The Gentleman Magazine Issue 12 | December 2018 | Page 19

Being at the wheel of a Speedtail promises to be a truly
sensational experience and unlike that enjoyed in any
other car. The driver is positioned centrally in the luxurious
cockpit, with seating for two additional passengers set slightly
rearwards. There is luggage space within both the nose and tail
of the vehicle and a bespoke luggage set is available to every
owner, the carbon fibre, leather and metalwork on the cases
being matched to the interior specification of their Speedtail.
Speedtail depositors were invited to view a design model
of the car at a recent private preview event held in London.
Resplendent in Speedtail Silver, a Nano-metallic, ‘molten-
effect’ paint developed by McLaren specifically for this car,
the model displays both aniline leather – a leather dyed with
soluble dyes to retain the hide’s natural surface – and a new
lightweight leather. The cockpit provides enticing glimpses of
the astonishing level of personalisation opportunities available;
with each Speedtail being tailored to the owner’s individual
tastes by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the division
of McLaren Automotive responsible for bespoke customer
commissions, it is virtually certain that no two examples will
be identical.
Streamlined simplicity is the key to true elegance
“As an Ultimate Series model, at the pinnacle of the McLaren
range, the Speedtail pushes the limits of what is possible
technically. Just as the McLaren Senna is the embodiment
of extreme aerodynamic technologies and weight saving, so
too is the Speedtail – but for this McLaren, the purpose was
to achieve a new level of design sophistication and weight
reduction in the pursuit of low aerodynamic drag, breath-
taking acceleration and extreme velocity.”
Andy Palmer, Vehicle Line Director, Ultimate Series, McLaren
Automotive
The essence of the McLaren Speedtail is modern design
and craftsmanship in the truest sense, the breathtakingly
sophisticated shape having been brought to life using the
very latest digital development technologies. By radically
rethinking every aspect of the exterior design and drastically
reducing weight, aerodynamic drag efficiency was maximised,
acceleration improved and top speed increased.
Elegance has been created through reduction: every body
panel is carbon fibre and has been sculpted to reduce drag;
retractable digital rear-view cameras replace traditional door
mirrors to further aid aerodynamic performance; carbon fibre
front-wheel static aero covers reduce air turbulence around
the wheelarches; and the seamless silhouette is enhanced by a
reduction in the number of shutlines – including a one-piece
rear clamshell – which disrupt neither the visual continuity
of the body or the flow of air over it. The patented active
rear ailerons ensure the continuity of the design remains
uncompromised, with drag kept to a minimum.
Every element and every aspect of the McLaren Speedtail has
been considered in the mission to reduce drag and maximise
top speed. The McLaren Speedtail is narrower than a McLaren
P1™, but more than half a metre longer, measuring 5,137mm
(almost 17 feet) from nose to tail. The purity of form is
remarkable: viewed from above, the McLaren Speedtail is
essentially a teardrop – the fastest shape in nature – and this
sculpted form creates the smoothest initial contact with the air
at the front splitter, while the dramatically elongated tail bleeds
off the flow to reduce turbulence. And not only is the overall
shape a teardrop, but so too is the cockpit glasshouse set within
the body, once again benefitting aerodynamic drag efficiency
The vertical ducts beneath the full LED headlights, for instance,
are particularly slender, their form meticulously tapered to
minimise drag while still feeding sufficient cooling air into
the LTRs (Low-Temperature Radiators). Airflow that doesn’t
enter the LTR ducts is directed over the bonnet of the Speedtail
and enters two discreet upper front clam intakes. From here,
it is ducted through the body and around the wheelarch
before exiting out of the lower door vents. This engineering
detail reduces the volume of air traveling around the side of
the vehicle, which is prone to separation from the body and
resulting turbulence.
The residual airflow over the nose of the car is directed onto
and over the windscreen by a cowling at the trailing edge of the
bonnet. Engineered to completely encompass both the single-
arm wiper and its operating mechanism, the cowling maintains
a smooth flow transition across the front of the Speedtail and
then over the roof towards the powertrain’s ‘snorkel’ intake.