McLaren F1 the legend, McLaren P1 the hybrid madness – can you top that?
The British supercar manufacturer itself has provided the answer. After the Senna GTR, which was built exclusively for the race track, the manufacturer now presents the ultimate street car, the McLaren Speedtail. Also on board the 1047 HP hybrid drive is Bernd Kussmaul GmbH, which plays a decisive role in all the interior and exterior aluminum components. But first things first.
The Speedtail accelerates from a standstill to 300 km/h in 12.8 seconds. That makes this car the fastest street-legal McLaren ever! But that’s not all: it can reach an overwhelming top speed of over 400 km/h! That’s why “buckle up and hit the road” was the motto that Kussmaul chose for its first project together with the British super sports car manufacturer. The order quantity for the vehicles, which is limited to 106 individual units, is impressive. All the aluminum components in the interior and exterior are made by Kussmaul, which is based in Weinstadt, Germany. To be exact, there are 21 aluminum items on the exterior and 25 aluminum items in the interior of the vehicle.
Highlights include the oval trim which surrounds the driver’s area and extends to the elongated rear, as well as the trim on the steering wheel, air vents and the seats.
The McLaren Speedtail’s cockpit is a very unique place. The driver’s seat located in the center. There are two passenger seats to the right and left of the driver, slightly offset to the rear. Five screens are installed in the cockpit – three screens for driving and infotainment information and two screens that are positioned higher. This is because the McLaren has no exterior mirrors. Instead, it has two cameras that display the view to the driver. At higher speeds, the cameras can even be automatically retracted for perfect aerodynamics. The mechanical parts for the camera housing are made by Kussmaul. The fuel tank cap and the “McLaren” and “Speedtail” lettering on the exterior of the super sports car also bear the signature of the Weinstadt-based manufacturer.
The McLaren Speedtail opens up a new world, and not just because of its dizzying speeds. It also does so because of the options to personalize colors, materials and textures. The goal of the designers was to create the ultimate in customized design. In other words, the goal was to create 106 unique vehicles – and here, too, the Brits have once again called on the expertise of Kussmaul.
The owner of the McLaren Speedtail can choose from a total of 21 different anodized colors for the aluminum decorative parts. But that’s not all. When it comes to the material treatment of their trims, buyers can also choose between sandblasted, brushed, polished edge (combination of brushed and polished) and mirror polished (completely polished). Everything is handmade at the manufactory in Weinstadt. The starting price for the sports car is about three million euros. If you now combine the possibilities of colors with those of material treatment, the customer is offered a range of 84 possible personalization options. That is quite a lot and first had to be ensured at Kussmaul. When the production started in October 2018 everything was set up. Since then three complete sets leave the Kussmaul factory each week for McLaren headquarters in Woking (UK).
The whole Kussmaul team is more than proud of such a great project with McLaren Automotive. In the almost 25-years of Kussmaul history the Speedtail project means the largest car project ever done but also the most individual project. Due to the variety of personalization options. And another great news: The McLaren Speedtail also marks the beginning of a strategic collaboration between Kussmaul and McLaren Automotive. It’s exciting to know, that there will be more projects on the road in the future.
Picture source: McLaren Press Room
