New video is out showing the limited-edition McLaren Solus GT supercar during its timed run on Sunday up the famous hill climb of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The track-only, V-10-powered single-seater was the fastest car of this year’s Festival of Speed in the U.K., requiring just 45.34 seconds thanks to the efforts of racing driver Marvin Kirchhöfer.
The time is one of the fastest ever set at Goodwood’s hill climb, which is impressive as there was less time to practice this year with Saturday’s qualifying session being canceled due to heavy rain and wind. The record is the insane 39.08 seconds set last year by the McMurtry Spéirling electric fan car.
The Solus GT is McLaren’s attempt at building a real-life version of its Ultimate Vision GT concept developed purely for the “Gran Turismo” video game series. The two designs are very close, though in the concept the driver lies flat on his or her stomach with arms stretched forward to grip the steering wheel. A more conventional seating position is found in the Solus GT, though this necessitated a higher roof.
The Solus GT also ditches the original concept’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 and four electric motors in favor of a high-revving 5.2-liter V-10 that sounds very much like an old-school Formula 1 engine. The engine features barrel-driven throttles for each cylinder, a design taken from motorsports, and is entirely gear-driven, meaning there’s no chains or belts for the camshaft and ancillary systems. Peak power of 829 hp arrives at a screaming 10,000 rpm.
Aerodynamics tuned for high downforce and F1-style suspension help the car handle on the track. McLaren hasn’t published final performance numbers but said owners can expect a 0-60 mph time of less than 2.5 seconds, a top speed of more than 200 mph, and track times rivaling McLaren’s GT race cars.
Just 25 examples will be built, each priced from around $4 million. Deliveries are scheduled to start later this year. For the lucky few allotted a build slot, McLaren will host special track events where all the logistics, like getting the car to the and from the track, are handled by the automaker.
