There will be 5 pillars on which the design of the next McLaren-branded cars will rest. A new design philosophy that will look to its past of successes in competitions and highly sophisticated road cars, and which therefore cannot and must not leave anything to chance. “Racing is in our DNA and beauty comes from this relentless pursuit of performance,” explains Tobias Sühlmann, Director of Design, McLaren Automotive. “We are deeply inspired by McLaren's sixty-year history, but we are not rooted in our past. Our design DNA will transform McLaren into a brand that delivers 60 years of motorsport heritage in incredible lightweight supercars and more. A new era, with new vehicles, greater product differentiation and with Performance by Design at the heart of it all.”
So let's see what these five principles are.
EPIC
Epic design leverages sensorial emotion, AND is influenced by the aerodynamics and surfaces of Formula 1, Can-Am and GT cars. Features include the central seating position of the McLaren F1 road car, the fighter jet-style sliding roof of the Solus GT, the four-outlet all-titanium exhaust system of the 765LT.
ATHLETIC
It's a concept that conveys the extraordinary level of performance and agility of each McLaren. The compact and muscular body promotes overall performance through maximum aerodynamic efficiency and weight savings. “Vacuum formed” volumes: bodywork without superfluous or unwanted mass.
FUNCTIONAL
For this pillar the rule is to draw inspiration directly from the principles of athleticism and ultra-lightweight performance, where everything on the car exists for a precise reason. Visible technical elements and innovative approaches towards advanced aerodynamics, as on the McLaren Senna and P1™, towards cooling, as on the new Artura Spider.
FOCUSED
The design focus phase is as critical as the super-lightweight aerodynamic engineering that delivers performance. Performance-oriented ergonomics, therefore optimal driving position and unparalleled visibility. Everything the driver touches, sees and hears helps maximize the driving experience and vehicle performance.
INTELLIGENT
Getting the most performance out of your car requires an intelligent approach to design, which means vehicles engineered, designed and finished with innovative, lightweight materials.
Beyond the 5 pillars just listed, “the Performance Line will define the design signature of future McLaren vehicles when viewed from the side”, they explain to the parent company. “This iconic shoulder line is directly inspired by the profiles of the legendary McLaren Can-Am, McLaren F1 and McLaren P1™, and lends itself to athletic, forward-leaning measurements, with short front and rear overhangs.
The design signature rear view is instead defined by an open back end – a design trait introduced by F1 and widely interpreted across all modern McLaren supercars – which brings with it the functionality of increased heat dissipation. The straight-line graphics and horizontal orientation of the design elements create a greater sense of width and lower height of the vehicle, for robust, race car-like proportions.”
Finally, the interior. According to Sühlmann “future McLaren models will be greeted by an “enveloping” cockpit that will bring purity of purpose and clarity of vision inspired by McLaren's sporting DNA, allowing the driver to concentrate completely on driving performance”. (fp)
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