Listed for sale on Bring a Trailer, this 2021 McLaren Elva represents a particularly significant example of McLaren’s radical Ultimate Series road car. It is the final production car of the planned 149-example Elva Series, delivered new to its current owner through McLaren Atlanta with an extensively curated MSO Bespoke specification.
Unveiled in 2019, the Elva was conceived as McLaren’s first modern open-cockpit road car and pays tribute to the M1A, M1B, and M1C sports racers developed through the historic McLaren-Elva partnership. Its design centers on a carbon-fiber MonoCell II monocoque, allowing McLaren to avoid much of the structural reinforcement normally required when removing a conventional roof. At just 2,798 pounds, the result is the lightest road-legal McLaren produced at the time.
The Elva’s defining characteristic is its minimalist cockpit. The car can be specified without a conventional windshield or side windows, instead using McLaren’s Active Air Management System to manipulate airflow through ducts and deflectors, creating a relatively calm aerodynamic bubble around the occupants. This example, however, is equipped with the optional full windscreen, adding practicality while retaining the Elva’s distinctive open-top character.
The carbon-fiber body is finished in a green-tinted 2×2 twill weave, a $250,000 option, complemented by brushed Galvanic Grey exterior trim. Aerodynamic hardware includes a front splitter, active rear spoiler, rear diffuser, flank-mounted intake scoops, and door-integrated air channels. Dark Stealth forged wheels measure 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear, fitted with staggered Pirelli P Zero tires. Carbon-ceramic brakes feature 390-mm rotors and six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, while a front suspension-lift system improves clearance.
Power comes from McLaren’s 4.0-liter M840TR twin-turbocharged V8, closely related to the engine family used in the Senna and Senna GTR. Featuring a flat-plane crankshaft, dry-sump lubrication, lightweight internal components, and dual twin-scroll turbochargers, it produces 804 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. Power reaches the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch SSG transmission, enabling 0–60 mph in 2.8 seconds and a 203-mph top speed.
Inside, carbon-fiber bucket seats are trimmed in black Ultrafabric with MSO Bespoke green piping and stitching, while exposed carbon fiber extends across the dashboard, sills, floors, doors, console, and rear bulkhead. Despite its uncompromising performance focus, the Elva includes air conditioning, touchscreen infotainment, a McLaren sound system, parking sensors, and a rearview camera.
As the final planned Series-production Elva and one of McLaren’s most technically uncompromising road cars, this example combines extreme weight reduction, advanced aerodynamics, bespoke materials, and supercar-level performance in a distinctly limited package.
Source: Bring a Trailer
