Elva

Make
McLaren
Segment
Compact

McLaren is pretty proud of what it has achieved in just a decade, and it has every reason to be. Over the last 10 years, the British company has gone from producing one pretty amazing supercar in the MP4-12C to a plethora of different high-end machines. Grand tourers, track specials, and hypercars are all part of its repertoire now, and there are still many more to come.

But while McLaren is certainly looking to the future, the automaker doesn't want you to forget about the cars it has already created. One of its most memorable machines will certainly be the McLaren Elva, and a few racing drivers have had a go in it to see what it's like. The latest is IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward, and he loves it.

O'Ward races for Arrow McLaren SP, and he took the Elva for a spin to see how its air management system works. After experiencing the way the car moves through the air, he says that it's not very different from the visceral experience he has in his Indy car.

"Every time I race, I challenge the wind. I cut it. I slice it. I bend it. This is my vantage point from the cockpit of my race car," comments O'Ward. "The Elva is the first McLaren road car where you can experience this too. It's my world come to life - embodied in a supercar."

It seems a little odd that McLaren is promoting the Elva's active air management system to the American market considering that the US requires the fitment of a windscreen. It's also strange when you consider that, of the 149 Elvas to be made available globally, all allocations for both the US and Canada have already been filled. Still, we're sure O'Ward isn't complaining.

The Elva is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 804 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, making it even more powerful than the mighty Senna. With the ability to reach 124 mph in just 6.7 seconds, you'll definitely need to follow O'Ward's decision to wear a helmet.