From fantasy to reality — McLaren unveils Solus GT

TDT | Manama                                                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Mc Laren Auto motive unveiled the McLaren Solus GT, the stunning realization of a concept car from the screens of virtual racing into an extreme expression of track driving engagement that will exhilarate in the real world.

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, CEO of McLaren Automotive.

The Solus GT brings to life the futuristic McLaren concept that featured in the Gran Turismo Sport video game. At less than 1,000 kg in weight and with an aerodynamic performance including a downforce in excess of 1,200 kg, 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 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.

The striking exterior design, which is faithful to its virtual inspiration, is based on proven aerodynamic principles and McLaren’s “everything for a reason” design ethos, honed by additional computational fluid dynamics and wind-tunnel aerodynamic research. The list of distinctive external features is lengthy, with the sliding canopy above the single, central seat being one of the most striking. 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.