McLaren Speedtail: the successor to the McLaren F1

The McLaren Speedtail is now a reality. Only 106 units of this 1,050 hp supercar will be built, making it the fastest road-going McLaren ever produced.

When the McLaren Special Operations division set out to create a successor to the legendary McLaren F1, we were not entirely sure how faithful it would stay to the original concept. Now that we can see the result, all we can do is congratulate everyone involved in developing the new McLaren Speedtail. And also the lucky owners who put down a deposit of its price, €1.8 million before taxes, even before seeing the car.

Now they will have to wait until 2020, when McLaren delivers the first Speedtails out of the 106 that will be built as a limited edition. The same number of units as the McLaren F1. Like the supercar that covered the bedroom walls and school folders of students back in the 90s with posters and photographs, more than one person will now have put an image of the Speedtail as their phone wallpaper.

And yes, times have changed. But what does not change is the essence: the McLaren Speedtail aims to be a supercar where luxury and high performance go hand in hand. Some of our colleagues have already had the chance to see it up close, as you can see in the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEGth4SKv-c

But we will go a little deeper to get to know better a car that will undoubtedly mark an era. And a duel between Mercedes and McLaren that moves from the racetrack to the road, since one of the Speedtail’s most direct rivals is none other than the new Mercedes-AMG One.

The design of the McLaren Speedtail: aerodynamics at full power

McLaren wanted to build the fastest car in its history. And that requires a very powerful engine, but also very carefully studied aerodynamics. If it promises to reach a top speed of 403 km/h it is because at McLaren they have everything very well tied together. You only need to look at the Speedtail’s bodywork to understand it.

The silhouette of this sports car, more than 5 metres long, could not be more streamlined. To cut through the wind, solutions such as camera systems instead of wing mirrors are used, something we have already seen on the new Audi e-tron. But here, moreover, they are retractable. Active spoilers, a huge rear diffuser, flexible flaps, front wheel fairings… Everything has been considered.

Even in a special mode called “Velocity” to reach those 403 km/h, in which the active chassis control system lowers the bodywork height depending on speed by up to 35 mm. The tyres have been specially developed by Pirelli, P-ZERO tyres that must withstand enormous loads. The McLaren Speedtail does not run, it flies. With a kerb weight of 1,430 kg, it needs only 12.8 seconds… to reach 300 km/h from a standstill!

A hybrid with more than 1,000 horsepower

To achieve this, the McLaren Speedtail uses a hybrid propulsion system whose details have not been fully revealed. But at least we know the maximum power: 1,050 CV, between the combustion engine and the electric motor(s).

As could only be expected, just like the McLaren F1, the Speedtail also features a carbon fibre monocoque. And a luxurious driving position in a 1+2 configuration, with the driver in a forward-set central position. Here, up to three digital screens inform the driver of all the parameters of the hybrid propulsion system, the configuration of the vehicle’s various systems, and the infotainment equipment.

And the best part is that the McLaren Speedtail not only has two additional seats to enjoy the performance in company: both at the front and at the rear, there are two small compartments where luggage can be carried.

Other distinctive features of the McLaren Speedtail are the dihedral-type doors, the 20-inch forged alloy wheels with a 10-spoke design, or the special colour applied for the first time on a McLaren bodywork, a silver-grey “nano-metallic” effect.

McLaren Speedtail image gallery