While dubbed a Hyper GT, McLaren’s Speedtail – what a marvelously apt name for the job – is the fastest car the company has manufactured for series production. It achieved its top speed in prototype form, in the United States, during trials – and some of the first real-world reviews are not able to demonstrate if that’s also casually possible... But we still have high hopes once the first examples delivered around the world accrue some more miles on their odometers.
The trouble with cars that are brand new is that you can’t push them to the limits from the get-go. You need to let them settle in for a few thousand miles before hitting the rev-limiter. Of course, that’s not exactly an issue with your run of the mill family car. Swap that for a priceless exotic such as the McLaren Speedtail and the temptation is clearly the devil’s advocate.
Tim Burton, known professionally as Shmee150, is not exactly stranger to high-speed exotics – as he owns several ones, including of the McLaren variety. This time around though, he’s genuinely enthused by the opportunity to have his first drive in the Speedtail courtesy of one of his socialite friends.
Naturally, this lends him the credentials to give us a full walkaround tour before the actual drive – showcasing the neat aero profile, the hidden cameras acting as rear-view mirrors, the snorkel on the roof, or the carbon fiber flaps that are actually flexible...
Best of all, the Speedtail sits idle for the first part of the hands-on in between Ayrton Senna and Bruce McLaren’s images on the walls of the McLaren Center where the drive starts. Speaking off, that one comes fast at the 7:50 mark after we first witness the epic motorized doors opening in sync (4:40 mark) and the customary engine startup at the 7-minute break.
Of note for Tim is the fact that McLaren managed a swell GT job (in terms of fit and finish), even though he does need a moment or two to get accustomed to the central seating position, the displays inside showing what the rear-view cameras capture of the traffic, or the fact that he’s not exactly treated to the most amount of headroom behind the wheel (and that’s an issue, because Shmee is not exactly tall).
Never mind all these little details, because soon (14:15 mark) he’s out on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn... where he just can’t open the throttle all the way. Because he needs to be careful with the car’s very low mileage, he can only play with speeds around the 250 kph (155 mph) mark.
Instead, he treats us to some gearbox play for casual blow-off sound coolness as he prepares to make way into the side roads of Germany’s Black Forest region for some additional countryside driving and another moment of respite. The latter is well-intended, as we get to know his favorite detail when showcasing the luggage space (from around the 23-minute mark).
That would be the hidden carbon fiber compartment in the frunk (front trunk) which houses a golden titanium toolkit – a great callback of the McLaren F1 times. Afterwards, as he makes his way back on some windy roads, he even goes for some mild off-roading (26:10) – a testament that even in Germany not everything is perfect...
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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