McLaren’s Latest Track Toy Has a 5.2-Liter V-10 and 829 HP
The McLaren Solus GT is a new limited-edition track car, taking design inspiration from the 2017 Vision GT car created for the Gran Turismo video game series.The centerpiece is a 5.2-liter V-10 developed with help from Judd Power, producing over 829 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque and revving to over 10,000 rpm.McLaren predicts a top speed of over 200 mph and a 60 mph sprint time of under 2.5 seconds, and only 25 units will be built.
Since 2013, automakers have crafted dramatic, outlandish race cars for the Gran Turismo video game series under the “Vision Gran Turismo” banner. These fantasy vehicles are designed to exist solely in the virtual world, allowing the designers to stretch their imaginations beyond the limitations of budgets and real-world production processes. McLaren’s 2017 entry, the Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo, was one of the most striking concepts, and now McLaren is turning that virtual race car into a reality with the Solus GT, a single-seat, V-10–powered track car.
The Solus GT’s design remains fairly similar to that of the Vision GT, with windswept bodywork reminiscent of top-flight endurance race cars. Access to the single seat is granted by a theatrical sliding canopy, while the styling is largely dictated by aerodynamics. The Solus is glued to the asphalt thanks to ground-effect tunnels running the length of the car, fed by vents behind the large front splitter and spitting air out the back of the car via a cavernous rear diffuser. A fixed rear wing also helps the Solus stick to the track, while the front suspension and wheels are shrink-wrapped in aerodynamic pods to improve airflow. McLaren says that Solus can produce more than 2,635 pounds of downforce, while the whole car is said to weigh under 2,205 pounds, thanks to a carbon-fibre monocoque and front and rear chassis structures.
Power comes from a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10, which will pump out more than 829 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque while revving to over 10,000 rpm. McLaren is aiming for the Solus to reach a top speed over 200 mph and sprint to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds. That V-10 motor is unusual for a company that has used some form of twin-turbocharged V-8 in every modern road car its built besides the recently revealed V-6-powered Artura. Development help came from engine specialists Judd Power, which built Formula 1 engines in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The V-10 sucks in air via an intake mounted atop the cockpit, and the chiseled sidepods house large radiators to help keep the 5.2-liter unit cool. McLaren also says that engine’s responsiveness is boosted by the V-10’s individual throttle bodies.
The beastly engine is paired with a seven-speed sequential gearbox featuring straight-cut gears and multiplate carbon-fiber clutch. The engine is also integrated into the chassis, doing away with the need for extra subframes, reducing weight. The unequal-length control arm suspension features inboard torsion bar dampers, using pushrods up front and pullrods at the back. Anti-roll bars on each axle can be adjusted by the driver, and the Solus rides on 18-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in slick Le Mans–spec tires (a wet-weather compound will also be available). Stopping power comes via six-piston monobloc aluminum calipers and carbon brake discs and pads, with brake bias also tunable by the driver.
The cockpit is bare-bones, with a yoke-style steering wheel that looks like it came out Lando Norris’s F1 car. Each customer will have a seat fitting just like a professional racing driver, and the pedal box will be adjustable via a remote system operated from the fixed seat. McLaren says there is “halo style” cockpit protection, which is 3D printed from titanium and likely takes inspiration from the “halo” device used by F1 since 2018 to help prevent head injuries.
Along with a seat fitting, owners with get an FIA-homolgated race suit, helmet, HANS head restraint, and radio-enabled ear inserts, as well as access to a drive-development coaching program. McLaren is planning to host track events for Solus owners, and each car will come with a flight case—including tools, vehicle jacks, radio sets, and more—for owners to attend track days on their own.
McLaren claims the Solus will deliver the fastest lap times of any McLaren besides their single-seater race cars. Deliveries will begin in 2023, with the Solus still undergoing track testing. There’s no word on price, but production of the Solus GT will be limited to 25 units, and, of course, they’re all already sold out.
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