For a car whose creator never fathomed it competing in motorsport, the McLaren F1 certainly confounded the world with its overwhelming success at one of the most grueling endurance races of all time. In its very first outing at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race-spec F1 GTR, hastily prepared on a shoestring budget, outpaced and outlasted not only its entire LM GT1 field, but also every purpose-built prototype competing in the two classes above, for overall victory. From its humble headquarters between quaint row houses in Hampshire, England, automotive engineering specialist Lanzante prepared the 1995 Le Mans-winning Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing McLaren F1 GTR and handled its full operation and support throughout the race.

Around 2016, the elite outfit started churning out small batches of bespoke McLaren supercars with track-focused upgrades in homage to the British automaker’s Le Mans-winning greats. The model offered here is one of a handful patterned after a different F1 legacy car, the fabled F1 GT, famously nicknamed “Longtail” for its extended bodywork stemming from rule changes for the 1997 season. McLaren built only three road-legal production versions to homologate its F1 GTR Longtail racecar, an example of which would go on to win the GT1 class at the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and finish 2nd overall. Astoundingly, this Gulf Team Davidoff Longtail finished just one lap behind Joest Racing’s TWR-Porsche WSC-95, proving once again the McLaren F1 road car platform’s sheer brilliance, even in the face of higher-spec, purpose-built prototypes.

The 1997 F1 GT was a supercar for the road modified for the track; the P1 GT by Lanzante adopts a similar philosophy, incorporating more aggressive suspension and aero inspired by the track-only P1 GTR, yet in a more comfortable and road-legal package. It is thus in that regard even more extreme than the subsequent McLaren Speedtail, considered the F1’s spiritual successor and true facsimile of the original, with its central seating position and absence of a rear wing. Utilizing a P1 model as the base, the P1 GT is far more focused and distilled to its raw elements, in the true spirit of the all-conquering F1 GT Longtail. At the rear, specially crafted bodywork mimics the original Longtail’s design while incorporating a deeper underbody diffuser and gargantuan, fixed rear wing mounted on revised pylons. An enhanced roof scoop mirrors that of the F1 GT Longtail, while a larger front splitter and louvered front fenders complete the enhanced aerodynamic package. A modified suspension system, like the setup Lanzante developed for its P1 LM, helps manage the increased downforce, while its center-locking wheels are patterned after the F1 GT road car’s iconic five-spoke design.

At its core is the P1’s ultralight, ultra-rigid carbon fiber monocoque and impressive hybrid powertrain. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine and 132-kilowatt electric motor together send 903 horsepower to the rear wheels in conjunction with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. For perspective, that is nearly the same output as the Bugatti Veyron, but the P1 GT is over 1,000 pounds lighter.

Where the P1 GT truly stands apart is its creature comforts. Heating and air conditioning, power windows, carpeting, an infotainment system, and seats with more padding make it far better suited to road use than its mid-1990s muse, and a good measure more refined than the track-only P1 GTR.

The example offered here, numbered 03 by Lanzante, represents an unprecedented opportunity for the dedicated McLaren collector and endurance-racing enthusiast. The P1 had just 946 miles on the odometer when it arrived at Lanzante prior to conversion. It is finished in black over a black leather interior with red microsuede seat inserts and steering yoke. Though replete with amenities to enhance daily road use, the purposeful interior showcases the model’s true focus, with multi-point harness-capable racing buckets, exposed carbon fiber structure, racing-style yoke, and minimal digital instrumentation. Details that quietly speak to the car’s unique greatness include discrete “P1 GT” logos on the headrests and steering yoke, and Lanzante’s own distinctive logo on the central control button for the infotainment system. Showing 5,484 miles on the odometer at cataloguing time, it clearly has been conscientiously enjoyed—as a car of this caliber should be.

With the 30th anniversary of the roadgoing F1 GT Longtail’s debut fast approaching, the P1 GT is a very special creation indeed. An exactingly developed machine that builds on the capabilities of the McLaren P1, it honors McLaren’s glorious endurance racing history and draws inspiration from the track-only P1 GTR, all without sacrificing the refinements that make the P1 such an extraordinary road car.

As one of just four P1 GT examples produced by Lanzante, the very outfit that prepared the Le Mans-winning F1 GTR and ushered it to victory in 1995, this is among the most compelling and rarified hypercars ever created. Like the car that inspired it, there can be little doubt that it will be a thrill to pilot on road and track alike, and that it will remain a highlight of one’s collection for years to come.