McLaren Man's TV Supercar

Not content with penning the fastest road car on earth and revamping MG Rover, top British designer Peter Stevens is working on an exciting new project - creating a motor for space-age superhero Captain Scarlet.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Giles Chapman

28th June 2004

Stevens has been hired by puppeteer Gerry Anderson, who developed the Sixties TV series, as well as other classics including Thunderbirds, Stingray, Joe 90 and Fireball XL5. The McLaren F1 designer's brief is to produce a new car that will appear in a remake of the show.

Anderson explained: "I went to see Peter Stevens to find out exactly how vehicle designs are sculpted in clay. I told him we would be designing a car for Spectrum - Captain Scarlet's organisation - and he said: 'Tell me what you want and I'll build you a real one.'"

The ΂£17million remake is being devised at Pinewood Studios, Bucks, and as with the imminent Thunderbirds big-screen movie, sees the string puppets consigned to history. That's because the TV show is being created entirely with computer-generated images.

Details of the virtual machine remain a closely guarded secret, but Stevens told us: "It will be a hi-tech supercar that can do things other supercars can't. The programme will work on two levels; it will be great kids' entertainment, yet it will also have a historic attraction to grown-ups."

Anderson added: "It will be a rapid response vehicle that uses its doors and rear spoiler - plus a rocket-launcher in the back - to take off over ravines."