November 22, 2018
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McLaren's new Speedtail - Britain's latest supercar with a top speed of 250 mph and three seats
McLaren has taken the covers off its latest model - a 106-unit only hyper GT car that has more power than 10 Ford Fiestas combined. Called the Speedtail, it's the fastest road car the iconic British manufacturer has ever produced, capable of speeds of 250mph, thanks to a 1035 horsepower petrol-electric hybrid powertrain derived from Formula One. It's been dubbed as the modern continuation of the iconic '90s McLaren F1 featuring a similar three-seat cabin layout, with the driver sat slap-bang in the middle of the cockpit like a fighter pilot.
Even if the eye-watering price of £1.75 million plus taxes - so £2.1 million for Britons - wasn't a stumbling block, you can't have one, as every example to be built has already been reserved by a deep-pocketed buyer.
First codenamed the BP23, the Speedtail has been a long-awaited successor to the glorious F1. The three-seat arrangement is like nothing else on the market today, with the driver positioned centrally and marginally in front of the two passengers who will flank the lucky individual at the controls. The driver can choose from which side they want to enter and exit the car, too, as this time around there's no gear lever for them to clamber over due to the use of an automatic gearbox.
This teardrop-shaped cockpit sits in what can only be described as an enormously sleek body. Measuring in at 5.2 metres long, the nose to tail distance is the same as a long-wheelbase Mercedes S-Class limousine - and bigger than the average-size car parking space. Making up the vast majority of the length is the dramatic rear end, which features one of the most extended rear overhangs of any vehicle in production today.
What also draws the eyes are the fixed-cover front wheels. These are designed to keep the air fed through the front-bumper vents as clean as possible as it channels down the profile of the bodywork. Like a reversal of a time-trial bicycle - which in some cases have a solid wheel at the back - the rear wheels are a traditional alloy, giving the car a unique look. If the 106 owners don't like it, they can have the fixed front-wheel covers removed on request.
Another high-tech feature includes the lack of wing mirrors. Instead, the Speedtail features cameras that extend from the doors to provide a wide-angle image that displayed to the driver in real time via a pair of screens mounted in the dashboard.
Under the incredibly svelte panels is a petrol-electric hybrid system that combines a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with electric motors to produce a whopping 1035 horse power. The hybrid system isn't for economy, though - while there are batteries on board, there is no scope for electric-only running. It's purely about sheer performance.
And there's plenty of that on tap. With the Speedtail tipping the scales at just 1,430 kg - less than a Ford Mondeo family car - it can deliver a top speed of 250 mph. Getting there shouldn't take long. McLaren says it can accelerate from zero to 186 mph in just 12.8 seconds. That's 186 mph in the same time it takes a decent sprinter to run 100 metres and almost four seconds faster than the acceleration of the Woking manufacturer's track-focused P1 hypercar. That's even more impressive when you consider this is purely a road vehicle.
Even the extended tail design, while incredibly dramatic, has a fairly practical purpose, offering a decent size boot. And not only is there a central luggage compartment at the back, there's space below the front bonnet that can hold a bespoke set of Speedtail bags that can hold enough clothing for three occupants.
Production will commence towards the end of next year and each person who has put down a deposit has only been allowed to buy one of the limited-run creations. And don't expect any of the Speedtails produced to cost the £2.1 million price tag. With a range of optional extras, the price is likely to creep closer to the £3 million mark. The model seen here has, according to McLaren, £470,000 of extras specced.
Mike Flewitt, ceo at McLaren Automotive, described the hyper-GT Speedtail as 'a fusion of art and science' that 'combines an astonishing maximum speed with an iconic central-driving position and a truly pioneering approach to bespoke personalisation'.
'A ground-breaking hybrid powertrain sits within a lightweight carbon fibre body reminiscent of sleek ‘streamliners’ that once set world speed records, while the luxurious three-seat cockpit offers a sublime combination of an incredible driving experience, unmatched individualism and innovative materials never seen before in a road-going vehicle,' he added.
McLaren says interest in the model has been incredible, having received over 300 serious enquires from established customers who wanted to get their hands on one of the 106 examples, even despite the mesmerising asking price. Those who didn't get the nod to take one home have instead been given priority for the Senna and Senna GTR track cars revealed in the last 12 months.
Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk
