McLaren Speedtail reveal date confirmed
In two weeks we'll meet Woking's fastest road car, which it's billing as the first 'hyper-GT'
McLaren has confirmed that its long-awaited Speedtail and self-designated ‘hyper-GT’ will be revealed at 1pm on October 26th at a private event in London, with a live stream internet broadcast for those of us short of the £2.1 million to bag one. Just 106 are being made, all of which are already spoken for, and each will produce more than 1,000hp from a hybrid powertrain and have a top speed greater than the F1’s 243mph.
McLaren has been tight-lipped on further technical details for the Speedtail (formerly BP23), although it has provided a few snippets, such as a reference to the car’s “momentous, flowing, highly streamlined design”. A new preview image and earlier illustrations have also shown that it’ll get a low-set roofline and lengthy back-end, hence the name. We know the car will be a three-seater that places the driver in the middle, like the F1, as well.
But how fast is fast, you ask? That’s the biggest unanswered question when it comes to the Speedtail. You might think McLaren would want to make the fastest car in the world, but PistonHeads understands the British supercar maker has no interest in breaking records and joining the 300mph race. Woking’s engineers have instead been tasked with making a McLaren that, while faster than all others, is highly luxurious and usable in town traffic. As such, it won’t use tyres designed specifically for top speed.
Since each Speedtail will not be focused on the drag strip and instead have to face wide-ranging demands from its wealthy owner, the use of hybrid-electric power seemed inevitable. A likely setup will combine the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that was first used in the 720S (where it has 720hp) and an electric motor. We’re yet to learn whether the motor drives directly through the gearbox, a la P1, or whether it’s given control of the front axle. The latter has become more popular due to providing more space for a separate gearbox to enable higher speed, but the former has packaging advantages.
Whichever route McLaren has taken with the Speedtail’s system, it’s highly likely to be capable of all-electric running. This is because the Speedtail has to conform to strict emissions limits across the globe, with ever-shrinking CO2 limits and even possible combustion engine-free zones in German cities. Future hybrid McLarens, for which the Speedtail will become a halo model, are therefore expected with zero-emission running capability.
In fact, the Speedtail will arrive as the first of 18 confirmed new McLarens, set to be launched as part of its Track25 business plan. Parts of the model’s hybrid powertrain, its use of “exquisite new materials” and its vast range of customisation options are expected to filter down into these other models in the coming years. By 2025, all McLaren Sport Series and Super Series models will use a hybrid powertrain, leaving only Ultimate Series cars to rely on regular combustion power, like the Senna.
I found them both competent but dull, the 720S was actually less interesting to drive of the two in my opinion.
I still prefer my 458 Spider to any production McLaren.
I'm sure I will love my 812 when it arrives in a year or two.
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