McLaren has unveiled a totally crazy concept car which displays its idea of F1 cars in the future. Dubbed the MP4-X, this car has a completely evolved design from the current F1 but is still familiar thanks to the Pirelli tyres and red and silver livery of the Woking based team.
The exterior of the car appears to be an evolution of the current vehicle design. There are visible aero-downforce elements both in the front and back while the wheels are completely covered to reduce drag and make them a part of the aero package. The company’s design for the MP4-X includes active aerodynamics and adaptive shape-memory alloys that can change shape when current is applied.
If the exterior is this phenomenal, then the magic under the skin (or metal if we are nitpicking) should be quite good too. The company believes that a radical approach to the redistribution in the layout of the chassis would greatly benefit the whole concept of package building when it comes to make the final car.
Given that green is the new black, this concept car has solar panels built in to the side to recharge using the sunlight and is also capable of using inductive coupling to recharge on the go. This is similar to the wireless charging on new age-cell phones.
One of the noticeable elements in the MP4-X is the closed cockpit. It has been mooted from time to time and came to prominence last year after the horrific accident of Frenchman Jules Bianchi during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. In addition to making the cars possibly safer the cockpit enclosure will also have an advanced HUD to provide various kinds of info to the driver.
Taking the concept of looking after the driver even further, the vehicle will have an advanced bio-telemetry system that will monitor the driver’s vitals. The concept also moots for a type of advanced fabric that is capable of indicating where the driver has been hurt in the event of an accident.
This concept car currently goes beyond all the current rules of the sport and is glimpse in to the future of the world’s highest form of motor racing. We hope that with so much technology crammed in Formula 1 will not lose its essence which man and machine fighting man and machine.
Photos: M
