McLaren continues with the BlackSwan teasers, creating some hype for their brand-new sports car set to be revealed later this year, known currently as the McLaren Sports Series. In the new teaser they show us the car’s carbon fiber tub which doubles as the passenger compartment and also part of the chassis.
This is basically what we mean when we say carbon monocoque while describing high-end super and sports cars. This construction has many advantages such as light weight, less complex packaging, and excellent rigidity. On the downside, if you damage the chassis in a car with monocoque, you are basically going to need a new car. They are extremely difficult to repair.
McLaren Sports Series shares its carbon fiber tub with the 650S and the P1 hyper car. It also gets the same twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 as those two, but in the MSS the engine develops around 500 PS, which is enough, since the car is pitched as a light weight sports car rivaling the likes of Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8. It will offer similar performance as those cars, but thanks to McLaren’s sophisticated suspension system a lot more comfort and a more precise drive.
McLaren Sports Series will makes its debut, hopefully with a better name, at the next New York Auto Show.