Bowers & Wilkins Drives McLaren Design into Pi8 Wireless Earbuds
Two British icons continue their high-octane collaboration with a new take on high-performance personal audio.
Bowers & Wilkins has lifted the lid on the Pi8 McLaren Edition, a new version of its flagship Pi8 true wireless earbuds, created in collaboration with McLaren Automotive and, for the first time, the McLaren Formula 1 Team. Finished in Galvanic Grey with striking Papaya Orange accents, the earbuds fuse the audio brand's reference-grade performance with McLaren's unmistakable design cues—offering fans of both brands a bold new option in premium personal audio.
Based on the award-winning Pi8 platform, the McLaren Edition delivers hi-res audio performance, enhanced wireless connectivity—including Wireless Audio Retransmission—and the elegant design and fit expected of a top-tier offering from Bowers & Wilkins. It's a package designed as much for performance as for prestige, reflecting the two brands' shared obsession with engineering excellence.
Speaking on the collaboration, Giles Pocock, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Bowers & Wilkins, told StereoNET:
We are thrilled to collaborate with the McLaren team once again. This reimagining of our award-winning earbuds elevates our long-term partnership even further by combining McLaren's unmistakable design DNA with our industry-leading audio products to create an attention-grabbing version of our Pi8. We're excited to see how it's received by Bowers & Wilkins and McLaren fans alike.
The new earbuds join a growing portfolio of McLaren-inspired audio gear, including the Px8 McLaren Edition headphones and the Zeppelin McLaren Edition wireless speaker. However, the relationship between the two British icons runs far deeper than product co-branding. Since 2015, Bowers & Wilkins has worked alongside McLaren Automotive to develop in-car audio systems for its supercars. That partnership now extends into Formula 1, where Bowers & Wilkins serves as the Official Audio Partner of both McLaren Automotive and the McLaren F1 Team.
With F1's rigorous travel demands, Bowers & Wilkins' products are expected to support the team's lifestyle from race to race—helping with everything from rest and recovery to pre-race focus. The collaboration also reaches into the cockpit, quite literally, with Bowers & Wilkins engineering teams working closely with McLaren to design the bespoke sound system found in the marque's new W1 supercar. That system includes the brand's proprietary Continuum Cone technology, derived from its flagship 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers, underlining the no-compromise approach shared by both companies.
The Pi8 McLaren Edition is available for pre-order now via the Bowers & Wilkins website, priced at £449 / US$499 / €499. Quantities will be limited, so expect this one to move fast—much like the cars that inspired it!
For more information, visit Bowers & Wilkins
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Jason Sexton
Joining StereoNET in 2025 as Deputy Editor, Australia & New Zealand, Jason’s decades of experience comes from a marketing, brand development, and communications background. More recently, a decade in specialist retail has armed him with the knowledge required to deliver the right information to a captive and curious audience.
Posted in: Headphones | Stereo AUTO
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