McLaren Automotive has revealed Project Viva, a one-off 750S Spider created by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) as a design study inspired by the architecture, spectacle and atmosphere of Las Vegas. Unveiled ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix, the car serves as a showcase for MSO’s most intricate paintwork to date and highlights the division’s increasingly ambitious approach to bespoke commissions.
Rather than echo the neon palette traditionally associated with the city, MSO has taken a monochrome route. The ‘Sketch in Motion’ livery uses fine, hand-painted artwork to evoke Vegas landmarks, signage and the city’s performance culture, all woven into a wider narrative that nods subtly to McLaren’s racing heritage. The result is a car that reads almost like an illustrated panel, with each element contributing to the sense of movement the team wanted to capture.
Two bespoke MSO finishes form the backdrop: Muriwai White – a reference to the shutters and doors incorporated in McLaren’s Muriwai House design motif – and a new colour, Vegas Nights. The latter is a deep black infused with flecks of cyan, magenta and green, intended to suggest the glow of the Strip after dark. The effect is deliberately restrained, countering Las Vegas’s technicolour skyline with an artistic interpretation rather than literal replication.
Project Viva also carries a handful of personal touches from McLaren’s Formula 1 drivers. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri contributed their own hand-applied details, including the addition of McLaren’s tenth Constructors’ World Championship star on the rear bumper and a series of small sketches, linking the car to the team’s current on-track momentum.
Jonathan Simms, Director of MSO, said the commission demonstrates how the department builds cars around ideas rather than simple aesthetics, describing Project Viva as ‘where craft meets character’.
The one-off 750S Spider will be displayed at the McLaren Experience Centre at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel from 13–20 November, offering a rare opportunity to see MSO’s latest commission ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
