Zero-300km/h (0-186mph) achieved in less than 13 seconds? Part of the weight savings is the owner’s newly lightened wallet/purse.
In the obvious because “it wouldn’t have been released if it failed department,” McLaren says that its GT prototype ‘XP2’ concluded high-speed validation by achieving 403km/h (250mph) more than 30 times during tests at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
The engineering exercise concluded high-speed runs carried out at multiple test facilities worldwide, including Idiada in Spain and Papenburg in Germany. In Florida, McLaren chief test driver, Kenny Brack was at the wheel.
Build of the first of 106 Speedtails that will be hand-assembled to customer order has now commenced at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, UK, with deliveries scheduled from February 2020.
At ~5.2 meters long, the carbon-fiber-bodied three-seat GT is said to be the most aerodynamically drag efficient McLaren ever and a “showcase for the brand’s expertise in lightweight engineering.”
The Speedtail’s gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain delivers the greatest power and torque – via press release anyway – of any McLaren road car, with a combined 1,070PS (1,055bhp) and 1,150Nm (848-lb. ft.). The straight-line acceleration and maximum speed of the car set new benchmarks for McLaren, with 0-300km/h (0-186mph) achieved in less than 13 seconds and the Speedtail able to reach 403km/h (250mph).
The McLaren-developed battery pack has a power density of 5.2kW/kg, which at the moment is the best power-to-weight ratio of any automotive high voltage battery system. The batteries constantly self-charge when the Speedtail is driven – there is no ‘plug-in’ element – however, a wireless charging pad that trickle-charges and maintains the battery’s status when the vehicle is not in use is also included as standard. If you have to ask, you can’t afford…
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About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
High-Speed Runs Finish McLaren Speedtail’s Development
Zero-300km/h (0-186mph) achieved in less than 13 seconds? Part of the weight savings is the owner’s newly lightened wallet/purse.
In the obvious because “it wouldn’t have been released if it failed department,” McLaren says that its GT prototype ‘XP2’ concluded high-speed validation by achieving 403km/h (250mph) more than 30 times during tests at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
The engineering exercise concluded high-speed runs carried out at multiple test facilities worldwide, including Idiada in Spain and Papenburg in Germany. In Florida, McLaren chief test driver, Kenny Brack was at the wheel.
Build of the first of 106 Speedtails that will be hand-assembled to customer order has now commenced at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, UK, with deliveries scheduled from February 2020.
At ~5.2 meters long, the carbon-fiber-bodied three-seat GT is said to be the most aerodynamically drag efficient McLaren ever and a “showcase for the brand’s expertise in lightweight engineering.”
The Speedtail’s gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain delivers the greatest power and torque – via press release anyway – of any McLaren road car, with a combined 1,070PS (1,055bhp) and 1,150Nm (848-lb. ft.). The straight-line acceleration and maximum speed of the car set new benchmarks for McLaren, with 0-300km/h (0-186mph) achieved in less than 13 seconds and the Speedtail able to reach 403km/h (250mph).
The McLaren-developed battery pack has a power density of 5.2kW/kg, which at the moment is the best power-to-weight ratio of any automotive high voltage battery system. The batteries constantly self-charge when the Speedtail is driven – there is no ‘plug-in’ element – however, a wireless charging pad that trickle-charges and maintains the battery’s status when the vehicle is not in use is also included as standard. If you have to ask, you can’t afford…
AutoInformed.com on:
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.