McLaren's Elva roofless roadster gives occupants an 'elemental' driving experience

McLaren Automotive's Elva roadster has an open cockpit to give its occupants what the company calls an "elemental" driving experience.

McLaren revealed the roadster, which has no roof, windscreen or side windows, on Wednesday.

The Elva is powered by McLaren's twin-turbocharged V-8 tuned to make 804 hp. The car can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in under three seconds, McLaren said.

The car uses a carbon-fiber chassis and body to reduce weight. McLaren said it's the lightest road car it has made, without giving its weight.

The company will build 399 units of the Elva, which will cost 1.42 million pounds ($1.82 million) including local taxes in McLaren's UK home market.

The Elva is a direct rival to the Ferrrari's Monza SP1 and SP2 unveiled in September. Like the Elva, the two Ferraris have no roof nor windscreen and have a similar price tag.

The Elva is named for a defunct British sports car company that  produced a series of sports cars in partnership with McLaren's founder Bruce McLaren in the 1960s. The name Elva was taken from the French for 'she goes' (elle va).

The Elva has an active air management system to shield the occupants from being buffeted by turbulence that a windscreen could normally direct away from the cabin.

The system channels air through the nose and out of the hood to keep it away from the cockpit and leave occupants in what McLaren said is a "relative bubble of calm."

A windscreen is an option.

Inside, the car has an 8-inch infotainment screen mounted on a carbon fiber arm that can run multiple applications at the same time, McLaren said.

Apps such as sat nav and track telemetry can be flicked using a side-mounted control wheel. The cars have no audio system to reduce weight, but it can be ordered at no cost.

McLaren aims to boost the base price by offering a range of options through its MSO (McLaren Special Operations) division.

Choices include "virtually limitless" paint colors, exposed carbon fiber body panels, and a 24-carat gold lining for the engine bay, a nod to the McLaren F1 hypercar from the 1990s which had the same feature.

McLaren said the Elva can be homologated for all major global markets. Deliveries start toward the end of 2020.

The Elva is the latest in McLaren's Ultimate Series of hypercars, which has included the P1, the Senna and the Speedtail.

The roadster is the latest model under the brand's Track 25 business plan. The product rollout, which started in 2018, calls for launching 18 new models or derivatives by the end of 2025.