McLaren engineers surprised their fans with the new McLaren Elva sports supercar, which costs $1.7 million. It has no roof, no windshields and no side windows. The driver and passenger are protected from the headwind by a special deflector system located outside the bodywork.
The original McLaren Elva model has a twin-turbo V8 engine with an output of 804 hp. The speed of 100 km/h is reached in just 3 seconds, and the car accelerates to the speed of 200 km/h in 6.7 seconds. However, the main advantage of Elva is its unusual design without the roof and windshield.
To protect your face from the wind, the Elva airflow control system is deployed when the car moves at the speed exceeding the average speed of moving around the city (about 40 km/h). The system directs the air around the car, creating the so-called “calm bubble” for people inside Elva.
Air is routed through the front of the car, and in the high-speed mode it moves directly above the vehicle. Moving air acts like a windshield, sending the oncoming air around. A small carbon fiber deflector rises in front of the car, further directing the air around it.
To protect passengers and the driver in case of a rollover, McLaren engineers have developed a special automatic protection system, the details of which are not disclosed. In some countries, however, driving without windshields is prohibited. Therefore, there will be cars among the 399 McLaren Elva models planned for release, in which windshields will be installed.
