McLaren shows off solar powered, thought-controlled F1 car

McLaren has revealed a futuristic single-seat, closed cockpit racer of the future that’s been created to show off some of the advanced technology the F1 team and car-maker are working on.

Called the McLaren MP4-X concept, the state-of-the-art racecar is said to feature real technology currently in development rather than being a designer’s flight of fancy.

Instead of an internal combustion engine, the MP4-X features an all-electric powertrain that harnesses its experience from supplying systems in Formula E.

Powered by thin batteries, rather than large battery packs, the compact cells are integrated within the crash structures. Recharging the batteries occurs under braking, via solar panels embedded on the bodywork and using inductive charging loops embedded in the track’s surface.

Instead of fixed wings the MP4-X is said to have an active aero that adjust the wings not only for the straights but mid-corner too.

If that’s not impressive enough, powerful electrodes embedded to the surface of the car can be switched on to change the air surrounding the car to plasma, effectively eliminating drag, allowing for higher top speeds.

The MP4-X will also have the ability to change shape, adapting its aero is an advantage when following a rival in ‘dirty’ air.

Underneath the racer lurks huge venturi tunnels, currently banned in F1, that create a ground effect pulling the car closer to the ground at high speeds.

In the future, F1 cars could be made out of ‘negative stiffness’ materials that can recover their original shape after impact.

Pre-empting a move to closed cockpits for safety reasons, the futuristic racers features cameras that feed images to the driver’s helmet giving them a 360deg view. Meanwhile, a heads-up display will be used to project alerts and flags used during the race. Realtime info from the team can also be sent and displayed on the inside the visor of the driver’s helmet.

Controversially, McLaren suggests in the future there’s no need for physical controls, Instead, the car could be steered, accelerated and braked by monitoring the driver’s brain.

Tyre blow outs will also soon be a thing of the past with wear sensors introduced to the tyre that provide real time wear to tyre engineers who can prevent a blow-out or delamination

As well as the wear sensors, pressure regulators could adjust tyre pressure mid-race to boost traction, or reduce wear.

During a race, McLaren said a driver’s biometric data could be measured to calculate fatigue and stress, adapting the car to help the driver recover. In an accident the same biometric sensors embedded in a suit can alert or assist medical teams.

Finally, instead of vinyl wraps of sponsors’ logos, cars could run with green screens that will broadcast ads tailored to the viewer based on their preferences or internet browsing history.