When it comes to cars of such calibre as the McLaren 675LT, the old adage – less is more – somehow rings true in this case. But just what are we talking about? McLaren’s cars of late are incredibly well equipped and trimmed. Macca’s aren’t as decked out like a Bentley Continental but neither is it stripped bare like a Lotus Elise. JVCKenwood however, thought differently.
Yes, you read that right. McLaren teamed up with the AV/Electronics gurus from Japan on this new concept for CES this time around. Usually, when manufacturers want to make a lightened and stripped out version of their already ’hardcore’ models, they would start by throwing out all the creature comforts that you and me would take for granted such as carpets and air conditioning. And most of the tim, the end result is a barren wasteland of an interior.
The McLaren design team, led by designer Peter Wilkins, was tasked with incorporating the JVCKenwood Caroptronics system into the 675LT Coupe. To get their vision of the ground, the team crafted a purposeful interior layout using a mix of classic McLaren materials and new fabrics.
Carbon Black Nappa Leather is used to finish the top of the bespoke dashboard, upper beltline and forward portion of the central floor tunnel. A new Geometric Black Technical Fabric with waxy grained finish to prevent reflections is used for the area facing the driver. The entire centre console, along with the air-conditioning system has been chucked out in favour of aesthetics.
The steering wheel on the other hand, is borrowed from the most exclusive of McLaren’s lineup, the track-devoted P1 GTR, with the IPAS and DRS buttons replaced by positioning controls for the Head-Up Display (HUD) that come with fighter jet-type graphics. The graphics in question here conjures up memories of the Lamborghini Reventon
As radical as the changes are on the interior, one would be hard-pressed to imagine that the same treatment has been applied to the exterior. Far from it, however the key functional differences are the door-mounted rear view camera blades and third camera mounted above the rear number plate.
Aside from that, JVCKenwood have stuffed this concept to the brim with futuristic technologies such as the fully digital cockpit via its HUD so that the driver will never have to take his gaze away from the road. Another cool feature as mentioned is the DVRM (digital rear view mirror) which replaces a conventional rear view mirror. The combination of three cameras, one on each side and one at the rear of the vehicle, offers a wider rear field ofview while reducing weight, drag resistance and lending it a very Tron-esque vibe.
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