The first McLaren Speedtail has been delivered.
McLaren, which introduced the Speedtail two years ago, has handed over the hypercar to its first customer.
The first car, painted in shades of purple, was handed over to its owner at the McLaren dealership in Brussels, Belgium. As you can imagine, the car looks even crazier on the open road than it does in the studio shot above.
For those unfamiliar with the Speedtail, it is the latest addition to McLaren's flagship Ultimate Series. McLaren has positioned the car as a true successor to the F1, mainly because of its three-seat layout, but also because it is designed as a perfect Grand Tourer rather than a purely track car like the F1.
Unlike the relatively compact F1, the Speedtail is huge: it measures 202.8 inches long - almost as long as a full-size sedan. And you'll notice it has no side mirrors. The Speedtail, combined with its three-seat layout, can't be driven on public roads in the United States. However, one-third of the Speedtail's production quota has been purchased by U.S. buyers, but if they want to drive it on local roads, they must import the car under "show and display" rules.
McLaren has yet to reveal details about the powertrain, but it is known that it will likely be a hybrid setup with a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 as the internal combustion engine. Maximum output is 1,055 hp, maximum torque is 848 lb-ft, and drive is rear-wheel drive only.
The Speedtail is not a plug-in hybrid. Instead, the battery is charged by the engine. According to McLaren officials, a wireless charging method will be available when the car is parked in a garage for long periods of time. The company has not said whether electric drive will be possible.
The Speedtail has a top speed of 250 mph. It is the first McLaren road car to surpass Formula One's top speed of 240.1 mph. But to do so, Speedtail owners will have to reduce the car's height by 1.4 inches, remove cameras instead of side mirrors, and activate the speedo to make it as streamlined as possible
Speedtails are also available in several color options, including.
Speedtail production will be limited to 106 units, with each owner priced at a minimum of $2.25 million. Why exactly 106 cars? Because that number is comparable to the original McLaren F1 run, and yes, all of them have already been sold.
In addition, McLaren has already announced an additional model for the Ultimate Series. It is a fast car called the Elva, which will also be delivered in 2020.
