India's sole McLaren dealership

McLaren recently opened the doors to its first showroom in India. Located in what is commonly termed the financial capital of the country, the dealership, known as McLaren Mumbai, will be the sole touchpoint of the British marquee across the country, at least for the near future.

While my colleague Bilal was busy rubbing his eyes in disbelief at the sight of the McLaren 765LT, I spent some precious time exploring the showroom itself for that visual delight. Having visited showrooms of almost all major car brands that exist in the country, from Maruti to Mercedes-Benz to the fancy Italians, this one stood out in more ways than just one.

Located in the plush area of Prabhadevi, McLaren Mumbai comes under the aegis of Infinity cars, which already has a slew of brands under its umbrella, including Porsche, Lamborghini, Mini, and Ducati. Situated just next to a certain house of a raging bull, McLaren Mumbai can house two models for display purposes at any given point in time. Unlike a few competitors that have a loud theme, McLaren, in typical British fashion, is known for its understated design.

The showroom facade then, gets glass panes all around, with the chrome-finished McLaren logo contrasting the black background. Enter the showroom and you will notice a certain orange hue, hinting at the hallow colour of the brand. Think of it as what Rosso Corsa (or red, in layman’s terms) is to Ferraris. Called McLaren Orange in the carmaker’s dialect, you are more likely to witness a sea of these bright orange-finished cars than most other colours in the McLaren palette, making their way to customer homes across the world.

Up-front is a large screen that can display custom information such as a presentation or a slide congratulating an owner for his new pride on wheels. But when not in this mode, it displays a direct live feed, straight from the brand’s headquarters in Woking, England. This, in our opinion, is nothing short of spectacular as you relish the view of a spanking new McLaren that has just rolled off the production line making its way around the buildings.

Move a little to your right and you have the Imaginator which allows customers to spec their McLaren according to their taste. The options, they say, are limitless. Choose any model, colour, interior trim, contrast stitching, carbon-fibre finish, and whatnot.

But how exactly do you get an idea of the real car? To get this from a real-life perspective, there are a set of samples kept just around the corner. Be it paint finishes, interior trims, carbon-fibre inserts, the stitching, or even choosing the McLaren logo between a bright orange or black finish, you have it all.

Meanwhile, if you think there are a few months to go before your own McLaren is ready to be driven home, the folks at McLaren have you sorted. So, if you (or even your kid for that matter) want a piece of this pie before you end the day, McLaren offers a range of accessories, be it caps, shoes, or even hoodies for that matter. In fact, Signature McLaren Orange or Onyx Black options should be the least of your concerns if the McLaren Elva set by Lego grabs your attention. The kid in me jumped a few times even reminiscing about this. No, seriously. And if you happen to be an F1 fan, then a cap autographed by Lando Norris is bound to catch your fancy.

The McLaren 765LT that graced this occasion, unlike all the orange mentioned above, is decked in a shade that McLaren calls Gloss Vulcano Orange. The difference is more obvious only in person though, and one would need to have thorough expertise with the British brand in order to tell the difference in terms of just pictures. That said, it doesn’t stop one from admiring the car, even in the photos. It took me a while to pick up the jaw that I had dropped in awe of the model’s design, and I still cannot fathom what must have gone through the brains of the folks who came up with this mind-blowing design. Welcome to India McLaren!