One of our clandestine field operatives who goes by the handle “Ben” recently included some very interesting documents wadded up into the old plastic L’Eggs egg cemented to the underside of the Canopener Bridge in Durham, NC that functions as our corporate dead drop. The documents contained dot-matrix printouts of something very interesting: Japanese patent drawings of what appears to be an all-new McLaren sports car.
The patent was registered on June 27, and published July 13; McLaren Automotive Limited is named as the applicant, and the Inventors/Designers are listed as Tobias Schulmann, Antonino Laure, and Alka Bradford, all of the United Kingdom. These are expected names for McLaren, as Schulmann is the Chief Design Officer and Bradford is the lead Color and Materials designer, for example. It’s also probably worth noting that this design patent only applies to the solid lines on the drawing, which is an interesting distinction. The patent also notes that “The bottom view is omitted due to the weight of the object,” which feels strange to me, considering that, generally, a drawing is free from the burden of weight of the object it represents. Do patent drawings have mass? I feel like I need a physicist here.
Anyway, let’s look at some of these drawings, starting with a front 3/4 view:
Huh! Interesting. Those large, sort of fast-food-hash-brown-shaped – intakes? – on each side are pretty striking. I think that tessellated strip that runs up the arching fender line must be lighting, too. But maybe most notable is that massive central air intake. It almost gives the car a sort of catamaran look, which is reinforced when you see the rear:
Look at that; it’s like there’s an inset boattail surrounded by the “pontoons” of the fenders/sides of the car. Are those air passages that flow all the way from the front, or are those large channels air exits for other intake areas? We also seem to have those tessellated light strips continuing down the rear fenders – could these be an unbroken line of light from the front, fading from white light to red?
Also look how exposed the upper part of that rear tire is! I don’t think there’s a rear window here, either.
The profile does seem to echo a bit of McLaren F1, at least a bit, especially in the window shape graphic and some of the shapes coming off the trailing edge of the front wheelarch. I also really like that strong diagonal cutline that seems to bisect the whole car there.
I have reached out to McLaren, and was told by their PR rep that they would “check in with the mothership” to let me know just what they could tell me about this patent. Knowing how carmakers tend to operate, I’d counsel against any breath-holding, but if by some exciting chance McLaren does have something to say, I’ll update this story accordingly.
If this is a hint at future McLarens, it seems like things will continue to be exciting, and, unsurprisingly, absolutely out of my reach. But that’s fine! What I suspect are the light strips do seem to run the length of the car, and I suspect that tiny fin houses a camera for rear viewing. The roof seems to have the central spine/air intake like the F1, also, which does make me wonder if this car is planned to be some manner of F1 follow-up?
Personally, I’m hoping those two massive side pod things will be filled with a piece of cheap black plastic that mounts a pair of sealed-beam round headlights and some out-of-the-catalog Lucas turn indicators and sidelights, like this:
This feels pretty unlikely to me, but I do think it’s a good look. Maybe they could use some sort of mesh instead of a solid black plastic panel if they need some airflow in there, too?
As I said, if I hear back from McLaren, I’ll let you know. And I’d love to read any and all wild speculations in the comments!
UPDATE: McLaren got back to me! Here’s what they said:
“McLaren is aware of a design concept patent that has been published in Japan. This was an early-stage exploration that is no longer in development and does not reflect any current or future product plans.”
So, nothing.
Patent drawings and top graphic image: J-Plat Pat
“McLaren is aware of a design concept patent that has been published in Japan. This was an early-stage exploration that is no longer in development and does not reflect any current or future product plans.”
This is exactly what corporate communications shills tell the press right before the news confirming the leak emerges.
Also, the front of each engine nacelle on a Y-Wing Rebel Starfighter is fashioned from a L’Eggs container half.
I don’t remember doing that, but I choose to believe I did and Torch used the MiB flashy-thingy on me afterward.
Its sad to hear that this was just an early stage design exploration that has been abandoned because I really dig it.
I’m not the biggest fan of their overly curve organic designs of their current lineup. Too Covenant spaceship-like from the Halo franchise for my tastes.
The real question is: would Rowan Atkinson own one?
So what exactly is being patented here?
Also, I followed the link to the Japanese patent site, but it looks like they pulled it since the page reads “The specified publication does not exist.”
Good question, Torch said : patent only applies to the solid lines on the drawing,
That seems to mean the front air dam, rear diffuser, side mirrors, and wheels are not part of the patent. the outline of the “headlights”, or the shell is but not the actual light? So the patent seems to be the shape, which I thought was a copywrite?
BMW had leftover giant kidney grilles on clearance so it was decided to design a car to use them.
This is what happens when you leave a McLaren F1 and a Peugeot 504 unattended at the garage.
The F1 is my favorite because Mr. Bean owned one. As long as the lines of the drawing remain one- dimensional, they will have no mass? Lapsed physicist.
I really like it.
I feel like McLarens are technically brilliant, but have missed the mark aesthetically. The swoosh theme looks cheap and fake vent plastic doesn’t belong on a car over $50k, let alone $250k. This design feels a lot more Motorsport.
Fingers crossed that this is an ICE successor to the 700 series rather than a completely unobtainable hypercar.
Stagnation-point air intake up front with rear buttresses hiding a tear-drop-shaped rear over the rear diffuser… This looks as if it is designed to allow a good amount of downforce while minimizing imposed aero drag. I’m intrigued.
Although, if I discover it’s another 2-ton lardass supercar/hypercar, I’ll immediately lose interest.
So handing it over to the Autopian car designer didn’t occur to anyone?
Now that you’ve announced the location of your dead drop, you’re going to have to change it.
No exhaust, no space for an ICE, and no space for golf clubs.
It’s an EV Hypercar with a glass canopy.
Well spotted. A “transmission tunnel” is a common way to stiffen up the body tub, and here they can use it to reduce effective frontal area. I assume the hash browns are cooling inlets for whatever powerplant they’re using.
By any chance, is Ben a rat?
Well, he narced on the patent filing, so the capos would say yeah.
Oh, wait – the dead drop is in NC, not NJ. Nevermind.
A known associate of one Willard Stiles?
Color me curious, I guess, but I’m a sucker for most things from Woking.
Might be too early for the next _1 model, but maybe something else in the series like how the Speedtail and Senna were?
Neat! I’m reading those fender strips as vents, not lights.
Man, I miss Frank Stephenson’s McLarens. The P1 and the 12C still feel the prettiest to me.
Very yes. If I came into an obscene amount of money, one of the first car-related things I’d do would be to buy the nicest P1 I could and have the W1 updates done to it, that is, P1 body on W1 interior and tech.
The P1 is still the best looking and sounding modern McLaren.