At a mere 1,258kg, the McLaren Elva is the lightest road car McLaren has ever made. It starts, as it always does, with a carbon fibre monocoque, and that material continues unabated. It is used for the body panels – of which there are only three, making for an especially streamlined profile – as well as in the seats, the doors, and everywhere else. It also helps that the Elva lacks any sort of roof whatsoever, as well as windows. As a speedster, it is in some ways the closest that the British automaker has come to the often experimental, open-cockpit racers that Bruce McLaren himself used to drive.
On this daring format are all the benefits of the modern McLaren road car – rounded, form-follows-function curves that speak of the attention paid to its aerodynamics, for example. It boasts of an Active Air Management System (AAMS), a world first, that cocoons the driver and sole passenger in a protective funnel of air that keeps the worst of the turbulence away. Behind the cockpit is yet another thunderous take on twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that populates the McLaren line-up; this one makes 804bhp and 800Nm, and propels the Elva from 0-100km/h in just 2.8 seconds, and 0-200km/h in a blistering 6.8 seconds – a match for the Senna.
Only 149 will be made. Its rarity is such that Malaysia may never get one – but it did, for a few days, welcome a left-hand-drive travelling exhibition unit that was put on proud display by McLaren Kuala Lumpur. The McLaren Elva has a distinct presence even sitting quietly on the floor of the 3S centre in Glenmarie: snub of nose, low of stance, twin buttresses rising provocatively. The missing roof steals the show, promising that the Elva prioritises driving engagement over any practicalities whatsoever. The interior is minimal in the track-oriented way – the seats are supportive rather than plush and are manually adjusted, there is no audio system, and the central eight-inch touchscreen is presumably water resistant.
The McLaren Elva did get a chance to be put through its paces during the McLaren Owner’s Community Track Day. The event sees McLaren owners and guests with other supercar brands gather at Sepang International Circuit to chat, and zip-tie transponders under their front bumpers to see what kind of lap times they can set. The Elva is not participating directly, but it does go out on a few demonstrative laps.
The event starts as the sun is setting. It rained earlier, which means the air is cool and inviting for open-top driving. Marcus Chye, Dealer Principal of McLaren Kuala Lumpur and an experienced endurance racer, is at the wheel. The track is still wet, and with so much ferocity hitting the semi-slick Pirellis on the rear wheels and such a ludicrous power-to-weight ratio, there is a fair amount of slippage and sideways action – even with traction control left on, and cautiousness stemming from the cognizance of the Elva’s US$1.7 million price tag. But, Chye says – later, of course, as the helmet, the rumble of rubber over tarmac and the rushing wind makes conversation difficult – it is remarkably manageable and easy to regain control. “It’s a McLaren. McLarens are built to be driver’s cars,” he states. “It’s amazing in terms of the balance and the brakes. But with the Elva, it’s the lack of weight that’s amazing. The change in direction, the lack of inertia, makes it even more fun to drive.”
This is evident even with the sanitised experience this particular car brings, as it has a factory-fitted windshield. It rather defeats the purpose – why dial back what the car is clearly built around? – and it adds 20kg while rendering the clever AAMS unnecessary, but a windshield is also a legal necessity in some jurisdictions. It does, at least, mean that goggles are optional.
It is never really wild, though. McLarens are too deliberate, too purposeful for that. The naked sound of the V8 is clear and concise rather than shouty. The chassis remains self-assured even as the wheels slip in the wet. The McLaren Elva is focused on fun, free but not fierce. It is the most unique way to experience McLaren today.
