McLaren launches world’s most powerful electric mountain bike
Supercar specialist McLaren has entered the world of two-wheel performance with the launch of a new range of electric mountain bikes.
The marque behind hypercars such as the Senna and P1 says its new Extreme and Sport bikes are among the world’s most potent ebikes, with up to 600W and 119lb ft of torque.
Designed by the same teams responsible for models such as the electrified lightweight McLaren Artura, McLaren says its new e-bikes embrace brand attributes such as carbon-fibre construction and next-generation electrification to deliver unrivalled power-to-weight ratios and an ‘authentically McLaren high-performance experience’.
As well as carbon fibre frames both the Sport and Extreme feature high-end components and use integrated digital motor displays that mimic the instruments in McLaren’s four-wheeled performance machines. The full-colour LCD display on the handlebars provides telemetry information including speed, battery life and range and riders can select from five ride modes, ranging from no assistance to full power and torque in race mode.
McLaren says the 600W versions of its two bikes are among the most powerful street-legal eMTBs on the market. Sadly for European buyers those bikes, which deliver up to 852W of peak power and a top speed of 20mph in race mode, are only available in the United States. European buyers will have to make do with 250W versions.
Priced at £7,200 the Sport 250 is the entry level model in McLaren’s new bike range. It’s a hardtail mountain bike running on 29-inch wheels fitted with Pirelli tyres, and using a mechanical SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain.
The £9,600 Extreme 250 is a full suspension bike with 145mm travel at the rear and 160mm on the front forks. Running a 29/27.5-inch mullet setup, the Extreme also features an SRAM wireless XX Eagle Transmission 12-speed drivetrain.
McLaren says sales of all four versions, through a dedicated McLaren Bikes website, will be strictly limited.