Popular automotive makers, McLaren are one of the leading manufacturers in exotic sports cars. McLaren is a British-based auto company producing some of the finest luxury racing cars out of the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey in the United Kingdom with decades of experience building quality automotive. First founded by professional race car driver, Bruce McLaren, the beautiful speed machine made its F1 debut at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1966 making Bruce just the second person to ever race an F1 car on the tracks made by his own company. After continually dominating the racing world with his perfect inventions, McLaren soon caught fire amongst consumers as well. Soon, this powerful racing car would be found in the hands of celebrities, business owners, and car enthusiasts everywhere.
What makes the McLaren so attractive, however, is a few of their signature looks. First off, McLaren has a very sinister looking front, a sleek aerodynamic body design, and comfortable racing seats. The McLaren is built more for speed than comfort, but still comes with luxurious interior amenities such as comfortable leather bucket seats and advanced technology for navigation or entertainment. But the main focus of McLaren is its speed. It’s no secret that car enthusiasts are particularly drawn to McLaren for their long-standing history on the racetracks and ability to reach speeds of over 200mph in under 10 seconds. While the average McLaren impresses us with its time records and speeds, we still wonder, what is the fastest McLaren on the market? Can we push the limits of speed for a luxury vehicle?
The 2020 McLaren Speedtail
Introducing the 2020 McLaren Speedtail, the fastest McLaren available. This incredible car comes with some extreme specs, beautiful interior and exterior upgrades, and of course, the fastest engine in the McLaren family. The McLaren Speedtail is a limited production, hybrid sports car and the fourth addition to the McLaren Ultimate Series (after the F1, P1, and of course, Senna). First introduced as a concept car in October of 2018, the Speedtail was finally released and available for purchase in February of 2020 and will also be the first car in McLaren’s new business plan, Track22, that they plan launch and will derive 18 new car models from this plan.
There are a few upgrades made to this McLaren that will project the future of the 18 new cars we will get from the Track22 business plan. For starters, the Speedtail is a hybrid car, which means it actually charges while it drives – a serious upgrade for a beautiful sports car. Now you can enjoy your speed and luxury without fear of burning through gas faster than you normally would thanks to a hybrid engine backing you up while you play. Another key feature you will notice is that there are no side mirrors on this new model to improve aerodynamics. Instead, the Speedtail incorporates a series of cameras around the car that act as your side mirrors and work to give you more control over driving. Because of this, however, Speedtails will not be street legal in the United States anytime soon except under “Show or Display” law.
The Specifications
The McLaren Speedtail comes with some incredible specs as well. For starters, the Speedtail engine is a modified M840T that we saw in the McLaren 720S, tweaked with a hybrid powertrain to give us a whopping 1,036HP and 848lb-ft of torque (1). The 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine brings the car to a neck-breaking 0-60mph in only 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 250mph making it the fastest McLaren produced. The impressive speed and acceleration can be credited to its advanced lightweight design and impressive aerodynamic efficiency. The Speedtail uses a carbon fiber monocoque to make it more lightweight, and the front wheels are also covered in the carbon fiber to reduce drag. They also created a tear-drop body shape with almost futuristic curves and lines to create a sleek look, improve speed, and reduce drag.
Much like the McLaren F1, the Speedtail has a three-seat layout, with the driver’s seat being the center of the cockpit, between the passenger seats which are built directly into the chassis. Not only does this create a symmetrical view and enhance vision for the driver, but the specific leather used for the seats, what McLaren refers to as “directional leather finish” allows you to slide into the car easily, but also works to hold you in place while you drive, giving you the ultimate driving experience (2). The leather is imported from Scandinavia and customers will be able to request customization to the interior leather using digital quilting or embossed and debossed patterns. While we don’t know how much storage the Speedtail has, McLaren has revealed that there will be cargo space available in the nose and tail of the car. Customers also have the options of purchasing a bespoke luggage set designed to match the interior of the McLaren hyper car.
Purchasing a Speedtail
After just being released, you may be wondering when you can expect to get your hands on one. Unfortunately, in lieu of the missing side mirrors and side airbags, the Speedtail will not be street legal in the United States unless for show or display which many have the option to apply for. But what’s more is there will only be 106 of these super cars produced for consumer purchase, all of which have been spoken for already. Many exotic car dealerships choose to hold private auctions for invited guests who can purchase the car and the Speedtail was no exception. For the appropriate price of $2.25 million dollars, one of the most expensive exotic speed cars, the Speedtail flew off the market and into the hands of only 106 people around the world. However, there is a rumor that few may be going up for sale in the United Kingdom in case you would still like to try and get your hands on one.
This gorgeous sports car offers customers a luxurious racing aesthetic while driving through their streets. It offers comfort, class, style, and above all, exclusivity for those lucky enough to own one. For car enthusiasts and McLaren fans everywhere, this is quite the collector’s item and seeing one in person may be a rarity in itself.
