Pale blue with an orange stripe – what else but the racing colours of Gulf Oil, a livery embedded in every enthusiast’s mind. It’s just as well-known from Ford GT40s and Porsche 917s as McLarens, but it’s the British firm that is brightening up grids – and roads – with it in 2021. Anyone up for a pale blue-and-orange-striped 720S supercar?
This Gulf McLaren 720S took 20 days to paint
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That’s the latest offer from Woking, reprising a relationship with the international oil company that dates back to 1968 and the first Gulf-sponsored McLaren Formula 1 cars. They are back as well with Norris and Ricciardo due to debut one-off Gulf-liveried McLarens in the Monaco Grand Prix next weekend. And they look stunning.
Just as stunning as the latest 720S. But then you can’t really go wrong with this livery, can you? It is so evocative of so many cars and so many race wins in Can-Am and, most memorably, at Le Mans. The McLaren F1 GTR that won La Sarthe in 1995 wasn’t blue and orange but it was a Gulf-sponsored F1 GTR that came second in 1997.
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Despite an association between the firms dating back to Bruce McLaren in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, that F1 GTR was actually the first McLaren to bear the famous Gulf colours. The 720S (along with the new F1 cars) is only the second.
Does it earn its stripes? It’s a colour and trim job so do not expect mechanical changes. But then for many, us included, the 212mph 720S remains the benchmark supercar with a huge breadth of ability, headlined by its turbo V8’s 720PS (530kW) and 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds.
As a special model from McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the Gulf Oils 720S is all about the paint job. MSO says it’s hand-done and takes 20 days to create, the AkzoNobel paints in metallic and solid finishes matched to the original Gulf Oil colours.
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McLaren’s latter-day take on the livery includes some other touches: orange brake calipers and, inside, blue and orange stitching, embroidered Gulf logos on the headrests and an orange band on the steering wheel.
“It is always great to see customers embracing famous liveries on modern McLaren supercars,” McLaren Automotive chief exec Mike Flewitt tells us.
“The 720S in Gulf colours celebrates two high-performance brands who draw on a deep automotive and racing history that have embarked on a new strategic partnership to excite customers and fans around the world.”
MSO say they will make a “limited number” of similar cars. Cool thing to drive down to Le Mans in later this year!
