Elite Traveler July-August 2017

McLaren ENGLAND, 1963

New Zealander Bruce McLaren won the 1959 US Grand Prix for Cooper at 22 and formed his own racing team four years later. Following Bruce’s death testing at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1970, the team continued, winning its first of eight Formula 1 Constructor’s World Championship in 1974, and securing the Drivers’ title 12 times for the likes of James Hunt, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton. McLaren launched its first production road car, the F1, in 1992. Returning to road car production in 2009, it now offers a wide variety of high performance coupe and spiders. mclaren.com McLaren F1 CLASSIC In 1988 McLaren could do no wrong, winning 15 out of 16 Grand Prix races. So when the team’s executives dreamed up the idea of building a road car, it was obviously going to be something very special indeed. Four years later the 243mph, 627bhp, 6.1-liter, V12 mid-engined, three-seat, carbon-fiber chassis McLaren F1 arrived. It set supercar standards that many rivals still struggle to surpass a quarter of a century later. Just 64 pure road car versions were produced, and if you want one today you will probably have to spend at least $10m. But you do get a gold leaf-lined engine bay.

McLaren F1

McLaren 720S

720S MODERN

The clue, as they say, is in the name. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 720PS 4.0-liter V8 engine, McLaren’s new 720S musters — yes, you’ve got it — 720PS. With a 212mph top speed and the ability to accelerate to 124mph in a mere 7.8 seconds, performance is eye-watering and matched only by the sheer sense of driving involvement provided by the carbon fiber chassis. And if the standard $268,677 720S isn’t extreme enough for you, then the McLaren Special Operations division will happily create something bespoke, as this MSO 720S Velocity model, which costs around $431,481, illustrates.

Maserati ITALY, 1914

In 1914 four brothers from the Maserati family, Alfieri, Bindo, Ettore and Ernesto, set up a company manufacturing spark plugs and later began making road cars. In 1933, one of the world’s greatest drivers, Tazio Nuvolari, secured fame for the company with race wins at the wheel of its 8CM, a feat repeated by Juan Manuel Fangio in a Maserati 250F during the 1950s. Over the years the ownership of Maserati changed hands on numerous occasions, and the company endured many a turbulent storm. Today, it is controlled by Fiat Chrysler and offers five models, all carrying the famous trident badge, designed in 1920 by a fifth Maserati brother, Mario. maserati.com

A6GCS Berlinetta CLASSIC

Many people believe that the A6GCS Berlinetta is not just the most beautiful Maserati ever built, but the most beautiful car ever built, period. The judges of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance in England certainly thought so, awarding a 1951 example of the stunning, low-slung two-seater the prestigious top prize in 2014. Designed by Pininfarina, the A6GCS features a 170bhp 2.0-liter straight-six engine, and was built to compete in the World Sportscar Championship.

Maserati Levante

Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta

Levante MODERN

Maserati may have turned up somewhat late to the SUV party in 2016, but it did so in considerable style with its classically handsome, five-door, five-seat all-wheel drive turbocharged diesel Levante. Customers can upgrade the Levante’s sumptuous, high-technology cabin further thanks to a collaboration between Maserati and one of the world’s leading designers, Ermenegildo Zegna, resulting in an interior combination of fine leather and natural fiber Zegna Mulberry Silk. In addition, Maserati has recently added a second model to the range, the Levante S, which is powered by 424hp 3.0-liter twin turbocharged petrol V6 and priced from $91,000.