JAMES LEE THOMPSON

What would Bruce McLaren build today? The MCL 6GT.

Timely yet timeless.

A Red exterior nodding to the original M6GT with 21st century pigment technologies. Raw metals exude authenticity, with etched detailing removing material instead of needlessly adding weight.

Formidable soft materiality in lightweight Alcantara, box quilted like Bruce's vision, with the addition of woven details accentuating the woven carbon at the heart of our vehicles. Teamed maturely with a Bio-tan semi-aniline leather, embracing natural features, inherently bespoke to each hide. Metals are anodised; B-surface becomes A-surface, nothing added.

A true example of collaboration and vision coming to life. Incredibly proud of our teams that made this a reality. A highlight of my career to date, and this is just the start.

Colours, Materials, Finshes and Graphics led by my team.

M6GT: Restored by McLaren Special Operations.

In 1969 Bruce McLaren had a vision for McLaren’s road car future: “a civilised version of one of our racing cars.” The result was the M6GT.

Just three examples were built. More than 50 years on, following the discovery of original moulds, MSO has faithfully restored one, bringing new life to an icon that helped define the McLaren mindset.

Colours, Materials and Finishes consultation from my team.

At McLaren, performance has always been about more than statistics, it's what you experience. The immediacy of response, the intensity of sound, and the connection between car and driver.

The 788HS represents the most focused expression of that philosophy. That journey began with the 720S, evolved through the benchmark beating 750S and uncompromising 765LT, and now culminates in the 788HS - the definitive and final evolution of this award-winning supercar series.

The HS name ‘High Sport’ returns for only the third time in McLaren's history, reserved for the rarest and most extreme series-production supercars. Limited to just 100 788HS and 100 788HS Spider examples worldwide, each will be individually curated through McLaren Special Operations.

Graphics, Colours, Materials and Finishes all led by my team.

One Thousand and Counting

What began with Bruce McLaren’s vision has evolved into a legacy of victories and performance. Whilst the MCL40 represents the pursuit of the podium, the McLaren Artura 1000GP by MSO translates sixty years of breakthroughs, where the 1000th race is celebrated with a commemorative livery inspired by McLaren Racing’s journey to Monaco.

To honour the milestone, the McLaren Artura 1000GP by MSO is based on the MCL40 1000th GP. Offered in 12 colourways and limited to 10 client cars globally, the Artura featuring the camo pattern used by McLaren Racing, is applied selectively across the bonnet, sides, and wing mirrors.

Creative Strategy team led my me.

The 2025 season belonged to McLaren Racing. Twelve wins from the first fifteen rounds. Consistency across every continent. And a back-to-back Constructors’ Championship – our historic 10th title – secured with six races to spare. This wasn’t just a victory. It was a statement.

The MCL39 Celebration Edition brings this incredible momentum to the road. Strictly limited to ten examples worldwide, this special livery for the McLaren Artura Spider features a bespoke MSO design in Myan Orange with Onyx Black, authentic driver signatures and a dedicated tribute to a season defined by victory. 

Creative Strategy team led my me.

‘One year after our Le Mans victory, where the F1 GTR dominated, McLaren sought another challenge. One that could take F1 GTR to new heights and new places: the 1996 All-Japan Grand Touring Championship (JGTC).

Adorned in a distinctive tiger stripe livery, the number 61 F1 GTR – driven by John Neilsen and David Brabham – took the overall Championship, and in doing so, McLaren became the only non-Japanese manufacturer to win in GT500, the JGTC's top class. A record that stands to this day.

To celebrate a pivotal moment for McLaren in Japan and this historic win, we're introducing 750S JC96, available only in Japan.’

CMF team led by me.

The fastest Range Rover Sport SV to date, with a modern luxury colour and materiality curation to match.

Exterior Body colour CARBON BRONZE- a maturely bold metallic transcending from a post-industrial era and paving a way for nuanced, modular chroma palettes. A blend of Mica flake teamed with a desaturation of a traditionally deep colour, followed by a satin top coat for a finish giving slow travelling depth with intrigue.

Carbon Fibre additions bring a welcomed familiarity to functional luxury, fore-fronting lightweight and technical materials in a modern sports vehicle.

Revolutionary Carbon Ceramic brakes are highlighted in a Neon tinted satin yellow complimenting the exterior colours light travel. Loudly subtle.

All colours, materials and finishes led by myself from advanced concept through to handover to production design teams alongside an incredibly talented CMF team led by Amy Frascella.

https://hypebeast.com/2023/5/range-rover-sport-sv-v8-performance-suv-reveal-first-look-power-price

Materials lead the focus inside the fastest Range Rover Sport SV to date, through lightweight technicality as an unapologetically stark statement for modern luxury.

3D Knit-to-form seats eliminate waste and utilize high tech and fast constructions for optimum efficiency and weight savings. Uber-tech detailing with playful branding asymmetric and quiet until seen. Teamed with a Vegan Scuba Leather in a performance perforation further amplifies to level of capability this vehicle offers.

Carbon Fibre is in abundance with seat backers amongst other cabin finishers showcase the trusted lightweight Aramid fibre in its full glory.

Moonlight gloss chrome give detail and clarity to the luxury design lines of the highly technical steering wheel as well as other key touch points internally. Complimenting this is the cold touch ceramic gear shift in gloss finish for an extra sensory experience.

All colours materials and finishes led by myself alongside an incredibly talented CMF team led by Amy Frascella.

https://hypebeast.com/2023/5/range-rover-sport-sv-v8-performance-suv-reveal-first-look-power-price

Private and confidential until projects release 2023

Colour concept seeded in Advanced Creation paint, led by me, and adopted by the Bespoke team for early launch

We removed all mica and glass flake from the colour recipe to achieve a true richness in chroma for an ‘ultimate toy like’ feel. Fully finished with a gloss top-coat for that extra depth in saturation.

Photos: @landroversv

Colour concept seeded in Advanced Creation paint, led by me, and adopted by the Bespoke team for early launch

Inspired by the desaturated print-out colour of 1980s magazines, as well as the bathroom suite colour of the era, the aim was to bring this colour into a timeless space. Removal of mica and glass flake allowed for the cleanness in colour, as well as knocking out excess texture. Exuding luxury in a matte top-coat, as well as a satisfying thickness in the gloss top-coat carrying the colour.

Photos: @landroversv