The McLaren Speedtail is the fastest production car McLaren has ever built: a petrol-electric hybrid hyper-GT with a 250 mph (403 km/h) top speed, 1,036 bhp of combined power, and a three-seat central-driving-position layout borrowed directly from the legendary McLaren F1. Only 106 were made, matching the F1's production run, and every one was sold before the car was publicly revealed. Price: approximately £2.1 million before taxes and options.
What Makes the McLaren Speedtail Different?
The Speedtail is not a track car. McLaren classifies it as a hyper-GT, a car conceived for covering ground at extraordinary speed across long distances in extraordinary comfort. The three-seat central driving position, flanked by two passenger seats reclined slightly behind the driver, is taken directly from the McLaren F1 and creates an interior geometry unlike anything else in the hypercar segment. The car is 5.13 metres long, making it the longest McLaren ever produced, with a teardrop silhouette that prioritises aerodynamic efficiency at high speed over downforce. There are no wing mirrors: rear-facing cameras replace them to preserve the aerodynamic profile.
Powertrain: 1,036 bhp Hybrid
The Speedtail's powertrain combines a heavily modified version of the M840T twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 from the 720S, producing 746 bhp from the combustion engine alone, with a hybrid electric motor adding a further 308 bhp for a combined output of 1,036 bhp and 848 lb-ft of torque. The result is 0 to 186 mph (300 km/h) in 12.8 seconds, a figure no production McLaren had previously achieved. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 mph (403 km/h), making it the fastest McLaren road car in history. The entire structure is a carbon-fibre monocoque, contributing to a dry weight of just 1,430 kg despite the added hybrid components. As detailed by Autocar, the hybrid system is tuned for outright performance rather than efficiency, with the electric motor providing torque fill at all speeds.
106 Units: The F1 Connection
McLaren produced exactly 106 Speedtails, the same number as the original McLaren F1 road car built between 1992 and 1998. The number is not coincidental: the Speedtail is positioned as the F1's spiritual successor in McLaren's Ultimate Series, the top tier of the range where commercial considerations give way entirely to engineering ambition. Every car was personalised to its owner's specification before leaving Woking. The Speedtail began deliveries in late 2019 and the production run is now complete. According to the official McLaren Speedtail page, each car required an individually tailored commissioning process.
McLaren at TheArsenale
For McLaren enthusiasts, TheArsenale carries a range of McLaren collectibles and memorabilia, including the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 full-scale tribute, the car that won 15 of 16 Formula 1 races in 1988, and the Original F1 Steering Wheel from the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-16. The full range of Formula 1 memorabilia is in the Formula 1 collection, while hypercars and luxury performance vehicles are in the cars collection.
