McLaren officially names F1 successor
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 26th Jul 2018
BRITISH supercar manufacturer McLaren has announced that its three-seat successor to the legendary F1, previously codenamed BP23, will be named Speedtail.
Set to be revealed around October this year, the Speedtail will mimic the interior layout of the F1 with a single, centrally positioned driver’s seat flanked by a pair of rear seats either side of the driver.
McLaren has revealed scant details of the Speedtail, however it will use a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, most likely employing the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the 720S and Senna, mated to an electric motor.
The Speedtail is sure to eclipse the 673kW/900Nm output of the first Ultimate Series model, the P1, and the brand has said the Speedtail will be the fastest McLaren model ever in a straight line, able to eclipse the 391km/h top speed of the F1.
Additionally McLaren has also said the Speedtail will be the most luxurious McLaren ever, with all of the 106 production examples to be heavily tailored by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) using “exquisite new materials”, according to the brand.
As such, the Speedtail will not be marketed as a track-focused monster like the Senna, but would rather be an all-round GT car with hypercar performance.
Of the 106 examples slated for production, all were spoken for before the car was officially announced in 2016, and it will fetch an asking price of £1.6 million ($A2.83m).
The teaser image of the Speedtail, along with the sketch shown at the time of the BP23 announcement, shows a mid-engined car with flowing lines and smooth proportions.
Production of the Speedtail is expected to commence in late 2019 with customer deliveries beginning in 2020.
