A large part of a cool car is cool shades. Think Steve McQueen chasing bad guys in a Mustang — and tortoise-framed Persol 714 sunglasses, with customized blue-tinted lenses — in “Bullitt.” Or Tom Selleck tooling about Hawaii in a Ferrari — and Vuarnet “Tom” aviator sunglasses — in “Magnum, P.I.”
Perhaps with such images in mind, McLaren Automotive — creator of luxe sports cars and supercars — recently debuted the McLaren Vision Collection, designed to be as sleek and high performance as the autos themselves.
McLaren worked with French optical specialist L’Amy Group to create sun and prescription glasses in various styles, colors and finishes within each price range — core (beginning at $323, plus lenses); premium (from $1,104); and bespoke (starting at $2,008).
“Designers from McLaren Automotive and the L’Amy Group combined their expertise to create unique products that set new standards for elite eyewear,” McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt said in a statement. “Using industry-first technologies such as 3D-printed titanium frames and Leica sun lenses, the McLaren Vision Collection epitomizes the design innovation and pioneering technical excellence that is at the core of the McLaren brand’s DNA.”
While colors and styles — which include McLaren’s signature orange and a “floating” design in which the lenses are hung within the frame at two contact points only for maximum vision and comfort — may vary from category to category, the five types of lenses are available across all price points.
The driving lenses feature precise graduated tinting to improve contrasts and show the road ahead in sharp relief. The golfing lenses focus on maximum contrast, while the outdoor lenses have a polarizing filter and mirror finish. The urban lenses have a neutral gradient tint designed for all lighting conditions while the Yachting lenses feature a mirror finish to reduce solar rays and polarization to remove reflections from the water.
Clearly, it’s a collection that McQueen and Selleck might envy.
For more, visit edwardbeiner.com/locations. The McLaren Vision Collection will be available at more locations later in the year.
