Lando Norris On Insane Modified McLaren eBay Muscle Car, Car Projects, And Championship Pressures

As McLaren prepares for the highly anticipated United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, the Woking-based squad has teamed up with eBay to unveil a special project celebrating their incredible 2024 season so far. In a nod to American car culture, McLaren and eBay have transformed a 1973 Plymouth Barracuda into a tribute to both classic American muscle and the team’s success on the track this year.

The Barracuda, wrapped in McLaren’s signature “papaya” orange, has been meticulously transformed using a range of high-performance parts, from coilover suspension systems and forged disc brakes to motorsport-inspired bucket seats and a modern exhaust system. Fans at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend have the chance to see the car up close, even voting on the final touches as the project unfolds in real-time.

McLaren driver Lando Norris arrived at the circuit in the Barracuda on Thursday. Speaking exclusively with Sports Illustrated, Norris revealed his enthusiasm for the collaboration and his admiration for American muscle cars, stating that eBay and McLaren had “made the right choice” with the legendary car.

Sports Illustrated: Firstly, we are very excited to find out what American muscle car McLaren and eBay have built. How much influence did you have on the choice of car and modifications? Did they make the right choice?

Lando Norris: They absolutely made the right choice. I don’t have in my collection of cars any American muscle, so for me, any American muscles are cool ones to start with.

I have my introduction to American muscles. You want a car that is loud and grunty and got a, normally a nice V8 in the back of it. I think eBay did a very good job and they definitely knew what taste I have.

SI: The car features upgrades from eBay’s marketplace. Has it persuaded you to take on a project yourself?

LN: Yes, actually, I’ve always wanted to do a full project myself. I just don’t have a lot of time, so it’s not an easy thing to do, but I love my cars and I love actually adding bits to cars and kind of making cars my own.

And of course, with people and having access to eBay marketplace, for instance, to quickly find things that you want or specific things that you can add to the car or make quicker or more comfortable, whatever it might be. That’s all you really need. So at some point I will definitely set up a project and do my own project because I’ve always wanted to do such a thing. I don’t know what car I would do it with but having introductions to cars like this is definitely a good start.

SI: American car culture has a rich history with muscle cars. As a British driver, what aspects of US car culture do you find most exciting or unique, and did any of these influence the project?

LN: To be honest, I think the main influence from the cars… normally sound for me is one of the most particular things.

So as long as it’s a car that sounds good and kind of just drives as it would back then. I’m actually a guy who likes more classic cars, probably more than I do like modern cars. And that’s because of several different things, but more it’s just the feeling you have behind the wheel that it almost doesn’t drive too perfectly.

And that’s a good thing. But it’s just that the feel, the sound of the engine behind you, and again, everything just not feeling perfect. That’s what gives cars character and I think that’s exactly what this car is going to have.

SI: We are big fans of your car collection, especially the Jolly and chrome Cobra! Can you tell us about the Cobra, is it an original and have you modified it at all?

LN: Yes, it’s not an original, which I’m not ashamed to say! One day I’ll be able to get an original, but it quite possibly is one of my favorite cars.

Might be my favorite car in my collection. It’s probably the one that puts the biggest smile on my face. Just because it’s so loud. It probably isn’t too good for my ears because it’s that loud. The thing I did modify was I actually made it chrome. So the chrome that you see on it is just a wrap.

It was a nice dark blue with the two speed stripes down the middle. So it was a little bit more towards that original style. But again, I like the big tires and I think it’s the Goodyears on it. It’s just the loud rawness I get behind the wheel. The fact I can do a burnout in first, second or third gear, it’s just a nice thing.

It’s maybe my favorite in the collection I have but it’s definitely the most authentic and bold and out there car that I have.

SI: What’s more important to you in a road car, the powertrain, the handling, or something else? And when you buy your own cars, what criteria do they need to fill?

LN: I mean, the only criteria that I need is it just needs to make me happy and smile. That’s pretty much it. It doesn’t need to be a certain engine or drive a certain way. It’s more for me to adapt to whatever the driving style is for any car. 

Because actually a lot of older cars don’t drive that way. You know, as soon as you want to push it and drive it a bit quicker, they don’t normally drive that well. But I think it’s just that feeling and that characteristic that it has is unique to each car. But for me, sound is very important.

I don’t know if it will be forever, but I’m not a fan of that many hybrid cars. I’m not a fan of electric cars at all, so for me it has to have that authentic feeling. Normally, a naturally aspirated engine for me is always a winner, but turbos and all of that, it can be included.

I think that’s what adds then the authenticity to any car that you drive. But for me, it’s sound. It’s that kind of one to one feeling of you driving a car. I think cars nowadays are almost too perfect and too nice that it almost doesn’t matter what it looks like ‘cause they all just drive the same at the end of the day, and then it gets a little bit boring. I think that’s why these older classics are more fun.

SI: Congratulations on your season so far. With the intense competition this season on track, how are you dealing with the pressure?

LN: I think I’m dealing very well with the pressure. I’m trying to just not acknowledge it. And I think that’s the best way to go about it. I definitely know that there is more pressure because we’re fighting more of the front with tougher and better competitors.

And there’s always going to be more pressure when you’re fighting for a win over when you’re fighting for 5th or 10th or something like that. So, naturally it’s always going to go up, but I think the more you can almost just ignore it and think that it’s another race. Whether you’re fighting for 5th or 10th, it’s just you’re fighting for 1st and you almost treat it no differently from a mental aspect of how you approach weekends.

And you don’t let these things get to you because you definitely make more mistakes and it will definitely affect you if you do let it start to affect you. I think for me it’s just taking one race at a time, being relaxed about it, not being too thoughtful of the whole process, but just focusing on going out and driving my car quickly and that’s it.

SI: It’s been such a quick change of pace for McLaren, have you had to recalibrate your mindset now that you are fighting for a championship?

LN: There’s definitely things that need to and have changed over time. Not because they were the wrong things or bad things, it’s just when you’re fighting against people who have been in that position for years, you definitely need to be that next step up in almost every area. Whether it’s with your strategy or how you approach the weekend, how you approach qualifying, races, your level of aggression against these guys, a lot of things need to be perfect and not just pretty good.

And how the whole team approaches that, you know, my mechanics, engineers, everyone back in the factory. We can’t afford to miss one day or one week of development. Everything needs to be as tightly as it can be put together. Because if we have one upgrade, that’s a week too late because things didn’t go perfectly, that could cost us a championship or a win or something like that.

Things have changed, but I think how we’ve dealt with it, how we’ve adapted to the new environment of being able to win races almost every weekend is a great thing for myself, and more importantly, the whole team. I think everyone’s dealt with it very well.

Norris also commented on the project to the media including Sports Illustrated:

“I think eBay and the team know what I like, and they know I love my cars. I love the rawness of cars, louder cars, things like that. They know I had my Cobra in Silverstone for the weekend. I’m excited, it was a nice surprise for me to come into a race especially my first race in America since we won back in Miami and that was also the first weekend we had eBay on the car was back in Miami. It’s kind of a nice throwback to that. I’m excited, I love these little surprises I get every now and again and I know eBay and the team have done a great job.”