McLaren Speedtail

McLaren Speedtail: meet the brand’s ‘ultimate road car’

McLaren Automotive has finally taken the wraps off its new Speedtail, with the Woking-based brand billing the newcomer – considered the spiritual successor to the iconic F1 – as its “ultimate road car”.

The Speedtail can achieve the highest maximum speed of any McLaren to date, reaching 403 km/h (using a clever “Velocity mode” to best the F1’s peak speed of 391 km/h). Just 106 will be created … and, sorry, all are already reserved (with deliveries set to start at the beginning of 2020).

McLaren describes its new model as the “most aerodynamically drag efficient” vehicle it has yet produced, thanks to the teardrop-shaped cockpit, streamlined body (which measures a full 5 137 mm in length), carbon-fibre front-wheel static aero covers, retractable digital rear-view cameras (in lieu of mirrors) and active rear ailerons.

The driver is positioned centrally in what McLaren dubs a “luxurious” cockpit, with seating for two additional passengers set slightly rearwards (there’s luggage space within both the nose and tail).

The Speedtail is built around a bespoke “monocage” carbon-fibre structure and features an all-carbon-fibre body, aluminium active suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes. Power comes from a petrol-electric hybrid (McLaren has not gone into detail here) developing a combined output of 772 kW.

McLaren’s hyper-GT tips the scales at 1 430 kg dry, rocketing from zero to 300 km/h in a claimed 12,8 seconds (for the sake of comparison, this sprint takes McLaren P1 some 16,5 seconds).

McLaren says limited production of the Speedtail has given it the opportunity to “push colour and materials design into unchartered territory”.

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/mclaren-speedtail-meet-brands-ultimate-road-car/
 
R33m Speedtail is the fastest McLaren ever built

This, says McLaren, is the fastest car it has ever built, but rather than pitching it as a no-compromise race car for the road, the Speedtail was instead designed to be a ‘Hyper-GT’, as the Woking-based supercar maker puts it.
Only 106 of these will ever be built, at a lofty £1.75 million (R32.9m) excluding taxes.

It also marks a return to the legendary F1 supercar’s three-seat cockpit layout that puts the driver at the centre, but first let’s get to the juicy bits.

The Speedtail is powered by a “pioneering” but as yet unspecified petrol-electric hybrid powertrain that produces 772kW, allowing a claimed top speed of 403km/h and a 0-300km/h acceleration time of just 12.8 seconds.

Thanks to an ultra lightweight carbon fibre monocage body structure the Speedtail weighs just 1430kg, but that’s not the only secret to its performance potential. Its teardrop-shaped cabin, dramatically elongated body and active aerodynamics make it the most aero-drag efficient McLaren road car ever.

Designed to be luxurious as well as dynamically extreme, the McLaren flagship also has some nifty cabin features, like a camera system that replaces the door mirrors and electrochromic glass that darkens top of the windscreen to effectively make sun visors redundant.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/late...il-is-the-fastest-mclaren-ever-built-17656991
 
The 2019 McLaren Speedtail Isn't Quite Legal in the U.S.

If you, an enterprising American billionaire (or millionaire, I don’t discriminate), were looking forward to parading your brand-new, 2019 McLaren Speedtail up and down Main Street, then I have some bad news for you: The car isn’t street legal in the U.S. Foop.

One of the coolest things about the McLaren F1 successor is that it maintains the three-seat setup that was so unique to the first car. Indeed, that’s usually one of the second or third things people bring up in any McLaren F1 conversation. Unfortunately, they are part of what makes the Speedtail unable to meet our tyrannical safety standards, according to MotorAuthority:

The largest issue is the central driving position flanked by two side-mounted passenger seats. A McLaren spokeswoman told Motor Authority the three-plus-one layout doesn’t allow for the necessary side-mounted airbags. Aside from the airbag issue, the Speedtail features retractable digital rear-view cameras instead of mirrors, which also aren’t street-legal in the U.S.

