Lando Norris is arguably one of the most charismatic and likable personalities on the F1 grid, and this new video posted by McLaren Automotive reminds us precisely why.
Asked to test drive the new 2021 model of the McLaren Elva at Silverstone, the 20-year-old Belgian-British star can be seen stumbling and smiling his way through the video, all the whilst fielding some outrageously complicated questioning from a nearby cameraman regarding the Elva’s design specifications.
The 2021 McLaren Elva is set to be the newest addition to the British manufacture’s Ultimate Series – an elite group of priceless hypercars built in small production runs.
Unfortunately, after initially announcing last year that 399 Elva’s would be built, the Woking-based manufacturer is now saying this amount will reduce to just 149 examples. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent factory shutdowns, and “customer desires for exclusivity” are cited as the main reasons behind the slash in production figures. Optimistically, first deliveries are still on track to begin towards the end of 2020.
Inspired by founder Bruce McLaren’s M1A, M1B, and M1C race cars of the 1960s, the £1.4 million (AU$2.5 million) Elva is the lightest street-legal car ever produced by McLaren at roughly 1,200kg. Powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, this monster reportedly accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds – and according to Norris, the Elva can hit up to 200 km/h in just 6.7 seconds.
Lando’s test run of the 2021 McLaren Elva at Silverstone perhaps represents the best look yet at the hotly anticipated roadster in action. In the words of Dan Parry-Williams – McLaren’s Director of Engineering Design – “The McLaren Elva is a car, the concept of which is just for the pure pleasure and exhilaration of driving.”
