McLaren has unveiled the McLaren Solus GT, a realisation of a concept car from the screens of virtual racing to an extreme track driving machine. A special commission for just 25 customers, with all cars already sold, the single-seat, closed-cockpit track car was unveiled during Monterey Car Week in California.

Engineered to reality by drawing on the full range of McLaren’s experience across the highest levels of motorsport, supercar and hypercar development, the Solus GT brings to life the futuristic McLaren concept that featured in the Gran Turismo video game.

At less than 1,000kg in weight and with aerodynamic performance including downforce in excess of 1,200kg, the Solus GT, which is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 engine, is capable of the fastest lap times of any McLaren outside of single-seater racing and delivers a driving experience close to the engagement and sensation of driving a Formula 1 car.

The striking exterior, which is remarkably faithful to its virtual inspiration, is based on proven aerodynamic principles and McLaren’s ‘everything for a reason’ design ethos, honed by additional CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and wind-tunnel aerodynamic research.

The list of distinctive external features is lengthy, with the sliding canopy above the single, central seat being one of the most striking. The wheels are shrouded in aerodynamic pods and located by suspension arms. A large front splitter feeds air into ground-effect tunnels before it exits the car via a full diffuser. A motorsport-inspired intake above the cockpit integrated into the design of the roll hoop cover feeds cold air into the engine, while also providing an engaging induction sound. Race car design also inspired the sidepods which house the Solus GT’s radiators.

From fantasy to reality