Supercars are becoming more and more dangerous, and the demographic of those who can afford to buy and drive them is getting younger and younger, creating inherent risks for road users. But McLaren is doing something about it, with a new patent submitted with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, first noticed by CarBuzz. The patent suggests locking a “race driving mode” behind a wall until the car’s GPS detects that the vehicle is in a safe environment, i.e., a racetrack. Simply put, the idea is to lock McLaren supercars into a performance mode no more aggressive than Sport when on the street, with the hardcore Track or Race modes only available when the driver is on, well, the track. This makes even more sense considering that these modes often lower the suspension in a way that may “not meet one or more safety standards in order to be certified for use on public roads,” says the patent.
McLaren Sports And Supercars Will Still Be Fast On The Road
Typically, a high-performance car will have (at least) three modes; the McLaren 750S in these images has Comfort, Sport, and Track, and this patent doesn’t suggest turning the road-legal modes into hamstrung settings that make McLarens as slow as a new Prelude, or reducing horsepower to levels that would rival a Mitsubishi Mirage. Instead, the idea is to put the most aggressive (and most dangerous) mode out of bounds, leaving the baseline performance settings as they otherwise would be.
Comfort is meant for everyday cruising, with relaxed suspension, steering, and throttle response settings. Sport mode turns things up a notch, often with sharper steering and throttle calibrations, and slightly stiffer suspension. Traction control is usually loosened a little, too, while Track mode puts the car in its most hardcore setting, which would typically mean total deactivation of traction control and electronic stability management programs, with the most sensitive throttle and steering settings and the lowest and stiffest suspension calibration. In some cars, Track also offers a Drift mode, making it easier to kick out the tail and light up the rear tires – not something you want to see on a public road.
What About Temporary Racetracks?
Fortunately, McLaren’s patent acknowledges that temporary racetracks – like Lord March’s driveway, used for the Goodwood Festival of Speed – also exist, so McLaren owners could still take their cars to autocross events held in parking lots, but there are still some problems with this technology if it ever becomes a reality in production cars. For one thing, McLaren would need to be aware of the autocross event in advance to update the car’s GPS for the duration of the event. In addition, rallies or runs where the police are involved and allow the occasional rip may prove problematic. Another problem is that a poor internet connection could make it impossible to enjoy one’s car to the full, even if in a safe and legal environment. Then there’s the concern of how one’s location data is used. On the other hand, a technology like this could prevent high-performance cars from someday being outlawed under possible legislative measures to make roads safer, and if widely adopted, put an end to street takeovers. With approximately 6.14 million road accidents in the U.S. last year, with nearly 40,000 fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it’s certainly an idea worth considering.
