Monterey Car Week isn’t just a stage for rare exotics. McLaren, for instance, held a private showcase to debut the Project: Endurance customer Le Mans Hypercar in a new Triple Crown-inspired livery.
For depositors and potential buyers in the United States, it was the first chance to get an up-close look at how McLaren is combining its heritage with its latest motorsport ambitions. For those unaware, Project: Endurance is an exclusive customer program, offering ownership of a car that few will ever experience and full immersion in McLaren’s endurance racing development.
The hypercar’s latest livery seen here, pays homage to McLaren’s first Triple Crown win at the 1974 Indianapolis 500, with McLaren Orange dominating the body, a dark blue center stripe inspired by the Texas flag, and a lone white star on the roof, a tribute to Texan driver Johnny Rutherford. His race number 3 is also carried over, alongside the Speedy Kiwi and Speedmark logos.
The event was headlined by McLaren Group Holdings CEO Nick Collins, Racing CEO Zak Brown, and hosted by Justin Bell, who finished third overall at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans in the #51 McLaren F1 GTR, strengthening the connection to McLaren’s racing heritage.
“There is a huge level of excitement for Project: Endurance around the globe with customers and fans. The opportunity to be one of only a few to own this Le Mans Hypercar and be directly involved in the development and testing program is a very special proposition,” Nick Collins, McLaren Group Holding CEO.
Project: Endurance will make its competitive debut in the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship, as McLaren campaigns to win motorsport’s Triple Crown, Monaco, INDY, and Le Mans, within a single season. For customers, this buy-in goes far beyond garage bragging rights. Ownership includes behind-the-scenes access to McLaren’s WEC program, key team personnel, engineers, drivers, and a two-year track program at some of the world’s best circuits.
Each owner will also get professional driver coaching, their own pit crew, and race engineers to help them master the car. Collins added, “We’re looking forward to showcasing Project: Endurance, with a livery tied specifically to our U.S. motorsports heritage, to America’s customers and prospects throughout August.”
McLaren will continue to court prospects in Dallas and Miami through the end of August, and while this livery looks backward to 1974, the strategy is very much about the future.
