---
title: "McLaren Debuts Sports Car With Windshield Made of Air"
description: "British exotic car maker McLaren just unveiled its $1.7 million Elva supercar that has no roof, side windows, or windshield."
date: "2019-11-14"
modified: "2019-11-14"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/mclaren-elva-sports-car-windshield-air"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "mclaren"
  - "sports car"
  - "the digest"
---

# McLaren Debuts Sports Car With Windshield Made of Air

![British exotic car maker McLaren just unveiled its $1.7 million Elva supercar that has no roof, side windows, or windshield.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/mclaren-elva-windshield-air.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: McLaren\</em\>*

## McLaren Elva

British exotic car maker McLaren just unveiled its $1.7 million Elva supercar. Its most notable feature: the complete lack of a roof, side windows, or windshield.

Instead, the high-performance vehicle uses "active air management system" — a world's first, according to the[ company's website](<https://cars.mclaren.com/en/ultimate-series/mclaren-elva>) — to direct the whipping air up and around the cabin to envelop the driver in what the company refers to as a "turbulent free zone" or a "bubble of calm"in a [press release](<https://www.cars.mclaren.press/releases/759>).

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Small-11536-McLaren-Elva-1200x617.jpg>)

## A Rush of Air

And yes, it's going to be a wild ride as a result. "\[The air management system\] means you get the full adrenaline rush, undistracted," reads the company's website.

That's likely an understatement. The twin-turbocharged V8 gives the supercar massive performance: over 800 horsepower allows it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in [under three seconds](<https://www.cars.mclaren.press/releases/759>) and 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in just 6.7 seconds.

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Small-11543-McLaren-Elva-1200x617.jpg>)

## Open Cockpit

A "fixed windscreen derivative" will be available for those living in areas, including several U.S. states, where windshields are required.

The "ferociously fast open-cockpit car" may be prohibitively expense to all but a select few — but the fact that drivers will be completely vulnerable to the elements will certainly make it an unforgettable experience.

**READ MORE:** [McLaren unveils $1.7 million supercar with no roof and a windshield made of air ](<https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/13/cars/mclaren-elva-supercar-with-no-roof/index.html>) \[*CNN Business*\]

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)