Yahoo Autos McLaren’s $2.1M Three-Seat Hypercar Has a Name: Speedtail
That McLaren is already working on its next Ultimate Series car is known, but up until now, it has been identified solely by its internal codename: BP23. Today that changes. Shown in a short video clip seen below, the upcoming supercar is officially named Speedtail.
The British supercar firm, which is fresh off the release of its Senna hypercar and has barely finished folding the sheet of the 600LT that was revealed at Britain’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, has slowly been releasing teasers and details of the Speedtail for months.
Here’s what we know: The Speedtail will be a spiritual successor to the legendary F1, most obviously with its central driver’s position flanked by two passenger seats slightly behind each shoulder. It will also be more similar to the P1 than the Senna due to its use of a gas-electric hybrid powertrain rather than simply a gasoline-powered engine. Part of the Ultimate Series lineup (of which the P1 and Senna are members), McLaren refers to the Speedtail as a Hyper-GT-remember when just hypercar seemed excessive?.
The Speedtail will be crafted by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the brand’s bespoke department, and only 106 examples will be made, all of which already have nametags attached. The car will have dihedral doors, will be based on a stronger and lighter version of McLaren’s Monocage II carbon-fiber tub, will feature an aerodynamic tapered design, and will be capable of more than 243 mph (the F1’s top speed). That last part is important, as McLaren says the Speedtail name suggests a top speed higher than any McLaren’s before it. It will also represent the company’s pinnacle of luxury with “exquisite new materials” and “limitless possibilities for tailoring.”
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The “ultimate road-going McLaren” rang customers up for a starting price of about $2.1 million plus taxes (at current exchange rates). It will first be shown at a private unveiling before getting its full public reveal later this year, with production beginning near the end of 2019. Expect more teasers soon.
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