McLaren BP23 set to be the fastest ever made
Posted on Friday, 16th of March 2018
McLaren are no stranger to high speed and took the track record (pun intended) for the fastest production model when their F1 reached 242mph on Ehra-Lessian test track in 1998. Based on the 720S, the newest addition to their line-up is expected to break that record – although not by much as series chief Andy Palmer believes that the performance limits of tyres and other systems have been pretty much reached.
Expected to be able to reach
243mph, and still be accelerating, the BP23 is, nonetheless, not a track car
but rather a high-specification, high speed, road based Grand Tourer.
How does it get so fast?
Combining speed and comfort
Standing for “Bespoke Project 2, 3 seater” the car uses a central driver’s seat and two behind layout that gives the passengers a surprising amount of comfort – even on long journeys.
The centre seat promises to
deliver that single-seater feeling and the carbon-fibre saloon has been
modified from previous three-seater designs to make it easier for the driver to
get into (and out of!) the driving seat. Behind, are the two passenger seats
which should take fully grown humans – unlike some smaller roadsters - and
there even promises to be space for luggage.
Visibility is good for cars in
this class due to the central position of the controls, and there is the
possibility that cameras will augment mirrors to eliminate blind spots, without
impacting on those all-important aerodynamics.
Can I get my hands on one?
McLaren intend to produce only 106
of these £2million beauties, designed in response to a customer request. And
while they have already sold them preproduction they may be short of places to
put the car through its paces. Their
rivals Bugatti have teamed up with VW and have use of the Ehra-Lessian track
that made the F1’s fortune, meaning McLaren will need to look elsewhere. Using
banked tracks or the Bonneville salt flats are likely to reduce the top-speed
through grip issues leaving power output and acceleration as the big numbers
that will be used to confirm the BP23’s fastest production car crown.