Exclusive: McLaren to launch elegant open-cockpit speedster

The flowing styling will contrast with the aerodynamically focused Senna and reflects the fact that the new car is being developed primarily for use on the road, with the intention to maximise the ‘pure pleasure of driving’. It is being honed to deliver extremely agile handling while giving high levels of driver response. Our source has been told that it will offer astonishing levels of feedback. 

That driving experience, combined with the open cockpit, is understood to offer a greater connection between the driver and the environment around them. 

Power is tipped to come from McLaren’s 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged petrol engine and, unlike the 1036bhp Speedtail, won’t include any electrification or other hybrid technology. The output for the car is not yet known, although the focus on road driving pleasure suggests it will be slightly reduced from the 789bhp of the Senna. However, as part of McLaren’s Ultimate Series line-up, it is still likely to be elevated from other models in the firm’s range. 

As is usual with McLaren, the power will be driven through the rear wheels only, likely through a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. 

The new speedster is tipped to weigh less than the 1198kg Senna, making it one of the lightest road cars the firm has ever built. This is achieved by both the lack of a roof and, as is customary for McLaren, extensive use of carbonfibre. 

The open-top machine will be a strictly limited-run model, with volume thought to be restricted to fewer than the 500 examples of the Senna that the company has produced. A price of around £1.5 million has been suggested, similar to the cost of the Monza SP1 and SP2. 

A reveal or launch date for the new model has not been determined yet, although it is likely to be produced after the 106 examples of the Speedtail. Production of that machine is due to begin in late 2019, after the final examples of the Senna GTR, which would suggest cars will start to be built in late 2020 or early 2021. 

McLaren models have traditionally been split into three series: Sport, Super and the range-topping Ultimate cars, although the forthcoming new grand tourer will launch a fourth. The Ultimate Series has its roots in the firm’s seminal road car, the F1, and was launched with the P1 plug-in hybrid supercar in 2013. 

When asked to confirm the project, a McLaren spokesperson declined to discuss the new car, saying: “Our usual position in respect of speculation about possible future models is not to comment and that’s the case here.”

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