO paint technicians drew on decades of experience and techniques developed for previous one-off models commissioned by customers.
Inside the Vortex lightweight alloy wheels are the three-color brake calipers painted in alternating blue, red, and Le Mans gold – reminiscent of the three winning cars of the Triple Crown.
In addition to the superb craftsmanship on the body of the 3-7-59 themed cars, MSO technicians have also incorporated hidden and interactive features. These are QR codes hidden under the paint – both exterior and interior sides, each code is a direct gateway to a website for viewers to learn more details about the car. When viewed at a certain angle under specific lighting conditions, the reflective image of the 3-7-59 pattern will shine on the LED strip in the front light cluster. At the rear, the MSO logo will light up within the air brake lights under the rear wing.
While experimenting with new materials, McLaren created exterior details made from leaf-shaped metal. The silver Triple Crown logo details with a patina finish are placed below both sides of the McLaren 750S “3-7-59” editions, a plating technique developed in-house by the brand to achieve the desired effect. It is one of the highlights of the continuous theme throughout this commemorative edition.
The Triple Crown badge also appears in the car’s interior, along with the orange McLaren stitch on the carbon fiber racing seats, and also appearing embossed on the center armrest. The seat features the Triple Crown artwork on the black Alcantara surface, accompanied by white finished stitching to create contrast.
The car’s interior also features carbon fiber door trim details with matching colored stitches with the seats, a 12 o’clock paint stripe on the steering wheel, carbon fiber shift paddles hand-painted with a “broken” red-white paint effect similar to the front paint of the car as a tribute to the McLaren MP4/2.
The 3-7-59 theme has unique additional features, such as a laser-engraved pedal pad with multicolor accentuating patterns and finishes like ceramics, as well as appearing black-white-orange Triple Crown stars. Similar stars also appear on the carbon fiber door sill. The third hidden detail is only seen when the door is open – a tribute plaque. The plaque, in red-white carbon, honors the brand’s unique victories at F1 and Monaco Grand Prix events.
TH (Tuoitrethudo)
