Million Air Summer 2021

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etr li at ve eler SUMMER 2021

POLESTAR

MCLAREN

PRECEPT Founded as a third-party Volvo racing tuner over 25 years ago, Polestar has transformed into an independent automaker co-funded by the Swedish car brand and its Chinese owner Geely. The company released a duo of vehicles since its 2017 rebrand, the limited-edition electric performance hybrid Polestar 1, which was based on the 2013 Volvo Concept Coupe, and the fully electric Polestar 2. Now, as a standalone brand, the Precept functions as a kind of manifesto for Polestar. While many companies are focused on engine electrification, less thought is being directed into the half-life of those individual materials. The Precept focuses on sustainability, from design to inevitable disposal. The vegan interior is a collaboration between Polestar, interior supplier Bcomp and Econyl, a nylon recycling company. The carpets hail from Nylon 6, a material recovered from fishing nets. Reclaimed plastic bottles comprise the headlining textile. Seat covers are 3D knitted from recycled PET bottles. Flax-based natural composite eliminates the need for virgin plastics, decreasing overall plastic use by 80% and reducing interior component weight by 50%. Recycled cork from the wine industry is repurposed as cork-based vinyl in seat bolsters and headrests. The Precept will be a production vehicle but is not yet available for pre-order, polestar.com

ARTURA McLaren’s brilliance lies in its diversification of applications. Whether that’s implementing Formula 1 racing technology into its road cars, like it legendarily did with its monocoque frame, or remaining faithful to the exploration of new models and derivatives in equal parts, as outlined in its $1.2bn Track25 business plan, McLaren exemplifies litheness. There’s also a whole different piece of the company, McLaren Applied Technologies, that consults on everything from aerodynamic efficiency for Great Britain’s bobsled team to weight reduction in road bicycles for the legendary bike manufacturers, Specialized. When these minds converge, there’s a sense that anything is possible. Problems are simply equations that haven’t been solved. The launch of the Artura heralds a pair of new inventions for the company’s first series production hybrid supercar: the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture and the high-performance hybrid powertrain. The Artura continues to demonstrate McLaren’s eternal quest for weight reduction while incorporating the challenge of an energy- dense battery pack. The way that the powertrain is calibrated means the battery will always retain a sufficient of its charge, a potentially revolutionary display of EV capability and fuel efficiency that coincides with McLaren’s 10th anniversary of supercar production. From $225,000, cars.mclaren.com

Photos Polestar