McLaren’s Carbon Fiber Feather Wrap Takes Lightness to New Levels

At least this automaker’s April Fools’ Day joke is somewhat funny.

byAaron Brown|
McLaren’s Carbon Fiber Feather Wrap Takes Lightness to New Levels
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Finding a release from a company on April Fools' Day that isn't complete trash is usually difficult. The sad truth is that most automakers think they're funny...but they really aren't. But it looks like McLaren has been able to break out of that trend with a release that is at least slightly funny. 

McLaren announced (jokingly, we hope) in a press release that it will be offering a feather wrap on the McLaren 570GT through the McLaren Special Operations Division. With that option (which almost definitely doesn't actually exist) selected, MSO will spend 300 hours applying 10,000 "carbon-veined" feathers to the 570GT, according to the release.

“Our engineers and designers have long been inspired by nature in our aim to create the lightest and most aerodynamic shapes on the road. We call this biomimicry," said McLaren's alleged biomimicry specialist Robin Crane, according to the release. "And it was on a beautiful day walking around our Woking campus that one of us looked up at the birds circling our lake, then picked up a feather from the ground and placed it on a car…That turned into a conversation with the craftsmen and women at MSO that led to the creation of the Feather Wrap.” 

It's worth noting that the position of "Biomimicry Specialist" at McLaren probably doesn't exist, nor does this so-called "Robin Crane." Mostly because those are the names of birds. 

Anyways, if you want to laugh along with McLaren, go ahead and check out the feather-covered 570GT in the video below. Real or not, it's definitely a sight to be seen.

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Oh and yeah, we know it's not April Fools' Day just yet. But it is in England—where McLaren is based out of—so give 'em a bit of slack, okay?

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