During its relatively short run of road cars, McLaren Automotive has made impressive progress. The racing-bred British company has become known for absurdly powerful engines, clever uses of carbon fiber and active aerodynamics, and the overall daily usability of their supercars. What McLaren has not been known for is particularly innovative electronic displays and infotainment. That might change when the company releases the next-generation Super Series featuring an interesting new flip-up instrument cluster.
-While we impatiently wait for the successor to the legendary F1, McLaren is introducing the new Super Series, expected to be called the 720s, at the Geneva auto show. In addition to a new, lighter monocoque and a bigger and more powerful 4.0-liter engine, the car will debut a two-screen, flip-up digital instrument cluster, which McLaren is calling the Folding Driver Display.
-When the driver enters the car, the TFT instrument cluster defaults to its upright full display mode, in which it displays all the information we’ve come to expect, including speed, temperatures, navigation, and more, and syncs some of the more in-depth data with the primary 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen in the center console. But McLaren knows it’s not always the best thing to have large screens and encyclopedic information sitting in front of a driver. Further honing its Super Series vehicles as driver’s cars, McLaren sought to minimize distractions and maximize forward visibility—so that screen can be folded away into the dash.
-Once the carbon-fiber-housed Folding Driver Display screen is tucked away, it reveals a smaller, secondary screen that provides only basic information: vehicle speed, engine rpm, and the transmission mode/gear selected. No fuel gauge, no music titles, no directions, and no trip computer. Slim Display mode can be chosen manually or will automatically convert when the more sporting drive modes are selected.
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The technology isn’t necessarily groundbreaking—we’ve seen fold-away infotainment screens in other cars for years—but it is cleverly executed here in a way that helps drivers focus, removing distractions when many other automakers seem intent on adding to the information overload.
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