TWENTY years ago, while still basking in the glory of producing the world’s fastest production road car, British mega-car builder McLaren was plotting to topple even more records, but this time on the circuit.

The 1995 Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in France was its target and a GTR version of its hyperbolic F1 road car was to be the weapon.

So potent was the recipe of modified 6.1-litre BMW-built V12 and a cocktail of highly advanced production processes, that not only did the GTR beat other GT racers in its class, it also wiped the floor with purpose-built prototype racing machines, too.