McLaren reportedly plans to launch a 700-horse tribute to the iconic F1

By Ronan Glon July 21, 2016

mclaren f1 gt news specs performance rumors 675lt air vent — Miles Branman/Digital Trends

Rumors of a new McLaren built as a tribute to the iconic F1 have resurfaced, and this time they’re providing us with a better idea of what to expect from the car.

The yet-unnamed model will be built around an evolution of McLaren’s twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V8 engine, tuned to provide approximately 700 horsepower. The mid-mounted eight won’t be joined by an electric motor, in spite of McLaren’s promise to hybridize the bulk of its lineup in the not-too-distant future. It’s too early to give full performance specifications, but the model will boast a top speed of over 200 mph thanks in part to the widespread use of carbon fiber.

Insiders say the F1’s spiritual successor will take the form of a hyper-GT designed to cross continents in style and at high speeds. It won’t be a hardcore, stripped-down coupe designed for hot laps at the track. That explains why it’s shaping up to be the most luxurious car that McLaren has ever built, one that buyers will be encouraged to customize during the production process to ensure that no two cars are exactly alike. The interior will be “closer to a piece of art than a car,” revealed sources familiar with the project in an interview with Autocar.

Like the F1, the coupe will offer space for three passengers in a 1+2 configuration. It will borrow a handful of styling cues from its predecessor, but McLaren stresses that it’s not developing a full-on, retro-inspired car.

Read more: McLaren says “no way” to a SUV

McLaren’s F1 tribute will make its global debut in 2018. Only 64 cars will be hand-built by McLaren with help from the company’s Special Operations (MSO) division, and each one will cost approximately 2 million pounds, a lofty sum that converts to approximately $2.6 million. Get in line now if you want one, because the entire production run is certain to sell out quickly.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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