The Monaco Grand Prix witnesses a level of opulence that is matched by very little in the sporting calendar. The streets of the Principality are flooded with handbags worth more than my house, let alone hypercars. So what does one do to stand out in an ocean of wealth? Whack a McLaren hypercar on a superyacht, of course.
A McLaren Solus GT was spotted on the luxury superyacht Sarastar in Monaco’s harbour ahead of the Grand Prix this weekend. It’s fair to say the pairing of one of the world’s rarest cars sat on the deck of a multi-million-dollar vessel has been the talk of the town.
The McLaren Solus GT: From video game to reality
Originally designed as a concept for the Sony PlayStation game Gran Turismo Sport in 2017, it became part of the brand’s Ultimate Series in 2022, joining such icons like the F1, P1, and Senna. Only 25 of these cars were ever built, making it not only a feat of engineering, but an extreme rarity.
The powertrain consists of a 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine. Producing 829 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, it can accelerate from 0-60mph in just 2.5 seconds while screaming its way to over 10,000 rpm. Keep your foot in, and it will reach 200mph. Power is sent to the rear wheels only via a Le Mans Prototype-spec 7-speed sequential gearbox featuring straight-cut gears and a carbon fibre clutch.
Of course, it looks just as fast as it goes, with a fighter jet-style canopy that slides forward to welcome the driver into the single-seater.
McLaren describes it as being “as close to the experience and feel of driving a Formula 1 car as you can get.”
This isn’t such a surprise when you read that it produces 1,200kg of downforce and weighs less than 1,000kg. Insert comment on it theoretically being able to drive upside down here.
A carbon monocoque derived from Formula 1 technology surrounds the driver, as does a number of safety systems such as a halo and roll bar.
Priced at approximately $4 million when new, this hypercar is a serious bit of kit, dwarfed only by…
The Sarastar superyacht
Serving as a floating display cabinet for the gorgeous McLaren, the Sarastar measures 197 feet in length. Sold two years ago for approximately €35 million, the luxury vessel boasts an aluminium hull and twin MTU 16V 4000 M73L diesel engines generating a total of 7,720 horsepower. This allows it to reach speeds of up to 19.5 knots.
While docked in Monaco, it will act as the perfect viewing platform for the race weekend ahead.
A Monaco tradition
Last year saw a Bugatti Chiron placed on the back of another yacht named Seven Sins, although this was planned by film director Tom Claeren in collaboration with Libertex Europe Official and Boutsen Classic Cars.
The year before this saw a Ferrari F40 placed on a similar yacht, organised by the same team.
