It’s not electric and it certainly needs a driver, but the Speedtail, is packed with innovations. For starters, it’s McLaren’s fastest hypercar to date. It can reach a top speed of 403km/h (250mph) – that’s higher even than the McLaren F1. And it takes 12.8 seconds to reach 300km/h from a standing start.
The hypercar has a central driving position similar to a cockpit used in F1 driving. It has two additional passenger seats.
The Speedtail also has no wing mirrors. Instead, it has two high-definition cameras that are much smaller than traditional mirrors, so reducing air turbulence. Its dashboard does not have buttons or switches. Almost all controls are touch-sensitive displays on either side of the steering wheel. Infotainment options can also be controlled via high-definition displays.
In press release, Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive says: “McLaren has never built a vehicle like the Speedtail before. As our first ‘Hyper-GT’, the Speedtail is the ultimate McLaren road car; 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.”
McLaren says only 106 cars will be manufactured and each one will be unique. It used innovative materials to build the car that it says are inspired by the non-automotive worlds of high fashion, luxury yachts and bespoke furniture.
