The dynamic development programme for the fastest and most technically advanced McLaren ever has concluded in the USA, with chief test driver Kenny Brack taking the new Speedtail up to its maximum speed of 250mph at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The final high-speed tests in the ground-breaking hyper-car’s extensive engineering validation process saw Speedtail prototype ‘XP2’ reach its maximum speed more than 30 times on the space shuttle’s landing runway.

They concluded a programme of high-speed running carried out at multiple test facilities world-wide, including Idiada in Spain and Papenburg in Germany.

A total of 106 Speedtails will be hand-assembled to customer order at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, with deliveries scheduled from February.

McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt (www.mclaren.com) said: “It’s fitting that the Speedtail’s high-speed test programme concluded with multiple maximum-speed runs at a location strongly associated with pushing the boundaries of extreme performance and engineering excellence.

"It is a truly extraordinary car that epitomises McLaren’s pioneering spirit and perfectly illustrates our determination to continue to set new benchmarks for super-car and hyper-car performance.”

At almost 5.2m long, the carbon-fibre-bodied three-seat Speedtail Hyper GT is the most aerodynamically drag-efficient McLaren ever and a showcase for the brand’s expertise in lightweight engineering.

Its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain delivers the greatest power and torque of any McLaren road car, while the straight-line acceleration (0-186mph achieved in less than 13sec) and maximum speed of the car (250mph) set new benchmarks for the company.

Its McLaren-developed battery pack has a power density of 5.2kW/kg, which is said to be the best power-to-weight ratio of any automotive high-voltage battery system.