The McLaren P1 arrived in 2013 as one of three hybrid hypercar flagships produced alongside the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder, a group collectors now refer to as the ‘Holy Trinity.’ McLaren produced exactly 375 coupes, ending the run in 2015, and never offered a factory Spider. The coupe's carbon-fiber MonoCage integrated the roof as a structural element, making an open-top conversion a substantial engineering undertaking for any party willing to attempt it.
Lanzante, the British-based firm best known for winning the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans with a McLaren F1 GTR and for converting the track-only P1 GTR for road use, unveiled the P1 Spider program at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. While the original hypercar's iconic design language was established under the direction of Frank Stephenson, the open-top Spider conversion was led by the original P1 exterior designer Paul Howse, with Lanzante committing to a maximum of five examples. The process reinforces the lower MonoCage chassis, removes the structural roof, adds carbon-fiber rear buttresses with revised twin-turbo air intakes, and revises the clamshell engine cover and active aerodynamic wing. A removable carbon-fiber roof panel ships with each car.
The mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 works alongside an AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor through a 7-speed dual-clutch SSG transaxle, with combined output of 903 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Period figures put 0-60 mph at approximately 2.7 seconds and top speed at 217 mph. RaceActive Chassis Control hydraulically linked suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, brake steer, and front axle lift carry over from the coupe.
This particular car began as a McLaren P1 chassis #209. Delivered new through McLaren Philadelphia in "Professor 2 Blue," a custom 1-of-1 MSO shade commissioned by the first owner, a Harvard Business School professor, and the only P1 produced in that specification. The car earned the nickname "the Professor" in McLaren circles.
After a subsequent change of ownership, the car was sent to Lanzante for the Spider conversion, with the historic Gulf livery, light blue bodywork, an orange centerline stripe, the lower bodywork and diffuser in exposed carbon fiber, and an active rear wing painted to match the body. The car rides on matte black and silver forged wheels.
The cabin was fully retrimmed during the conversion in UV-treated white SuperFabric leather with orange piping and orange seat belts. The center console is painted in Gulf blue with orange-capped drive-mode and aerodynamic selector rotaries, and the Active button carries a Lanzante-branded cap. Carbon-fiber-shelled racing bucket seats carry leather inserts, and the carbon-trimmed leather steering wheel operates the dual-clutch transmission through paddle shifters. A Lanzante plaque reading "Chassis: 02/05" is mounted on the rear bulkhead between the seats, highlighting this car’s unique position and significance.
With just 2,935 miles on the odometer and fewer than 200 accumulated since the conversion, 2 Gulf-liveried keys, and the factory charging system accompany the sale. Already the rarest member of the hybrid hypercar Holy Trinity, with 375 examples produced compared to 499 LaFerraris and 918 Porsche 918 Spyders, the P1 occupies a special place in modern collector circles. With only five Lanzante Spiders ever built, chassis 02/05 represents an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire one of the most exclusive open-top hypercars ever created.
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