Lanzante unveils remarkable 95-59 at FOS

A three-seat McLaren to pay homage to that three-seat McLaren - with more than 850hp

The year 2025 was always going to be a big one for anyone associated with McLaren, as it marks 30 years since the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours win for the F1. Even if McLaren goes on to win it again when it returns to top-tier sportscars in 2027, the ‘95 victory will always remain very special. Woking has already marked the occasion with the 750S Le Mans; now it’s time for Lanzante, as it often does in these situations, to up the ante. Quite a bit.

This is the 95-59, a three-seat, 850hp-plus hypercar that weighs 1,250kg at its lightest and promises to be ‘one of the most exciting modern-day drivers’ cars.’ When it’s Lanzante saying that, and when the donor car is the 750S - probably the greatest series production achievement of McLaren Automotive - there’s every reason to believe it. Lanzante hasn’t disclosed exactly how that power gain has been achieved for the moment, although there is an optional LM30 Pack that should bring even more life to the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with Inconel exhaust headers and titanium pipes. With forged aluminium wheels as well, an LM30 Packed 95-59 will weigh 20kg less than usual (that’s where the 1,250kg comes from). It also brings gold-plated heat shielding, just like you know what, so don’t be surprised if all 59 examples get the pack.

Even 700hp per tonne is likely to be an aside, though, given the incredible design of the 95-59. Paul Howse is responsible for the appearance once more, as he was for the P1 Spider Lanzante exhibited a couple of years back. While officially a ‘production intent styling concept’, complete with Ueno Grey paint like the triumphant F1, the real thing is surely unlikely to deviate too far from this. Looks too cool to change. Howse said 95-59 “is something that has not been seen or done before.” Certainly there’s got to be a fair bit of re-engineering to make a two-seater car into a three, especially when there’s a carbon tub to deal with.

The actual layout features the central seat on lightweight runners - the steering column and pedal box are fixed. The pair of passenger seats are ‘formed within the chassis’, featuring integrated leg support and headrests. For the driver, there are transmission buttons on the wheel, new screens either side for vital info, and buttons in the roof pod for additional functions.

Notable changes design-wise include a central V in the clamshell bonnet, drawing attention to the central driving position, an even lower waistline and a rear end ‘taking inspiration from the brutalist-organic forms of the fifth-generation F22 fighter jet’. There’s certainly McLaren to see to start with, then more and more changes the longer you look. The aggressive aero add-ons, from front splitter to rear diffuser, give the 95-59 a more motorsport aesthetic than may have been anticipated. Note the mirrors up in the dihedral doors now also, with a standard glass roof, which will surely help airflow down the side of the car. And visibility for whoever’s lucky enough to be in that central chair.

Paul Howse again: “It was critical to us that the design language of 95-59 flowed as seamlessly as possible between the exterior and interior. We worked hard to ensure there was cohesion around the full exterior, and the full interior for occupants, with the team working hand-in-glove across both aspects, in parallel. This has led to a symbiosis between the bodywork and the cabin, with design features, shapes and forms linking between the two, which is rare.”

Interestingly, despite the prodigious performance potential, the 95-59 is not pitched as a pure track car. It’s been designed with proper trips in mind: ‘heritage born on the track but dedicated to ensuring owners can fully enjoy cars on the road’ - and as such features a larger-than-standard 75-litre fuel tank plus ‘space for multiple bags’ under the bonnet. Lanzante has been in talks with a few of their clients about the 95-59 project - ‘previous and current owners of three-seat models’ is a wonderful phrase - and what the realities of a central driving position are. If they know the configuration, and might potentially be adding another one to the stable, they’re the people to speak to. Dean Lanzante added: “It has been as important for us to create the ultimate product, that pushes what is possible and challenges people to understand the engineering behind it, but which also meets the needs of those people who will ultimately own and run it.”

So hopefully this won’t be the last you see of a 95-59; Lanzante even reckons this will be ‘cost effective and easy to maintain’, so there’ll be no excuse not to exploit the full potential at every opportunity. With 100 per cent more company than the usual supercar drive. The Petersfield-based company will build 59 examples, priced from £1,020,000 plus local taxes. Wouldn’t be a Festival of Speed without another seven-figure supercar from Lanzante. But when it’s the car the founder says he wanted to build for 30 years, it surely classifies as even more awesome than usual. Wonder if they’ll all be spoken for before the weekend is done?

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Frankychops

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