2023 McLaren Elva

The McLaren Elva is the marques lightest ever road car. A two-seater devoid of a roof, windscreen and windows, it is finished in white over a red leather interior. It is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, producing 804 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque (800 Nm), mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This 2023 McLaren Elva is offered with just 7 miles (11 kilometers) on its odometer at the time of cataloging. 

With only 149 examples ever produced, the McLaren Elva is a much-coveted car, not least because the extensive customization opportunities afforded by McLaren’s Special Operations division guarantee that no two models are exactly the same.

This particular example boasts an array of attractive features that make it particularly desirable, including:

• Carbon-fiber chassis and body
• Inconel and titanium quad-exit exhaust
• Linked-hydraulic active suspension
• Electro-hydraulic steering
• Sintered carbon-ceramic brakes
• Red brake calipers
• White five-spoke Super-Lightweight forged alloy wheels

Interior features include:

• Unique carbon-fiber seats
• Red semi-aniline leather upholstery
• White contrast stitching and piping
• 3K satin carbon-fiber steering wheel
• Painted center band in red

McLaren announced its Ultimate Series of cars in 2015, a glorious showcase of pioneering technology and prodigious power, representing the absolute pinnacle of the British manufacturer’s range. Few would argue that the brand hasn’t delivered on its promise, with models such as the Speedtail, Senna, and Senna GTR all considered incredible accomplishments. That being said, when it comes to pure, undiluted sensory overload, McLaren’s ultimate achievement has to be the Elva. The manufacturer’s first open-cockpit road car, the McLaren Elva has one simple purpose: to create an unrivaled connection between the driver, the road, and the elements. 

The Elva name celebrates the renowned Bruce McLaren-designed Elva M1A, M1B, and M1C of the 1960s. Produced as ‘customer’ versions of the innovative and exciting Group 7 McLaren race cars, the McLaren Elva sports cars embodied many of the pioneering design and engineering principles that are integral to the McLaren road cars produced today. The latest iteration of the Elva is a ferociously fast, open-cockpit, extreme two-seater with a bespoke carbon-fiber chassis and body. With no roof, no windscreen and no side windows, every sensory input is heightened whether on road or track. Helmets can be worn if preferred, but the form and sculpture of the Elva’s upper cabin wraps around the driver and passenger to provide a secure environment. 

The headline performance figures are predictably eye-catching; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds and 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) in 6.8 seconds. For context, these are exactly the same times as McLaren quotes for its sensational Senna hypercar. The Elva’s top speed is an astonishing 203 mph (326 km/h). The power output is achieved through an optimized exahust system with reduced back pressure, and improved low-temperature radiator (LTR) performance, that reduces charge air temperatures. The exhaust, an intricate and lightweight titanium and Inconel system, has two lower exits flanking a twin top-mounted exit. In a first for a McLaren road car, the titanium exhaust finisher was created using 3D printing technology to form the unique shape. What’s really incredible, though, is the Elva’s exhaust note, which is clean, crisp and unmistakingly powerful, befitting an Ultimate Series McLaren.

The Elva has the lightest vehicle weight of any road car produced by McLaren, with the kerbweight a minuscule 2,798 pounds (1,269 kg). It is assisted in achieving this extraordinary figure because at its core lies a bespoke carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, based on the company’s Monocell II design, which is used by the 570S and 600LT, among others. This is further complemented by an ultra-light body that comprises only three carbon-fiber panels, with the dramatic dihedral doors, too, constructed from carbon fiber.

With such a focused weight-saving program, McLaren has endowed the Elva with phenomenal power, courtesy of a 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 from the same family of engines that powers the McLaren Senna and Senna GTR. That V8 features a flat-plane crankshaft, dry-sump lubrication and lightweight connecting camshafts, rods and pistons that reduce the powertrain’s mass. The powertrain generates 804 hp at 7,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque (800 Nm) at 5,500 rpm. This is transmitted to the road via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

The Elva’s power is complemented by a chassis set-up that maximizes agility and driver engagement and feedback. Electro-hydraulic steering provides the purest feedback, as expected of a car with an open cockpit design positioning the driver so close to the elements. A McLaren linked-hydraulic fully active suspension offers ability on all road surfaces, with both unique software setting and bespoke springs and damper valving matched to the extremely light overall vehicle weight. Driving characteristics can be changed through the Adaptive Dynamics Control, by selecting Comfort, Sport and Track modes to suit driver mood or environment. Those wishing to unleash the Elva’s full potential can adjust the level of available wheelspin and oversteer with three Electronic Stability Control (ESC) modes or utilize Variable Drift Control (VDC).

Without a doubt one of the most ambitious elite performance cars of recent years, this McLaren Elva presents the perfect opportunity to acquire a machine that is equally at home blasting down backroads, being pushed to its limits on the track, or even taking pride of place in a collection.