McLaren Elva – a ‘New’ Mclaren Ultimate Series costing £1,425,000

The McLaren Elva arrives as a new limited run Ultimate Series McLaren, the lightest McLaren yet, with no windows and a £1.425 million price tag. 399 being built.

No one can argue that McLaren has a shortage of models on offer, especially for a maker of expensive and exclusive supercars. Although many would argue there is just a single model with tweaks and titivations.

Now we get a new McLaren – the McLaren Elva – sitting in the top tier Ultimate Series of McLarens, alongside the P1, Senna and new Longtail, to empty the wallets of the wealthy.

Similar though the Elva is under the skin to every other McLaren, the difference with the Elva is that it has no windows and no roof. Yep, it’s an open air McLaren in spades.

McLaren say you can buy an Elva with a windscreen if you really want, but thanks to McLaren’s new Active Air Management System which moves the air which would hit the cockpit to create a sort of calm bubble in the cabin as speed increases.

Under the skin sits the same 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 as the Senna, but here it gets 804bhp, going to the back wheels through a seven-speed ‘box, and good for 62mph in under 3.0 seconds.

To grab the accolade as the lightest production McLaren to date, the Elva gets a bespoke carbon fibre chassis and body, carbon fibre seats and carbon ceramic brakes, as well as electro-hydraulic steering and a linked-hydraulic active suspension. There’s also an active rear spoiler and diffuser.

And in case you’re wondering, the ‘Elva’ name is one used by Bruce McLaren on race cars in the 1960s.