It looks as though it was designed in the 1960’s, perhaps this is how designers of the 1960s envisaged the future. But this is how McLaren envisage the future of motoring. It’s 2018 and this is the McLaren Speedtail. I didn’t have to read the press release to realize that it’s been designed using a wind tunnel as opposed to being designed to look good and then refined using a wind tunnel. The overall effect is that the McLaren Speedtail looks simply stunning.

Most automotive companies don’t use wind tunnels these days. Such physical conditions can be replicated using a digital wind tunnel. Yet the McLaren Speedtail looks like 1960s design, for today. And you can be sure McLaren have honed every inch of this car to deliver that maximum top speed of 250mph. The most prominent feature is the interior. No, it isn’t the retractable wing mirrors that project the view behind onto the monitors, it’s the central driving position. The McLaren Speedtail is the successor to the famed F1… Maybe maybe not. That interior looks stunning. The analog controls are mounted on the ceiling, such as the electric door mirror switch, gear selection etc. Like a helicopter cockpit. And of course, you get a fully digital cockpit and instrument binnacle. We’re used to that modern technology now. It slowly becoming the norm. But its the simplicity yet sophistication of the interior that stands out. There are minimal distractions, exactly what you want for a high-performance hyper GT. And yet the interior looks elegantly avant-garde. But why does it require speakers? If I owned a McLaren Speedtail listening to hippity-hoop-dwag would be the last thing on my mind. So what we do know about the McLaren Speedtail is that the entire structure is fashioned from carbon-fibre. The substructure and exterior. It weighs 1,400kg. While McLaren hasn’t detailed the engine specification they have confirmed it is a petrol-electric hybrid that delivers 1,000bhp. It’s fairly easy to deduce that the powertrain is taken directly from the P1 and that McLaren has tweaked the performance. The Teardrop-shaped cockpit and elongated, aerodynamically optimized body make the entire car as long as a Range Rover. McLaren has revealed it can go from 0-186mph in just 12-seconds. Active aerodynamics lower the Speedtail by 35mm to ensure maximum aero efficiency at all times. Ailerons are built into the control surface, the rear wing, to supplement lateral roll at high speed. The McLaren sits on 20-inch alloys at the front and 21-inch-alloys at the rear. The tyres are bespoke Pirelli P-Zeros, specially formulated in collaboration with the tyre manufacturer. Carbon fibre, front-wheel static aero-covers are designed to further embolden the Speedtail’s aerodynamic philosophy. Modern day cars are full of cool tech features. McLaren has used electrochromic glass or smart glass to negate the need for a sunvisor. The glass darkens the top section of the windscreen at the touch of a button. The McLaren Speedtail will cost £2.1m all in. only 106 cars will be made and all have found willing buyers before production has even begun.  

---