McLaren Solus GT Singular Vision

Five years ago, about the time Mercedes and Aston Martin were midway through the development of their track-focused hypercars, McLaren designed a no-limits Vision racer for Gran Turismo.

- By Ollie Marriage

It had well over 1,100 horsepower from a hybridised twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor for each front wheel. It had a lie-on-your tummy driving position. It was, claimed McLaren, a vision of racing for 2030 and beyond.

Next year it goes on sale. No longer online vapourware, but a living, breathing, very much 3D, track-only hypercar. McLaren could claim it's seven years ahead of schedule, which would really shove it to the AMG One and Valkyrie.

This is the Solus GT, the first ever Vision Gran Turismo car to make the leap into reality. Sure, a few VGT cars have been turned into full-scale models, and some have even been drivable, but none has made it to production. That's a big step, even if it'll never wear numberplates, only 25 are being made and the sterling price nearly triples the million credits that was asked for in the game.

But we know McLaren don't we: same old carbon tub, same old twin-turbo V8. Quite frankly what is there to be excited about? Well, you're right if you assumed that McLaren would ditch the Superman driving position. You sit conventionally. But it is just you, sitting centrally, in a car with a totally unique carbon tub, under a fighter jet canopy, with an F1-style halo spar and the most sensational wraparound windscreen I've ever experienced.