- Limited to just 399 units
- Joins the leagues of P1, Speedtail and Senna
McLaren has revealed its new Ultimate Series roadster called the Elva. And it doesn’t have a windscreen. Yes, this is the brand’s first-ever open-cockpit roadster and just like its predecessors – namely the P1, Senna and Speedtail – the Elva has a limited production run. McLaren will produce just 399 units of this beautiful work of art.
Named after the Group 7 McLaren racecars of the 1960s, the Elva has a bespoke carbon-fibre chassis with most of the part made out of single-shell carbon fibre. Powering it is the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 which does duties in the Senna and Senna GTR. The British carmaker claims that the Elva is the lightest road-going vehicle they have ever produced. Although exact weight figure isn’t divulged, the V8’s 804bhp and 800Nm is good enough for a 0-100kmph time of “under three seconds”, and a 0-200kmph time of just 6.7 seconds – that’s quicker than the Senna.
Although there’s no windscreen, no roof and no door-window, the Elva does have twin buttresses with deployable roll-over protection. The low nose isn’t just for design, it hides a functional wizardry called Active Air Management System (AAMS). What AAMS does is – at higher speeds, it channels air through the nose which comes out of the clamshell ahead of the occupant and directed over the cockpit. Thus creating a ‘bubble’ of calm, as McLaren puts it. At lower speeds, the airflow is diverted to radiators for improving efficiency by cooling the oil in the seven-speed transmission. McLaren claims that the cabin wraps around the driver and passenger providing a secure environment, but doesn’t say no to wearing helmets when sitting inside the Elva. Also, a fixed windscreen can be opted as a factory option.
Design-wise, the Elva is unmistakably McLaren with its engineering precision, and everything is functionally designed rather than put there just for the sake of drama. Even the spoiler at the back isn’t there for style, but it works as an air-brake when required. The Elva has a flat underfloor with many diffusers all around for the AAMS to work its magic.
The minimalistic cabin has exposed carbon fibre with exotic materials for every operating button and control units. Since the aim of Elva’s cabin is to expose the occupants to all the elements, the cabin is swathed in a modern Ultrafabric which is another new for McLaren. There’s no music system, but an eight-inch screen giving out all the vital information.
And each Elva can be had with McLaren Special Operations (MSO) personalisation options making each of the 399 units quite unique. McLaren is asking 1425000 Pounds (approx. Rs 13 crore) for the Elva in the UK without the optional extras as deliveries are slated to begin by the end of 2020.
