Weight is the enemy of performance in every area of car design. It affects acceleration, speed, handling, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – everything. McLaren Automotive engineers pursued weight saving obsessively. For example:
- The Carbon MonoCell not only reduces the weight of the structure but also allows for the use of much lighter weight body panels.
- The close position of the driver and passenger allows a narrower, lighter body while giving improved visibility with a clearer perception of the car’s extremities.
- Brakes with forged aluminium hubs save 8 kg and weigh less than optional carbon ceramic brakes.
- Lightweight exhaust pipes exit straight out the rear of the car, minimizing their length and weight.
- Airflow-assisted Airbrake deployment dramatically reduces weight of the Airbrake activation system.
- Small, compact downsized engine coupled to lightweight compact SSG minimizes vehicle length, weight and polar moment of inertia.
- Significant weight was pared off the alloy wheels through intensive Finite Element Analysis of wall thicknesses.
- The engine cooling radiators were mounted at the rear, as close to the engine as possible, to minimize the pipework, the fluids contained within them, and therefore weight. They were also mounted in car line to minimize vehicle width.
Source: Official press release - Sept. 9th 2009.
