Monday 19th October 2009

Student designs next McLaren F1

Outlandish shape for next-gen British supercar - but what will McLaren think?

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A graduate student has come up with his vision of what the next generation McLaren F1 could look like. Called the LM5, these renderings show the striking design from various angles, and it certainly won't be called unambitious.

Designer Matt Williams created the LM5 for a design study, as part of Coventry University's Transportation Design degree programme. It features traditional McLaren orange paintwork as seen on the F1 LM, and the F1's trademark three-seat layout, with the driver perched in the middle.

Although the MP4-12C has only recently seen daylight, its predicted £150,000 pricetag is a clear sign that it is not meant as a direct replacement for the F1, and McLaren have made clear that a proper F1 replacement is on the cards for the near future.

What Ron and the boys at McLaren make of this bulging, manga-esque shape for their next flagship remains to be seen, but we're at least glad to see a young British designer coming up with such an interesting concept.

 

[alexmckie]

Simply stunning.... Should have been their current model though......

I'd sell the wife for one. But hold onto the kids for fuel later....

[Hugo a Gogo]

ugly
and the front wing hump at about eye level, that's a good idea

[SkinnyBoy]

Shame, he'll get a job at ford designing the next generation cupholder for the new ford Ka

[Kozy]

It is an impressive design, if not slightly impractical. I very much like it.

Any details on the CAD package used?

[Mattt]

F1 meets Reventon!

[VladD]

There really is a lot of talent out there. I like the black open top version.

[saxondale]

Nice concept!

CAD package is probably Alias Studio if it is Cov Uni Transport Design.

[LDNrevs]

I really really like that.

[sixcylinder]

I wish all journalists could get their terminology correct, whoever draws the external profile is a STYLIST not a designer. Designers do all the work under the skin

[SleeperCell]

Probably would have been better with a full bubble canopy for improved rear 3/4 vision as well as looking more like a fighter jet.

[Squabbler]

Looks like a love child of a hampster and 458.

[angus54]

SkinnyBoy said:

Shame, he'll get a job at ford designing the next generation cupholder for the new ford Ka

Not entirely...

The last student to pop up for Ford designed the original KA.

This lad will have a great future ahead of him.

Lets face it electric cars are going to need fancy packaging....

[JumpinJack]

Kozy said:

It is an impressive design, if not slightly impractical. I very much like it.

Any details on the CAD package used?

Looks like Autodesk according to the poster in the background! Alias is the preferred choice for renderings though.

[A911DOM]

The only problem that immediately sprung to mind is that he is unlikely to have taken the 'real world' aerodynamics into account.

So as much as it looks pretty aggressive, it could in fact be totally unworkable.

(Bearing in mind they are probably paying some people some serious money to come up with the next Mclaren road car, theres bound to be some other 'issues' found that make it 'unworkable' )

[TheEnd]

A911DOM said:

The only problem that immediately sprung to mind is that he is unlikely to have taken the 'real world' aerodynamics into account.

So as much as it looks pretty aggressive, it could in fact be totally unworkable.

(Bearing in mind they are probably paying some people some serious money to come up with the next Mclaren road car, theres bound to be some other 'issues' found that make it 'unworkable' )

True, it was designed for looks, and also using as many features from the original F1 whether they have a use or not.

[shirt]

far too fussy and OTT for a mclaren product imo. [obviously noone should mention the slr ]

[teen_cerbera]

Anyone else think this looks like that old classic- the GT90?

[Complex]

It's an over-inflated Mp4-12C.

[Unf]

Hugo a Gogo said:

ugly
and the front wing hump at about eye level, that's a good idea

Reading that makes me think you will need a stepladder to get into it.
Or did you mean something else?

[dean_ratpac]

yum - superb work.