Who needs side-mounted airbags anyway? If you own a Speedtail, you are already living your best life and dying in it would only be fitting. These safety standards are RESTRICTIVE, UN-AMERICAN and they are KILLING OUR JOBS.

Additionally:

Like the F1, only 106 examples of the Speedtail are headed to production—yes, each and every one of them is sold—and McLaren decided it wasn’t worth engineering the limited-run car around the safety standards necessary to federalize it for street-use in the U.S.

Now, this is just straight-up hilarious. McLaren was like, “Yeah, we’re gonna build and sell this car for $2.2 million but **** IT we’re not going to make it legal in the U.S. Those idiots can figure it out for themselves.”

Well, also probably because there are probably plenty of people outside of our fair shores that can scrounge up $2.2 million with no problem. Also, if you can afford a $2.2 million car, you can probably afford to purchase a plane ticket. Just fly wherever, and drive it there.

McLaren’s spokeswoman went on to tell the publication that about a third of the cars were sold to U.S. buyers. So, about 35 were bought by Americans, who can bring their cars here under the “Show or Display” law, which exempts certain cars from NHTSA’s safety standards if they are deemed to be “historically or technologically significant.”. They wouldn’t have to wait 25 years before importing.

Under this law, which went into effect on Aug. 13, 1999, you aren’t allowed to drive your car for more than 2,500 miles in a 12-month period. NHTSA’s site elaborates:

NHTSA approval of limited on-road use is to allow the vehicle to be driven to and from nearby displays of similar automobiles. Another reason permission is granted is to maintain the vehicle’s engine, braking, lighting, and other dynamic systems in good working order. The vehicle is still required to meet EPA requirements.

MotorAuthority notes that McLaren won’t help its buyers with importing or registering their cars in the U.S. But! Once the first Speedtail is approved here, the process will become much easier for the rest of them, since the law is based on year, make and model.

Of course, the American buyers can also just choose to keep their cars abroad. As someone who also owns multiple pieces of real estate overseas, I can confirm that’s the way to do it.

https://jalopnik.com/the-2019-mclaren-speedtail-isnt-quite-legal-in-the-u-s-1830027062
 
It looks weird the way that the back is so low.

Also, the name Speedtail makes me think of a boat.
 
14 things you should know about McLaren's new Speedtail

McLaren has unveiled its fastest car yet, the Speedtail, capable of reaching 403km/h and features a centrally-located seat a la McLaren F1.

Here are 14 things you should know about the new hypercar:

1. McLaren’s first ‘Hyper-GT’ and the ultimate McLaren road car; harmonises sleek and seamless beauty with pioneering technologies and extreme performance

2. A car like no other: only 106 will be produced, all of which are already reserved at a price from £1.75-million plus taxes.

3. Carbon fibre McLaren Monocage body structure unique to the Speedtail envelops McLaren F1-inspired central driving position and two additional passenger seats.

4. Teardrop-shaped cockpit and dramatically elongated, aerodynamically optimised, 5.2m carbon fibre body key to Speedtail being the most aero-drag efficient McLaren road car.

4. The fastest McLaren ever built, capable of 403km/h.

5. Pioneering petrol-electric hybrid powertrain delivers a combined 772kW for acceleration of 0-300km/h in 12.8 seconds.

6. Unique Velocity mode optimises the powertrain and active aerodynamics to achieve maximum speed and can also lower the Speedtail by 35mm.

7. Bespoke P-Zero tyre developed with McLaren technology partner, Pirelli.

8. Carbon fibre, front-wheel static aero-covers; retractable digital rear-view cameras in lieu of mirrors; and patented active rear ailerons all contribute to aerodynamic excellence.

9. Double-skinned, power-operated dihedral doors with single-piece 'wrap over' lightweight glazing.

10. Interior design and specification realises a new level of technical luxury.

11. Advanced electrochromic glass darkens the top of the windscreen at the touch of a button, removing the need for sun visors.

12. Introduces a new standard of bespoke customisation, including interwoven carbon titanium deposition materials and digitally embossed, full-aniline and lightweight leathers.

