This is it, folks. The very stunning, very sexy, very powerful McLaren Elva. There are a lot of things going on with the first-ever open-cockpit road car aka “Speedster” from McLaren, and we’re going to break it down for you. Here are five top things you need to know about the McLaren Elva.
DESIGN
The design of the Elva is about elevating the driving experience – by bridging the gap between the driver, car, and the elements. As you can see (or cannot see), the Elva does not have a roof, pillars, or even a windscreen. The one being showcased right here is the one with the optional windscreen fitted into the package.
Constructed using huge pieces of carbon fibre (three big pieces on the front and sides), the Elva is not only sensationally beautiful to look at, but also extremely lightweight and gorgeous to look at, inside and out. But there are some elements in the Elva to make it unique in the world of supercars, even the Speedster category.
AERODYNAMICS
You might be exposed to the weather, but the Elva does come with a very unique feature called the Active Air Management System or AAMS (this is only available if you opt for the Elva without the windscreen).
This word’s first tech will deploy a ‘shield’ upfront when you hit over 45km/h which helps to create a turbulence-free zone or what McLaren calls a “Bubble of Calm”.
It creates a low-pressure zone behind the shield which will direct most of the air over the cabin rather than dead straight into your face. The Elva’s overall design does not compromise on downforce and handling, which makes it a very agile and nimble car despite not having a roof or windscreen.
POWER
The Elva comes with the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine as the street-legal track beast, the McLaren Senna. Despite having the same powertrain, the Elva is said to have MORE power with 815PS and 800Nm of torque. That’s 15PS more than the all-powerful Senna
0-100kmh is achieved in 2.8 seconds, 0-200kmh in 6.8 seconds. These figures are the same as the track-oriented but road-legal McLaren Senna. Top speed, however, is 326kmh, just a touch slower than the 335kmh Senna.
That’s extremely remarkable considering that, again, the Elva has no roof and windscreen. With the windscreen? Probably slightly faster as you’re able to hold on to the throttle for longer without having to worry too much about the wind.
LIGHTWEIGHT
The Elva is not only more powerful than the Senna, but it’s also lighter as well. Weighing in at 1,148kg, the Elva is 50kg lighter than the Senna. In other words, the Elva is the lightest road car McLaren has ever produced.
PRICE
With only 149 units planned for production, the Elva is extremely limited compared to the other modern-day speedsters from Ferrari or Aston Martin. In the UK, you can get one for just over 1.4 million pounds, but here in Malaysia, that roughly translates to somewhere north of RM8 million.
And that’s before all the taxes and options are taken into consideration. Talking about options, the extremely rich can opt to get some bespoke stuff like a bespoke helmet, military ballistic-grade sunglasses, and even a permanent windscreen.
Just don’t ask for a roof or side windows, because you won’t get them from McLaren.
Keyword: 5 things you need to know - McLaren Elva