McLaren 750S JC96 marks JGTC triumph with Japan-Exclusive supercar

McLaren is one of the world’s premier supercar brands.

The British brand currently produces some of the finest supercars on the world’s roads.

McLaren has recently thrown the covers off an incredibly special design.

And, to the envy of the rest of the world, it is a Japan-exclusive supercar.

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McLaren once smashed the Japanese championship

At this point, you might be wondering what exactly all of this is about.

It turns out that what McLaren is celebrating is actually very special.

But in order to explain what we’re talking about, we have to go back.

More specifically, we have to go all the way back to the year 1996.

That year saw McLaren enter a competition.

And it was called the Japanese Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC).

It dispatched two of its legendary F1 GTR supercars to the Land of the Rising Sun to compete.

The manufacturer was involved in the competition through its partner, Team Goh.

Its two F1 GTR cars finished first and second in their first-ever race, and set the fastest lap every time it was out on track.

Of course, winning a motorsport championship involves a strong synergy between man and machine.

The roster included John Nielsen and David Brabham – who happened to win the Drivers’ championship in the GT500 category with the no. 61 car.

It is these cars that McLaren is honoring – with an exclusive, Japan-only release.

61 cars released in Japan to celebrate season success

These special edition 750S JC96 cars are solely for Japan – and just 61 will be made.

That number, of course, is not a coincidence – it is a tribute to the number of the winning car.

These 750S JC96 units don’t actually carry any specific performance upgrades.

The units will continue to be powered by the 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

The McLaren powerplant still produces 740hp, and it is still supported by the stock chassis system.

In fact, the single-most important difference is the addition of a new high-downforce kit.

The F1 GTRs racing in Japan back in 1996 wore a special livery called ‘Rocket Pink and Tarmac Grey’, dominated by a tiger stripe design.

These tribute cars attempt to replicate the design as much as possible whilst retaining the identity of the 750S.

Four of the 61 tribute cars will be even more special than the rest.

And this is because they have been designated as JC96 Tribute Livery units.

 For those four, the tiger stripe featured on the original cars is spread over the entire body of these vehicles, making sure they draw instant attention.

What do you think of the new McLaren 750S JC96? Are you jealous that is a Japan-only release?