Truly one-of-a-kind drift hypercar developed by automotive engineering pioneers Lanzante and global drift icon, ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett
100-day challenge to create one of the most dramatic and wildest vehicle builds possible
Rotary-swapped, 1,000hp ‘MadMac’ makes its debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed as the ultimate celebration of Mad Mike’s 10-year anniversary since introducing drifting to the event
MadMac’s first event appearance ahead of a worldwide schedule of high-profile events, projects, demonstrations and exhibitions designed to showcase the incredible engineering and ingenuity of the build
“This is the wildest car I have ever built. I hope Bruce [McLaren] would be proud.” Mad Mike.
Marking a decade since bringing the discipline of drifting to Goodwood, ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett is raising the bar once again in 2024, and doing it in his signature style. In collaboration with British automotive engineering specialists, Lanzante, ‘MadMac’ is his wildest project to-date. A rotary-swapped, 1,000-horsepower, flame-spitting McLaren drift hypercar.
As documented over recent months on Mad Mike’s YouTube channel, the Lanzante and MadLab teams have combined technical knowledge, engineering expertise, and off-the-wall thinking. The result, from the creative brains of Dean Lanzante and Mike talking at 2023 Festival of Speed Ball, meant the Lanzante (UK) team built a one-of-one custom McLaren, and then gave Mad Mike Motorsports (NZ) 100 days to deliver on their side of the project, with the combined support of O’Gara Coach (USA).
Lanzante, led by Dean Lanzante, provided the foundations for the project, calling upon the extensive experience and expertise of the McLaren P1, built up over the past decade. Combining an inherently strong and versatile McLaren carbon fibre chassis with additional safety from an FIA-approved rollcage, the team scanned, developed, tooled and sculpted bespoke P1 GTR and Lanzante-developed P1 LM bodywork. This newly formed shape was stretched in all directions, giving a much more aggressive rear stance, as well as wider front arches to accommodate the expected steering adjustments needed for Mike’s to perform his iconic drifting style. With this work completed, the basis for this ultimate one-off drift hypercar project was then ready for Mike and his expert crew to start stage 2.
“We pride ourselves in our projects, and creating some of the most showstopping vehicles, but MadMac has taken this to a new level,” explained Dean, as the car departed the UK. “Everything we do is completed to the highest level, so to have a chance to work with Mad Mike - the best in the business - and to take on a new challenge in a different area of the sport, was something we simply couldn’t say no to. The work Mike and his team have taken on, with the deadline of unveiling at Goodwood, shows the confidence and the abilities they hold. It is the perfect celebration for Mike’s 10 years of drifting at the Festival of Speed, and we are honoured to have played a part in it.”
With the deadlines already looming large, every day was critical to the success of the project being ready for the unveil at the opening day of the Festival of Speed. From the Lanzante workshop in Petersfield, MadMac was airfreighted to the MadLab at Hampton Downs, New Zealand, 10,000 miles away, with 100 days until its return flight to UK was booked.
On arrival, the team wasted no time, but the final specification was far from determined. It was the first time Mike had got up close to the unique Lanzante build and, while ideas had been conceptualised, the exact plans around the final build were only developed as they learnt more about what could be done. This included how to transition from an aerodynamically-optimised, high downforce track car to one which could drift in the style Mad Mike is renowned for.
As the strip-down of the MadMac project commenced, and ideas flowed, a pivotal moment came for the team as they looked at how to genuinely build the world’s ‘wildest’ drift hypercar, and how best to extract the necessary performance they wanted from the vehicle. Originally fitted with a 3.8-litre V8 twin turbo, the team made a bold decision to ‘go with what’s in Mike’s DNA’, as they looked at ways of generating the desired 1,000hp and Mike’s signature style, from a powerplant they understood. The result? A custom, MadLab-built, three rotor billet 20B turbo engine installed into the heart of the McLaren’s carbon fibre chassis.
Mad Mike has become known for rotary engines in almost all his drift builds, but MadMac has taken this to the next level. With the original transmission from the McLaren retained, ingenuity and engineering were then pushed to the limit again, as the team worked quickly to design, create and install a bespoke transfer case to connect the flame-spitting rotary engine with the factory-fit sequential gearbox. Beyond this, the 100 days were optimised to make a list of further enhancements. Custom uprights, a steering rack to provide further steering rotation required for drifting, designing bespoke wheels, installing a custom Haltech ECU and dashboard to ensure full control, transfer from GT3-style steering wheel mounted paddle shifting gearchanges to a modified gaming-style gear shifter, installing a hydraulic handbrake, and a trip to Japan to work with legendary bodykit designer Rocket Bunny to enhance and emphasise the sculpted lines of the P1 GTR bodywork. Then, once all of this – and much more – had been implemented, Mad Mike strapped himself in, and took MadMac out around Hampton Downs Motorsports Park.
With further development work continuing after many private shakedowns and testing days, the team utilised every last minute available, before bidding their ultimate build farewell at Auckland airport. MadMac was loaded back on to a flight, and transported back to England to an eagerly awaiting Lanzante team.
“It is fair to say that MadMac is the biggest challenge I have set myself in terms of builds, and it has been a huge effort by the whole team to get a project of this magnitude complete in just 100 days,” explained Mike. “The reveal of any project is always the most rewarding part, as it is an opportunity to step away from the overall build, and we get to see what fans and the wider world think of our efforts. Goodwood is the number 1 event for me of the year, and we have revealed some of our best builds there over the years, but this one is extra special. A perfect way to celebrate 10 years of drifting at the Festival of Speed, and a very proud moment to honour my fellow New Zealander, Bruce McLaren.”
And, Goodwood is just the start of this next chapter for Mad Mike’s most radical project to-date. Pushing the boundaries of what people believe to be possible, and generating further experiential content on its journey, MadMac will continue to build its resumé across the globe over the next two years, with an incredible production team following and capturing its every moment in documentary format.
