Lanzante 95-59: Central-Seat Supercar Redefines Driver Focus
“This is the car I have always wanted to build. There is nothing quite like the experience of a central driving position, and this car will take the concept to a different level,” said Dean Lanzante. Lanzante reveals the 95-59 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, celebrating the team’s outright victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans thirty years on. The bespoke three-seat supercar distils decades of racing insight into a road-going machine that places the driver at the centre of everything.
The name 95-59 nods to that famous win: the year 1995 and the race number 59. From the outset, engineers designed a genuine three-seater capable of providing grand touring comfort and ample luggage space. They re-engineered a current McLaren carbon-fibre monocoque to accommodate two passenger seats flanking a lightweight movable central seat, then installed a revised 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that delivers more than 850 bhp and 880 Nm through a seven-speed SSG transmission. The lightweight chassis, full carbon-fibre bodywork, and floating active-aero rear wing target a weight of just 1,250 kg; power-to-weight ratio reaches 700 bhp per tonne with the optional LM30 Pack, which saves 20 kg via forged aluminium wheels, Inconel headers, titanium pipework, and gold-plated heat shielding.
“95-59 is the result of everything I personally and we, as a business, have learned and experienced over three decades since winning Le Mans,” explained Dean Lanzante. Chief Designer Paul Howse added, “95-59 has a very natural balance to it. By its very design, with the driver as the focal point, it works as a piece of design, with symmetry and very natural forms.” He describes the flowing lines as an evolution of his organic-efficiency design theory, pushed further than ever before. “The 95-59 offers perfect symmetry. Perfect balance. Perfect focus.” His team translated virtual models into clay to perfect every surface, ensuring that each element serves aerodynamic or cooling purposes. “The central driving position was a key part of the initial discussions for this project,” comments Paul. “We wanted something that looked organic, with an aggressive edge to it, but clean.”
Dimensions emphasise that purpose: 4,574 mm long, 1,974 mm wide and just 1,186 mm tall on a 2,670 mm wheelbase. A ballistic nose feeds air through an integrated bonnet duct and twin-layer dihedral doors towards bespoke rear radiators. Meanwhile, the low rear deck houses a centrally mounted titanium exhaust and a deployable wing. “We came up with tens of different concepts for the rear of the car… the rear of 95-59 makes a real statement,” Paul recalls.
Inside, glass roof panels flood the cabin with light. Transmission buttons sit on the steering wheel, essential controls group in the roof pod, and twin information screens flank the wheel to minimise distraction. Passengers sit slightly lower than the driver, which improves rear visibility and frees up stowage space. “The design of the interior had to at least match up to the visual drama of the exterior, which was no easy task!” says Paul. “It was critical to us that the design language of 95-59 flowed as seamlessly as possible between the exterior and interior.”
The project also showcases Lanzante’s close relationship with its clients. “We are proud to have some of the most amazing customers in the world, and they have been on every step of this journey with us,” Dean Lanzante notes. Their feedback shaped usability: a 75-litre fuel tank supports extended drives, a front luggage bay swallows multiple bags, and servicing remains straightforward thanks to thoughtful packaging. “Throughout this project, we have worked very closely with a small, select group of valued clients to understand exactly what will work, and how they would potentially use a car like this,” Dean adds.
“Crossing the finish line at Le Mans was actually the start of this journey to where Lanzante is now, and we are always looking to push boundaries and perceptions,” explains Dean. The 95-59 embodies that ethos: a British supercar with central driving position, Le Mans heritage and cutting-edge engineering, created for drivers who demand purity perfected through obsession.
The Lanzante 95-59 is not sponsored, associated, approved, endorsed, or in any way affiliated with McLaren Group Holdings Limited (“McLaren”). McLaren and its group companies own numerous trademarks; any mention of McLaren or its marks is made solely for reference purposes.
