Racer Lando Norris Goes Full Throttle with McLaren Elva

New video shows the extreme open-top McLaren Elva as it aggressively laps the Silverstone Circuit. 

The new McLaren Elva is quite a force. As the lightest road car that McLaren Automotive has ever made, the Elva is one amazing ride. It has classic style and supercar performance specs that make us weak-kneed. But we want to see how this extreme roadster actually performs.

McLaren Racing’s Lando Norris has the tough gig to take it on the track. Nice work if you can get it. Norris got behind the wheel of the Elva at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix. And it was a blast.

When he first gets to see his ride, he is impressed and a little giddy.

“It’s actually my first time seeing it properly up close,” Norris says, sliding in. “It feels like a Go-Kart. I love it!”

There’s a lot to love in this beaut. The latest product in the McLaren Ultimate Series line, the Elva is designed to give the purest distillation of driving thrills. With an 804 HP twin-turbo V8 engine powering the car, the Elva is capable of downright feral acceleration and handling.

Purpose-built, it features daring design and embraces the legacy of Bruce McLaren’s original race conquering open top sports cars of the 1960s: The M1A, M1B and M1C. Lightweight, open-roofed, mid-engined; it was single-mindedly created to deliver a driving experience of exhilarating purity.

To achieve this pared-down retro style, McLaren added a bespoke carbon fiber chassis and body. They dropped the roof, windscreen, and side windows.

Transforming the driving experience is the innovative Active Air Management System (AAMS), which provides a virtual canopy over the Elva’s seamlessly-integrated cockpit.

The result is heightened sensory experience, only further enhanced by its stirring soundtrack compliments of the finely-tuned exhaust.

On the track Norris has a blast. McLaren built a rare gem in the Elva. It can sprint 0 to 62 in 3 seconds, and hit top speeds in excess of 200 mph. And it sounds as outstanding as it performs. Handling, power, grip, and just a ton of fun; the Elva is a full dose of adrenaline, undiluted.

Check out the video to enjoy all the Elva action.

Photos: McLaren

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S.J. Bryan

Longtime automotive journalist S.J. Bryan has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is an editor with Ford Truck Enthusiasts and regular contributor to F-150 Online, Harley-Davidson Forums, and The Mustang Source, among other popular auto sites.

Bryan first discovered her passion for all things automotive while riding in her parent's 1968 Ford Mustang. The automotive expert cut her teeth growing up riding on Harleys, and her first car was a Chevy Nova. Despite her lead foot, Bryan has yet to receive a speeding ticket.

The award-winning former playwright was first published at age 18. She has worked extensively as a writer and editor for a number of lifestyle and pop culture publications. The diehard gearhead is a big fan of American muscle cars, sixth-gen Ford trucks, and Oxford commas.

S.J. can be reached at sherryjbry@gmail.com.