What's all this then?
This is a McLaren created for one man, but we'll all be able to drive it.
Huh?
Let me explain. This is the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo. Except it's not. It's a car that exists only in digital code, created for the Sony PlayStation 4 game, Gran Turismo Sport, at the request of that game's semi-legendary designer, Kazunori Yamauchi.
It's a video game car?
Yes. Yamauchi has been asking the world's car makers to design futuristic fast stuff that players can enjoy today (well, from 18 October, when the game is released) and McLaren has stepped up to the plate. The Ultimate Vision car has, digitally speaking, fully active aero (little flaps all over the body that open and close to create second-by-second optimised downforce and drag), inboard-mounted carbon brake discs, an all-up weight of just 1,100kg and a 4.0-litre V8 turbo with four electric motors, one in each wheel, pumping out a total of 1,150hp and 1,275Nm of torque (all virtual, sadly). McLaren has even optimised the engine sound for digital speakers. And given the car a unique driving position.
Gone for an F1-style centre seat, have they?
It's a bit madder than that. Under the car's bubble canopy, the 'driver' lies flat, on their front, to drive the car.
Why?
Well, it's either to do with an aerospace theory that pilots lying flat are better able to cope with sudden G-forces, or McLaren is having a sneaky little nod to gamers who play, lying down, in their bedrooms...
"I created the Vision Gran Turismo project to give car manufacturers the opportunity to design something that has all of the characteristics of their brand," said Yamauchi, the creator of the Gran Turismo franchise. "And will live on as a playable vehicle in Gran Turismo. Many of the cars have become legendary in their own right, continuing to shine for years and attracting players from different eras.
"For me, a car needs to be an extension of the driver; I am focused not just on the appearance, but on the handling, the sound of the engine and the feeling you get when you are racing. So, it was an honour to work with McLaren to bring the Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo to life, and to put such a car on the circuits of Gran Turismo Sport for players to enjoy driving at the limit."
And what does McLaren have to say about it?
Rob Melville, Design Director, McLaren Automotive, said: "We wanted to break new ground and to innovate and the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo does exactly that. It puts the driver absolutely at the centre of the action, delivering a sensory overload with incredible sound and awe-inspiring acceleration.
"From the game player's point of view, the driving experience in this car will be like nothing else: the amazing glass cockpit and the motorcycle-like driving position - with your head far forward, almost right above the front axle - combine to allow you to see exactly where the apex of the corner is so you can shave vital milliseconds off each lap.
"More than anything though, the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo is a stunning looking car. The design form communicates exactly what the car's mission is and what its intentions are: it's the ultimate expression of the McLaren design pillars and principles we have already established, futured into the 2030s."
Neil Briscoe - 20 Sep 2017