McLaren 'Albert' Speedtail pays homage to first attribute prototype vehicle

McLaren has unveiled the 'Albert' Speedtail supercar that is inspired by the first attribute testing prototype vehicle from 2018. Albert is one of the final vehicles in the 106-car Speedtail production run. The prototype car was also named 'Albert' as it was named after the Albert Drive premises in which the F1 was designed.

The prototype Albert was developed to validate the concept of the Speedtail’s central seat driving position, testing driver ergonomics and visibility and rear-view camera positions. Originally built with the front panels from a 720S, the ‘Albert’ prototype was the first Speedtail to be driven on public roads.

The latest 'Speedtail' features a 1K gloss visual carbon fibre body. It carries on the legacy of the prototype, especially with its complex exterior paint theme. The Magnesium Silver colour used on its exterior was that of the F1 road car was first shown at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix. The Ueno Grey used on the Speedtail is the colour of the F1 GTR that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.

The design treatment of the colours is closely more than 12 weeks to complete. This included two weeks of masking, six weeks of painting and the remaining time to dry and reassemble the vehicle after spraying. Looking at the large scale print-outs of the renders, it is believable that the livery masking was completed by two specialist paint technicians.

During the six-week painting process, the car had to be disassembled to ensure complete accuracy and flawless finish. The paint blend effect was located on the door applique’s outer body panels with the front painted in Ueno Grey and rear in Magnesium Silver.

The Speedtail is a three-seat Hyper-GT that became the third car in McLaren's Ultimate Series line-up. It sources power from a 1,070-horsepower hybrid powertrain an covers 112 metres per second when travelling at its top speed of 250mph/402kph, making it the fastest McLaren road car to date.