The car enthusiasts would be familiar that the Speedtail is McLaren’s fastest car ever. It’s able to reach 252 mph flat-out. That’s faster than even the legendary F1, which secured the record for the fastest production car for over a decade. But now the competition is quite different and strange. Not like that Range Rover climbs 999 steps at Heaven’s Gate in China. It is about F-35 vs McLaren Speedtail. Is it fast enough to beat an F-35 fighter jet in a race? Watch the video.
The F-35B Lightning II uses thrust vectoring to support short takeoff and vertical landing capability. At altitude, it can hit a speed of Mach 1.6. While the Speedtail carries a hybrid-assisted version of McLaren’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. The result is a total output of 1,055 horsepower (787 kilowatts) and 848 pound-feet (1,150 Newton-meters).
F-35 vs McLaren Speedtail
The event was organized by Top Gear. To find out just how fast the Speedtail could go, host Chris Harris organized a race around a runway between a red Speedtail and one of the Royal Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II. The F-35 is the most advanced in Lockheed Martin’s armory of extremely maneuverable fighter jets, competent of 1200 mph flat-out, with a price tag of $124 million.
McLaren’s $2.2-million Speedtail is apparently not a match, but it’s still an amazing piece of engineering. With over 1000 horsepower from a hybrid drive system, a center-seating position, and some hot active aero elements, it’s one of the most technically superior cars on the road.
The race consists of a plain, triangle-shaped track along the airport tarmac. The two machines begin at side-by-side. As everyone was guessing, the McLaren can’t even win the first sprint while the plane is taking off. The supercar gets the initial jump, but the F-35 is in the air before the Speedtail gets to the first turn.
From there, the McLaren has the lead a few times, but the plane proves its supremacy. This aircraft is extremely maneuverable, and even on this short track, the car can hardly keep up. The F-35 succeeds to cross the finish line well before the Speedtail gets there.
Sorrowfully, the Speedtail’s twin-turbo V-8 powertrain isn’t sufficient to beat the F-35 in a race around a runway, even with driving ace Harris at the wheel. But still, it was a great experience to watch these monsters of human accomplishment goes head-to-head.
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