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Supercars

McLaren is partnering with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works on future supercar design

Company behind Top Gun Maverick’s wild Darkstar to help design next-gen McLarens

Published: 13 Dec 2022

McLaren has announced it is to collaborate with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works on designing “futuristic” supercars.

Lockheed’s brilliantly-titled SW division was of course was responsible for the ‘Darkstar’ hypersonic concept aircraft that featured in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick movie, while the former surely needs no introduction. 

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The partnership will seek to transfer Lockheed’s systems over to the world of cars, because its “pioneering software sets the parameters for high-speed systems more accurately and swiftly than traditional design methods”.

To celebrate the union, both companies decided to show off their wares in California outside the Skunk Works HQ: McLaren brought along an Artura, while Lockheed brought along the aforementioned Darkstar.

“We hope this is the start of a longer and deeper collaboration that will benefit our customers in the long-term,” said McLaren CTO Darren Goddard.

So, what would you like to see the two firms collaborate on, folks?

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