New Speedtail is McLaren's fastest road car

• The British brand has yet to confirm powertrain specifications other than an 772kW twin-turbocharged V8 engine that propels the car to a mind-boggling 402km/h.
• While McLaren is hesitant to call the Speedtail the new F1, the resemblance is undeniable.
• Production of the Speedtail will begin in 2020 at a cost of $3.2 million.
• When the Speedtail arrives, it will be the fastest and most aerodynamic car ever made by McLaren.
• The driving position is perfectly centered; the first car with this layout since F1.
• The three-seat configuration puts the driver front and center, facing a dashboard adorned with digital screens reminiscent of an airplane cockpit.
• McLaren says the three-seat cab offers a great combination of incredible driving experience, unrivaled individualism and innovative materials.
• The brand removed the side mirrors, replacing them with retractable cameras.

• The British brand has yet to confirm powertrain specifications other than an 772kW twin-turbocharged V8 engine that propels the car to a mind-boggling 402km/h.
• While McLaren is hesitant to call the Speedtail the new F1, the resemblance is undeniable.
• Production of the Speedtail will begin in 2020 at a cost of $3.2 million.
• When the Speedtail arrives, it will be the fastest and most aerodynamic car ever made by McLaren.
• The driving position is perfectly centered; the first car with this layout since F1.
• The three-seat configuration puts the driver front and center, facing a dashboard adorned with digital screens reminiscent of an airplane cockpit.
• McLaren says the three-seat cab offers a great combination of incredible driving experience, unrivaled individualism and innovative materials.
• The brand removed the side mirrors, replacing them with retractable cameras.

McLaren has finally unveiled its three-seater supercar with the familiar center seating position, the spiritual successor to the legendary F1, the fastest and most aerodynamic car the company has ever produced.

And while McLaren is hesitant to call the Speedtail the new F1, the resemblance is undeniable.

First, the driver's seat is perfectly centered; the first car with this layout since F1. As with that mid-1990s legend, only 106 will be built. Finally, the Speedtail will become the fastest car in the McLaren lineup, a title that once belonged to Formula 1 as well.

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The Speedtail will begin production in 2020 and will cost $3.2 million each. But don't reach for your checkbook just yet - they've all been officially negotiated. In fact, most clients made a significant cash deposit even before they knew what it looked like.

Ready for even bigger numbers? When the Speedtail arrives (the car you see here is a design example), it will be the fastest and most aerodynamic car ever made by McLaren.

The British brand has yet to confirm all the powertrain details, other than that the twin-turbocharged V8 engine will be paired with a new-generation electric hybrid system. But what we do know for sure is that the Speedtail puts out a whopping 1050 horsepower.

“McLaren has never made a car like the Speedtail before. Speedtail - our first hyper-GT - McLaren's best road car; A fusion of art and science that combines amazing top speed with the iconic central driver position and a truly innovative approach to personalization,” says McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt.

“The groundbreaking hybrid powertrain is housed in a lightweight carbon fiber body, reminiscent of the sleek, streamlined cars that once set world speed records, while the luxurious three-seat cab offers the perfect combination of incredible driving experience, unparalleled individualism and innovative materials never seen before. in a road vehicle.

There is a long list of cool technologies surrounding the Speedtail. First, the brand has ditched the side mirrors, replacing them with retractable cameras that emerge from the carbon fiber body panels and feed their image onto two screens in the cabin.

The 20-inch alloy wheels at the front of the car are also covered in carbon fiber covers, allowing the wheel behind them to spin freely but favor aerodynamic sliding.

Speaking of which, the NASA-inspired aerodynamic package is two tiny carbon fiber flaps flush with the body at the rear of the car, but they automatically raise to add downforce or act as an airbrake, negating the need for a large and unfinished wing. 

"They're integrated into a carbon body that's flexible, and a little hydraulic drive underneath (raises them up) to give us some stability, and an air brake," says Andy Palmer, head of the Mclaren car lineup. “They will probably be active at about 100 km/h.”

In the cabin, in a three-seat configuration, the driver is front and center, facing the instrument panel, adorned with digital screens, reminiscent of an aircraft cockpit. The main controls and controls have been moved to the roof, helping to create a sleek and minimal interior look, but perhaps coolest of all is the removal of the sun visors. Instead, McLaren installed electrochromic glass on the roof that darkens when a button is pressed to block out glare.

The McLaren Speedtail is one of 18 new models or derivatives promised in the coming years, and if they all look (and accelerate) like this one, it's going to be a hell of a ride for the British supercar manufacturer.

Is this the ultimate "hyper GT"? Tell us in the comments below.