McLaren Speedtail Is a $3 Million Piece of Forbidden Fruit
Successor to the legendary F1 is the fastest McLaren road car ever, but forbidden to be sold in the U.S.
Car enthusiasts all over the world waited decades for a follow-up to the McLaren F1, once the fastest car in the world and forever the hypercar known for its driver-in-the-middle three-seat layout. McLaren finally rewarded that impressive patience with the Speedtail, an ultra-exotic hybrid with a top speed of 250 mph and, of course, three seats. The only problem was it was forbidden to U.S. buyers, unless they imported it under the Show or Display rule. Luckily, YouTuber Doug DeMuro found a Speedtail that made the trip over here through that exemption for historically or technologically significant vehicles.
The irony is that some of the things that make the Speedtail so cool are what kept it from being officially sold in the states.
For instance, to keep the Speedtail so sleek and aerodynamic, McLaren did away with the fixed side mirrors and replaced them with retractable cameras that pop out of the doors. That’s a big legal no-no here. So is the Speedtail’s distinctive seat arrangement.
According to DeMuro, “U.S. regulations say that each front occupant needs to have access to an airbag.” Even though the two outboard seats are somewhat behind the central driver’s seat, they’re technically still in the front row, so they’re another strike against the Speedtail’s legality.
There are plenty more “quirks and features” in the Speedtail than those, especially when you consider how this particular car was configured. It started life as one of McLaren’s experimental prototypes used in the development of the Speedtail. McLaren eventually converted it to road car spec, hence the codename XP3. If the owners of it had left it in its basic form, it would’ve been a $3 million car. But what fun is a forbidden McLaren masterpiece if it’s stock? The family that purchased XP3 went all out, spec’ing it with $600,000 of special carbon fiber and badges fit for a car 99.9 percent of the Earth’s population will only ever see on a computer screen. “The platinum badging for this car is an $84,000 option.” All in, XP3 was a $4 million import.
The gold tools numbered to match the car? Those were included on the house.
The Speedtail is a undeniable example of form following function. The front wheel skirts strategically channel air to keep the Speedtail stable at staggeringly high speeds. True to its name, the Speedtail has an elongated rear end that plays a major role in helping it achieve its 250 mph top speed. Instead of using a fixed wing or retractable spoiler, the Speedtail’s body work itself flexes to provide downforce.
Inside, the unusual seat arrangement means some of the Speedtail’s controls were relocated. The starter button for the twin-turbo V8 and the drive mode selector dial, along with the transmission mode buttons, are on the ceiling, which give the interior a fittingly cockpit-like look and feel. There’s no rearview mirror at all.
It’s not as if the Speedtail needs one. It has a ‘roid-raging V8 and an electric motor that blast out a combined 1,036 horsepower and 848 lb-ft of torque. Just a blip of the Speedtail’s throttle guarantees that it leaves everything around it behind its slim taillights.
There’s no clearer proof of the Speedtail’s might than the look on DeMuro’s face. His excitement is undeniable (and understandable). So are the flashes of abject terror. But there’s more to the forbidden ultra Mac than just sheer velocity. DeMuro says, “It is powerful, but it is graceful in the way it delivers power. It is not brutal. This is probably the best-driving hypercar I’ve ever driven.”
Surprisingly, DeMuro won’t be the only American to get behind the wheel of the Speedtail in his home country. Far from it, actually. According to DeMuro, McLaren says roughly one third of the 106 Speedtails it’s going to produce will be sold in the U.S. as Show or Display cars.
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