What's all this about?

It's Concours d'Elegance time at Pebble Beach over in the US of A, and McLaren is showing off another of its special one-off 'concept' vehicles, courtesy of McLaren Special Operations (MSO).

Which model has had the MSO treatment this time?

The supposedly practical and comfortable 570GT Sports Series machine. Which still packs a 570hp/600Nm 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, and which can still do 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, 0-124mph in 9.8 seconds and 204mph top speed. A 1.5-litre three-pot turbodiesel version of the Macca, this is not. Its full name is the McLaren 570GT by MSO Concept.

What has MSO done to it for Pebble Beach?

The exterior is finished in Elite Pearl White paint with a contrasting MSO Piano Black package cloaking the wheels, side skirts, front and rear details, plus the door inserts. It has full-length sill panels coated in gloss-lacquered carbon fibre and up top is an Electro-Chromic Roof, which features glass that automatically goes more opaque in hotter weather to cut out UV rays from the cabin. Within, more Piano Black and carbon fibre detailing is joined by Saddle Tan luxury leather and a monster 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins hi-fi system.

Has anything mechanical changed?

Only the exhaust system, which is now made of titanium and thus is 30 per cent lighter than the regular GT's stainless steel affair. It's also said to be more tuneful during high-performance driving. Coolest feature of all? The golden titanium nitride exhaust heat shields, which are visible through the rear air ducts, change colour to blue/purple as they get hot and then cool off again during the car's driving cycle. Neat.

Why is MSO launching this one-off at Pebble Beach?

Because it is where MSO was first announced in 2012, and the company has unveiled similarly special models at the American venue in previous years. Over to Paul Mackenzie, executive director of MSO, who said: "This is the second consecutive year that McLaren Special Operations has used the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance to demonstrate our capabilities on Sports Series cars. Last year, soon after the launch of the 570S, we showed the 570S 'by MSO'. This year, we showcase the breadth of MSO personalisation work, this time focusing on bespoke engineering design and components. With its Electro-Chromic Roof especially, the McLaren 570GT by MSO Concept would be well suited to the needs and demands of customers in sunnier and warmer climates."