1960s Throwback: The $1.7 Million Elva is the Lightest McLaren Road Car Ever
In a time where incredible horsepower figures and state of the art technology make supercars both faster and easier to driver than ever, one of the ways to truly set them apart is to double down on weight savings and that's exactly what McLaren Automotive has done with its latest production machine.
Called the McLaren Elva, the car takes its name from and is inspired by the lightweight racing cars that Bruce McLaren designed and raced during the mid 1960s. Engineered purely as an open-top roadster, the new Elva is being called the lightest McLaren road car ever thanks to its full carbon fiber construction, carbon fiber seats, carbon fiber brakes and more.
It shares twin turbo 4.0 liter V8 with the McLaren Senna, and with over 800 horsepower on tap McLaren says the Elva will go from 0-124 miles per hour faster than the Senna thanks to its lighter weight.
Along with that, you get everything else we've come to expect in a modern super car including adaptive suspension, a titanium exhaust system, active aero and a unique carbon fiber wrap-around cockpit space.
What makes the Elva stand out even more and gives it a uniquely old school race car vibe is the fact that it doesn't come with a windscreen—although one can be added as a custom option if the buyer insists. If it was our money, we'd go without.
Like all special edition McLarens, the Elva will be a rare specimen with just 399 examples planned for production. Pricing for the car will begin at a cool $1.7 million before you start adding custom touches from McLaren Special Operations.
While it's easy to get overwhelmed and even jaded by modern supercars and the rate at which they are released, there is certainly something exciting about this stripped down, wind-in-your-face take on the genre that we dig. If you are looking to add one to your garage, customer deliveries are set to begin in the later part of 2020.
While on the subject of McLaren, don't forget to check out the McLaren F1 25th Anniversary event from this year's Monterey Car Week.
