McLaren Elva 2020: official images, plus pricing, specs and release

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McLaren has released the first details about an upcoming limited-run model that will blend drop-top driving thrills with hypercar levels of performance.

The speedster-style hypercar, called the Elva, will sit alongside the track-focused Senna and the eagerly anticipated F1 successor Speedtail in the British carmaker’s Ultimate Series product range.

The “core technical ingredients” of the Elva are similar to those in McLaren’s existing hypercar range, says Evo. But where the Speedtail is about maximum velocity, the newcomer “has been designed specifically for the open road”, says the magazine.

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Like its stablemates in the Ultimate Series, the roofless Elva will be offered in limited numbers and carry a seven-figure price tag.

With the first examples due to hit the roads next year, here’s everything we know about McLaren’s exclusive new model:

Price and release

At £1,425,000, the Elva sits in the middle of the £750,000 Senna hypercar and £2.1m Speedtail grand tourer. McLaren typically offers extensive option lists for its cars, so some examples may cost significantly more than others.

The supercar maker has already opened orders for the Elva. Only 399 will be made, with customer deliveries expected to begin at the end of 2020, says Autocar.

Design and interior

Both the name and design of the Elva were inspired by the McLaren-Elva M1A Group 7 racing car that competed across the globe in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Like the racer, there’s no roof, windscreen or side windows. There are, however, a tiny pair of doors to ease access”, says Auto Express. “To avoid buffeting at speed, the Elva uses a retractable wind deflector that channels air from the front air dam, through the clamshell bonnet and over the heads of the occupants.”

Other elements of the car are more contemporary. The front end nods to the Speedtail grand tourer, while the back end mixes the tail light and exhaust design from the 720S with a similar diffuser shape to that of the old P1 GTR.

Behind the cabin sits two headrest fairings, above a sculpted engine cover that leads onto the moveable rear wing.

The interior features McLaren’s tried-and-tested steering wheel and Senna-esque infotainment system, which faces the driver. Carbon-fibre panels and leather surfaces abound, and the seats appear to feature more padding than the ultra-lightweight versions in the Senna.

Engine and performance

Behind the cabin sits the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that powers most of McLaren’s supercars, albeit in a higher state of tune.

The Elva’s motor delivers 804bhp and 590lb-ft of torque, making it even more powerful than the track-honed Senna. The increase in power is thanks in part to a new exhaust system that uses 3D-printed parts for “particularly complex junctions within the manifold”, says Evo.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, taking the drop-top from zero to 62mph in under three seconds and from zero to 124mph in just 6.7 seconds. No hybrid system is being offered for the Elva, which McLaren is touting as its lightest model to date.