McLaren plans to produce just 25 Solus GT supercars. McLaren has already sold all of them, so your chances of getting one are nil, but one of those 25 is Manny Khoshbin, who takes us behind the scenes with the track-only car. Khoshbin gets up close with it for a mini walkaround video.
The car looks otherworldly in the clip, showing off the car’s bonkers design. McLaren designed the car for airflow to go over, under, and through the vehicle, creating a monstrous amount of downforce. The car is capable of generating over 2,646 pounds (1,200 kilograms) of downforce, delivering as much as 3,086 lbs (1,400 kg) at 150 miles per hour (241 kilometers per hour). It weighs less than 2,205 lbs (1,000 kg).
Gallery: McLaren Solus
Little has changed on it since the car appeared in Gran Turismo Sport a few years ago. However, McLaren redesigned the cockpit for a more traditional seating position than the in-game vehicle. Apparently, this is one of the first cars McLaren Automotive designed over a decade ago.
The Solus packs a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine that makes 829 horsepower (619 kilowatts) and 479-pound-feet (650 Newton-meters) of torque. It allegedly sounds like a 2000s-era Formula 1 car. It can hit 62 mph (100 kph ) in 2.5 seconds. The car does come equipped with traction and stability control, allowing drivers to comfortably and safely learn the car’s limits.
The Souls has a single-seat cockpit with a sliding canopy, and the video reveals how one gets in and out. The NACA duct in the side also serves as a step that can support a person – and drivers use that to step into the cockpit before lowering themselves into it as an F1 driver does. The seat is fixed, but there is an adjustable pedal box.
Each car is bespoke to the driver with a molded seat – another F1-like touch that also has the driver getting a racing suit, carbon helmet, racing shoes, and a HANS device with the car. It even has a detachable steering wheel. We hope Khoshbin continues documenting his Solus GT experience. We can’t wait to see the supercar on the track.