13. First of 18 new cars or derivatives to be announced under the Track25 business plan.

14. McLaren Speedtail recently revealed to future owners and McLaren customers at a private event in London

https://www.wheels24.co.za/NewModels/14-things-you-should-know-about-mclarens-new-speedtail-20181102
 
Topless McLaren Speedtail Rendered – Could They Make It?

McLaren took the covers off the controversial Speedtail late last month so naturally, this incarnation has sparked a bit of obsession among enthusiasts and as a result, one has rendered the hypercar in topless ‘Spider’ form.

In a post on Instagram, digital artist Nicolas Proulx leaked his imagination of a Speedtail Spider. Not only was the post about the McLaren ditching its fixed roof, but the spec on the render also suggests to some extent a grand tourer atmosphere of some sort. Adding to this is Proulx’s caption to the post, calling this spec the “I don’t feel like breaking any land speed record today.”


McLaren has not said anything about an open-top model, but considering the brand’s ability to come up with convertibles that are strangely close to their coupe variants when coming to performance, the thought of a Speedtail Spider does not sound very far fetched.

Going back to the render; combination of the exterior paint in this shade of green with the colour of the three seats and digital display featured in the interior owe to the rather calm spec of the Speedtail, suggesting a comfortable, luxury drive.

https://www.zero2turbo.com/2018/11/topless-mclaren-speedtail-rendered-could-they-make-it.html

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McLaren Speedtail Prototype Smokes Out at Gas Station

The gorgeous McLaren Speedtail that fascinated the staff of Jalopnik when it was first announced won’t be delivered until later next year—which means now’s the time to start honing in the tech to make sure it’s perfect. Ideally, that means... being a metaphorical, not a literal smoke show.

One quick-moving bystander who happened to see the prototype being tested was able to whip out their phone just in time when disaster struck a prototype parked at a gas station. Namely, when all of its important smoke started leaking out of the rear end.

https://jalopnik.com/mclaren-speedtail-prototype-smokes-out-at-gas-station-1835512361


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McLaren Speedtail Build Slot Available For R82 Million

The McLaren Speedtail was officially revealed late last year as a spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 and although all of the 106 units were already reserved at a price from £1.75 million-plus taxes, that does not mean you cannot get one.

A used car dealer in Dubai has posted on the Mobile platform offering a build slot of the “sold out” McLaren hypercar. The original price set by the Woking-based carmaker was in the $2.2 million region as mentioned about but this one is commanding a ridiculous $5.5 million (approx. R82 million).

 
New 2020 McLaren Speedtail hits 250mph in final tests

Three-seat hyper-GT officially surpasses the F1's top speed as production begins in Woking

The new McLaren Speedtail has concluded its final testing phase with a series of 250mph runs at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

A development prototype, named XP2, was taken to its top speed more than 30 times on the Johnny Bohmer Proving Ground’s three-mile runway, confirming its status as the fastest car McLaren has yet built. That title was originally held by the firm’s iconic F1 hypercar, which achieved a 231mph top speed following its launch in 1994.

McLaren’s chief test driver Kenny Brack was at the wheel of XP2 for the high-speed runs, which followed previous tests at locations including Idiada in Spain and Papenburg in Germany.

The company calls the £1.75m Speedtail “a showcase for the brand’s expertise in lightweight engineering”, and notes that it is more aerodynamically efficient than any of its previous models.

The hypercar is McLaren’s first series-production hybrid model since the 789bhp P1, and its first three-seater since the F1. At 5137mm long, it is also the longest production car to come out of Woking.


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McLaren Speedtail Is Now Fastest McLaren Ever After Hitting 250 MPH During Testing

A McLaren Speedtail prototype has hit the targeted 250 mph (403 km/h) during testing to officially dethrone the McLaren F1 as the fastest McLaren ever.

The Speedtail prototype dubbed XP2 hit the top speed at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Ground’s runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida pushing the F1 to second place with a top speed of 240.1 mph (386.4 km/h).

Chief test driver, Kenny Brack was the man behind the wheel where he got the Speedtail to reach this velocity 30 times.

 
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