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McLaren Hyper-GT prototype reaches 250 mph more than 30 times during testing

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Dec 27, 2019, 8:47 am

The McLaren Hyper-GT prototype has reached impressive speed during testing.

Photo courtesy of McLaren Automotive Limited

McLaren's chief test driver, Kenny Brack, has taken the McLaren Hyper-GT prototype up to 250 mph at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Speedtail prototype has undergone its final high-speed testing as part of its development and validation process. The car, nicknamed "XP2" reached that 250 mph maximum speed over 30 times on the space shuttle landing runway at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds. Other test facilities where the feat was achieved include Idiada in Spain and Papenburg in Germany.

McLaren Hyper-GT prototype McLaren tested the vehicle on NASA's space shuttle landing strip in Florida.Photo courtesy of McLaren Automotive Limited

"It's fitting that the Speedtail's high-speed test program concluded with multiple maximum-speed runs at a location so strongly associated with pushing the boundaries of extreme performance and engineering excellence," said Mike Flewitt, CEO, McLaren Automotive. "The Speedtail is a truly extraordinary car that epitomizes McLaren's pioneering spirit and perfectly illustrates our determination to continue to set new benchmarks for supercar and hypercar performance."

XP2 is 17-feet long and made of carbon fiber, It's a three-seater and has the lowest aerodynamic drag coefficient of any vehicle McLaren has ever produced. The lower the drag coefficient, the better the vehicle is able to slip through the air, allowing it to be more efficient with its power usage.

McLaren Hyper-GT prototype The nose of the model is familiar to McLaren brand enthusiasts.Photo courtesy of McLaren Automotive Limited

The model is powered by a gas-electric hybrid powertrain that delivers more horsepower and torque than any McLaren road-worthy vehicle to date. It can get from zero to 186 mph in less than 13 seconds thanks to its 1,055 horsepower and 848 pound-feet of torque.

The car's battery pack has a density of 5.2 kW/kg making it the best power-to-weight ratio of any automotive high voltage battery system. Like a traditional hybrid powertrain, the batteries recharge as the vehicle is driven. However, the battery can also be trickle charged via a wireless charging pad. This pad is standard equipment with the production model and allows the car to stay charged even when it's not in use.

McLaren Hyper-GT prototype The model is 17 feet in length.Photo courtesy of McLaren Automotive Limited

The first customer-ready models of the 106 McLaren Speedtails that will be hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England. They will be assembled to order and deliveries will be scheduled starting in February 2020.

All of the Speedtails have already been sold. The asking price? Right around $2.1 million each.

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Nuts & Bolts

 
 

CES 2021

Sony Vision-S development moves to road testing in Europe

Sony's team is testing the Vision-S on the streets of Austria.

Photo courtesy of Sony

One year ago Sony surprised the crowds at CES with the Vision -S, a concept vehicle meant to further the discussion on safety, security, and entertainment. The vehicle has moved from concept to prototype, taking to the roads of Europe for testing.

The car has been driving the roads of Austria since December 2020, according to the company, for technical evaluation. Evaluation of what? We're so glad you asked.

If the car is technologically similar to what has presented at CES last year, on-board is Sony's imaging and sensing technologies as well as software regulated using Sony's AI, telecommunication, and cloud technologies.

Sony Vision-S The Sonny Vision S is a working vehicle prototype now. Photo courtesy of Sony

The car, which was built in cooperations with Magna Steyr, features 33 sensors, including CMOS image sensors and time of flight (ToF) sensors within the vehicle. These sensors are designed to detect and recognize people and objects inside and outside the vehicle, and provide "highly advanced driving support."

Each of the two rows of seating in the vehicle features Sony's 360 Reality Audio system. Bose has similar technology built into the Nissan Kicks.

The crossover-lie car's front seats have a panoramic screen in front of them that has the ability to display rich content.

Does this mean that Sony will begin to make cars? The quick answer is no. Sony does not appear itching to get into the car business though the products that result from this testing will likely be available to automakers offering additional competition for components in a fast-paced marketplace where the technology is evolving quickly.

The real winner here could be consumers who will benefit from the stiff completion between suppliers and be on the receiving end of better technology because of it.

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Hypercars

These are the $6 million Bugatti Divos that have been commissioned by U.S. customers

Three Bugatti Divos have been delivered to U.S. customers.

Photo courtesy of Bugatti Beverly Hills

Three Bugatti customers on the West Coast have started 2021 off on a better note than the rest of us. Bugatti of Beverly Hills was recently able to deliver three of the four Bugatti Divo supercars that have been commissioned through the dealership to their new owners.

Each of the models has been customized to deliver the high-performance, exclusive drive and ride experience required by its commissioner. Ahead of their delivery, the three Divos took to the track together completing laps at The Thermal Club in Palm Desert, California.

The Divo itself is a unique Bugatti even before customization. It rides on new architecture that features more air inlets than other Bugatti models and a wide front spoiler that works to provide optimal air supply and aid with downforce. The car looks lower and longer than other Bugattis due to its slimmer side line. At the front of the grille is the traditional, 159-gram Bugatti emblem.

U.S.-bound Bugatti Divos

Bugatti Divo U.S. West Coast Los Angeles blue

Photo country of Bugatti Beverly Hills

Each model is powered by a 8.0-liter W16 engine that achieves 1500 horsepower. That engine can propel the car up to its 236 mph top speed.

Bugatti's Atelier in Molsheim is charged with the creation of each Divo. The first deliveries of the hyper sports cars took place in August 2020. By the end of the first months of 2021, all Divos will have been delivered to their new homes.

"To see these spectacular automobile works of art go from a piece of paper to sitting here in front of me is a phenomenal feeling," says Tim O'Hara, General Manager Bugatti Beverly Hills. "It was a very involved and lengthy process that demanded our best skills and expertise. To deliver 4 of only 40 to be built in the world and see the project through fruition is deeply gratifying."

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