Click to Enlarge.
McLaren Automotive today showed the McLaren Solus GT, the realization of a concept car from the screens of virtual racing+ into what is now described as an “extreme expression of track driving engagement that will exhilarate in the real world.”
That virtual-to-reality world is tiny. A special commission for just 25 customers with all cars already sold. The single-seat, closed-cockpit track car was unveiled during Monterey Car Week in California by Michael Leiters, McLaren Automotive Chief Executive Officer. (AutoInformed:Rolex 24 – Cold Beginning to Start a Sizzling Racing Season)
“The McLaren Solus GT is the realization of a radical McLaren concept vehicle originally created for the world of virtual racing. Engineered free of any restrictions from road or race regulations, but with the full spectrum of McLaren’s expertise to bring it to reality, it epitomizes our pioneering spirit,” said Leiters.
At less than 2,205lbs in weight and with aerodynamic performance including downforce in excess of 2,645lbs, the Solus GT – which is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine – is capable of the fastest lap times of any McLaren outside of single-seater racing and delivers a driving experience close to the engagement and sensation of driving a Formula 1 car.++
The list of idiosyncratic external features is lengthy, with the sliding canopy above the single, central seat arguably the most conspicuous. The wheels are shrouded in aerodynamic pods and located by suspension arms. A large front-splitter feeds air into ground-effect tunnels before it exits the car via a full diffuser. A motorsport-inspired intake above the cockpit integrated into the design of the roll hoop cover feeds cold air into the engine. McClaren claims it has an engaging induction sound. (rush or roar? see and hear the above video – AutoCrat). Race car design also inspired the sidepods which house the Solus GT’s radiators.
A twin-element, fixed rear wing is key to a downforce figure that exceeds the overall weight of the car. The downforce to drag ratio is also optimized, aiding straight-line performance as well as enhancing cornering abilities, McClaren said.
The Solus GT experience begins as noted before the engine is started, with the driver opening the distinctive cockpit canopy that slides forward through a shallow arc to allow access. This is nothing like a conventional car door, or even the signature dihedral doors of other McLaren cars, rather more like stepping into a jet fighter plane.
The means of getting into the car adds to the sense of occasion provided by the single seat that dominates an interior focused solely on the driver and performance. The seat position is fixed – the 25 Solus GT owners experience their own motorsport-style ‘seat fitting’ – with the pedal box adjustable as in a race car, although with the convenience of a remote system operated from the seating position.
The steering wheel is unique among McLaren production cars – taking its idea from Formula 1, with dash display and essential controls integrated to suit the tight confines of a single-seater track car. Beyond the steering wheel is a view through the glass ‘bubble’, with integrated halo-style cockpit protection – mounted to which is a rear-view display fed by a wide-angle camera placed within the roll hoop. The symmetrical 180-degree line of sight provided by the central driving position is further aided by the dramatically styled wheel pods in helping the driver to position the car on a track.
+ Solus GT was featured in the Gran Turismo SPORT video game
++ F1 sort-of:
- Naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine and custom seven-speed, sequential shift gearbox
- Weighs less than 2,205lbs and has more than 2,645lbs of downforce
- V10 engine revs to more than 10,000rpm and produces in excess of 829bhp and 479lb ft of torque
- Acceleration from 0-62mph (100km/h) in a target time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 200mph
- A full ‘racing driver experience’ available, including a driving seat molded to individual body shape, an FIA-homologated race suit, helmet and HANS (Head And Neck Support) device bespoke to each owner, and driver-development coaching program
- First cars will be delivered to customers in 2023
Club of 25: McLaren Solus GT revealed
Click to Enlarge.
McLaren Automotive today showed the McLaren Solus GT, the realization of a concept car from the screens of virtual racing+ into what is now described as an “extreme expression of track driving engagement that will exhilarate in the real world.”
That virtual-to-reality world is tiny. A special commission for just 25 customers with all cars already sold. The single-seat, closed-cockpit track car was unveiled during Monterey Car Week in California by Michael Leiters, McLaren Automotive Chief Executive Officer. (AutoInformed:Rolex 24 – Cold Beginning to Start a Sizzling Racing Season)
“The McLaren Solus GT is the realization of a radical McLaren concept vehicle originally created for the world of virtual racing. Engineered free of any restrictions from road or race regulations, but with the full spectrum of McLaren’s expertise to bring it to reality, it epitomizes our pioneering spirit,” said Leiters.
At less than 2,205lbs in weight and with aerodynamic performance including downforce in excess of 2,645lbs, the Solus GT – which is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine – is capable of the fastest lap times of any McLaren outside of single-seater racing and delivers a driving experience close to the engagement and sensation of driving a Formula 1 car.++
The list of idiosyncratic external features is lengthy, with the sliding canopy above the single, central seat arguably the most conspicuous. The wheels are shrouded in aerodynamic pods and located by suspension arms. A large front-splitter feeds air into ground-effect tunnels before it exits the car via a full diffuser. A motorsport-inspired intake above the cockpit integrated into the design of the roll hoop cover feeds cold air into the engine. McClaren claims it has an engaging induction sound. (rush or roar? see and hear the above video – AutoCrat). Race car design also inspired the sidepods which house the Solus GT’s radiators.
A twin-element, fixed rear wing is key to a downforce figure that exceeds the overall weight of the car. The downforce to drag ratio is also optimized, aiding straight-line performance as well as enhancing cornering abilities, McClaren said.
The Solus GT experience begins as noted before the engine is started, with the driver opening the distinctive cockpit canopy that slides forward through a shallow arc to allow access. This is nothing like a conventional car door, or even the signature dihedral doors of other McLaren cars, rather more like stepping into a jet fighter plane.
The means of getting into the car adds to the sense of occasion provided by the single seat that dominates an interior focused solely on the driver and performance. The seat position is fixed – the 25 Solus GT owners experience their own motorsport-style ‘seat fitting’ – with the pedal box adjustable as in a race car, although with the convenience of a remote system operated from the seating position.
The steering wheel is unique among McLaren production cars – taking its idea from Formula 1, with dash display and essential controls integrated to suit the tight confines of a single-seater track car. Beyond the steering wheel is a view through the glass ‘bubble’, with integrated halo-style cockpit protection – mounted to which is a rear-view display fed by a wide-angle camera placed within the roll hoop. The symmetrical 180-degree line of sight provided by the central driving position is further aided by the dramatically styled wheel pods in helping the driver to position the car on a track.
+ Solus GT was featured in the Gran Turismo SPORT video game
++ F1 sort-of: