There’s a new hypercar on the horizon from McLaren. Known as the Solus GT, it’s got a unique history tied to the gaming industry. In fact, if you’re into video games, you might just think that this latest McLaren car looks somewhat familiar. We’re here to tell you there’s a reason for that.

What is the McLaren Solus GT?

McLaren Automotive recently tweeted images of the new McLaren Solus GT getting introduced at Monterey Car Week. The manufacturer attempted to stoke interest in the vehicle by announcing that “the V10 5.2-litre Solus GT has already begun testing and deliveries to customers begin in 2023.” 

Of course, the customers who can actually look forward to purchasing the hypercar will be few and far between. This will be a limited-production vehicle that will cost between $3 and $4 million, with only 25 units being produced, according to Automotive News. Customers will also have to contend with the fact that the car won’t actually be street legal. 

The McLaren Solus GT’s specs are certainly impressive. Its 840-hp engine can take it from 0 to 62 mph in only 2.5 seconds and reach speeds of up to 200 mph. 

The McLaren Solus GT was first featured in a video game

What makes this new McLaren Solus GT especially interesting is that, according to Bloomberg, it’s a real-life version of a McLaren Vision concept car that was featured in a popular video game. The game, Gran Turismo Sport, has been known for featuring “futuristic but fictional cars” from manufacturers such as Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz.

While the futuristic concept car had been a mainstay of Gran Turismo Sport since 2013, it was only in 2017 that McLaren jumped on board. As Bloomberg explains, “The McLaren Vision GT that debuted in 2017 is the first from the brand to go from game to garage.”

There’s a pretty good reason why manufacturers of supercars are often eager to partner with game manufacturers in this way. Kazunori Yamauchi, who works for the company that created Gran Turismo, notes that many Gran Turismo players go on to buy the real-life version of the cars featured in the games they played when they were younger. This is, of course, great news for manufacturers eager to hook future potential customers. 

These are some other hypercars in the McLaren lineup

The McLaren Solus GT is the latest in a long line of McLaren supercars. Other models in the current McLaren lineup include the 765 LT, 720S, and Artura. 

The McLaren 765 LT, unsurprisingly, is a monster regarding speed. The car’s name refers to its supposed horsepower of 765, although it’s estimated to be even more powerful than that, reaching up to 850 hp. All that power allows the stock trim of the vehicle to do a quarter-mile on a drag strip in just 9.3 seconds. 

Then there’s the McLaren 720S, which can reach speeds of up to 212 mph, thanks to its 719-hp engine. Of course, most of us don’t want or need to go over 200 mph. For the rest of us, it may help to know that you can reach a more “normal” speed of 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. We should note that that level of performance doesn’t come cheap. The McLaren 720S starts at $305,000. 

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Artura. This McLaren is a hybrid car, although its 7.4-kWh lithium-ion battery gets only 15 electric-powered miles. The McLaren Artura produces a total of 671 hp combined (577 hp from its 3.0L V6 engine and 94 hp from its electric motor). 

While a real McLaren is most likely not in your budget, keep your eye on games like Gran Turismo– you never know when you’ll get another opportunity to at least enjoy a fantasy version.