We knew the cabriolets, cars that allow you to roll your hair in the wind without a roof. But a manufacturer wants to do better and today offers to drive without windshield, driving the new McLaren Elva, a sports roadster. The idea is particularly ambitious: create a windshield and a virtual roof by simply playing with the aerodynamics of the car. The automaker has developed a system that draws air through the nose of the vehicle before accelerating it and sending it back into the air just in front of the cabin. Driving will be like having a real windshield and a roof. But insects and chippings will be evacuated by this kind of invisible air barrier.
Rain is a problem
There remains the question of driving this type of vehicle in wet weather. The builder explains that in case of light rain we should not feel any drop, if we only drive at more than 40 km / h. This means that if we stop at a fire for example, it is the shower. That's why it also offers a real hard windshield option for those who live in an area where it rains often.
The behavior of a race car
But we must realize that we are talking about a sports roadster, the new McLaren Elva. As you may have noticed, most real racing cars do not have windshields for aerodynamic reasons. It slows them down and weighs them down. With this technique, which will normally be adapted to other types of vehicles, the driver will have the behavior of a real race car, without the need to put on a helmet. But do not expect this technology to arrive quickly on Mr. and Mrs. Toutlemonde's vehicle. Motorcycles will be the first served, because they have the same problem: they are braked by the wind. As long visors, it is not very pretty, Mclaren technology could allow to stay protected while maintaining a perfectly clean look.