McLaren's $3.6m Solus GT is inspired by fantasy vehicle designed for 'Gran Turismo Sport'

The manufacturer’s latest creation can reach 100 kilometres an hour in about 2.5 seconds

McLaren's Solus GT is here, and only 25 will be made. All photos: McLaren

The Solus GT made its debut in the virtual gaming world.

The car was unveiled during Monterey Car Week.

The Solus GT is a mere 1,000kg in weight.

Only room for one inside.

The virtual vehicle the Solus GT took its design inspiration from.

No blinding headlights there.

All those spoilers will create 1,200kg of downforce, which should make the Solus GT stick to the track pretty efficiently.

Speed bumps might be a problem.

Out in the desert, though that may not be its most favoured habitat.

The Solus GT has a 5.2-litre V10 engine.

McLaren has revealed the Solus GT, a track-day hypercar that's a little different from most of its breed, since it took its inspiration from a fantasy vehicle the brand designed for a video game.

The Ultimate Vision GT was one of the typically extreme creations featured in PS4’s Gran Turismo Sport drive fest, and the pictures of this virtual ride and what the manufacturer has actually created do indeed show a distinct similarity.

McLaren describes the Solus as “an extreme expression of track driving engagement”, promising an exhilarating experience for anyone lucky enough to go for a blast in one.

The new arrival is a single-seat affair, weighing in at only 1,000 kilograms (the McLaren GT, to give a comparison, is 50 per cent heavier), and it will be powered by a screaming 5.2-litre V10 engine.

That drivetrain will generate 830 brake horsepower, enough to ensure the Solus can reach 100 kilometres an hour in about 2.5 seconds.

The driver has to get in and out of the vehicle by sliding the windscreen and canopy forward. That all seems a little Top Gun, but it’s in keeping with the extreme aesthetic of the vehicle.

The spoiler set-up on the Solus will also apparently generate 1,200kg of downforce, which would indicate you could drive the car at top speed upside down, on the ceiling, since, as we noted above, that is more than the car actually weighs.

And the price for a Solus?

Well, don’t get your hopes up if it appeals. Only 25 will be made, and each one will be sold for about $3.6 million. And all of those have already been reserved.

Looks like it’s back to the virtual version for us then.

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