McLaren Solus GT hypercar debuts at Goodwood

The Solus GT hypercar was unveiled at McLaren Automotive last August, but the real debut of this monster will now only take place at the traditional Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The car should be released in just 25 units, each costing the future owner £3 million. It is intended for race tracks only, the release of the road version is not planned.

The latest hypercar features a carbon fiber monocoque and mid-engine layout; it is powered by a naturally aspirated 829 hp V10 engine with a displacement of 5.2 liters, once developed by the British company Judd. But McLaren specialists have also actively contributed to the fine-tuning.

In general, the design of the car uses many solutions tested in motorsport, including in Formula 1. But it mainly resembles the sports prototypes of the LMP class, although McLaren does not seem to return to endurance racing , at least in the near future.

The driving wheels are located only at the rear, the torque is transmitted to them through a 7-speed sequential gearbox and a multi-plate clutch made of composite materials – similar nodes are used on cars participating in the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Weighing in at around 950kg, the Solus GT is capable of reaching over 320km/h and yet, thanks to racing pedigree efficient aerodynamics, generates 1200kg of downforce.

Unlike the LMP class sports prototypes, the McLaren hypercar has a single seat and the driver enters the cockpit through a “lantern”, shaped like those used in military aviation, but moves forward.

The cockpit seat is fixed and the pedal mount is adjustable, and Lando Norris was involved in its development as a consultant. At the same time, each owner undergoes a complete and thorough procedure for installing the seat.

As McLaren points out, the Solus GT is still not a race car, but a hypercar simply designed exclusively for use on racetracks.