'The ultimate vision for Grand Prix racing': McLaren reveal futuristic electric race car for 2050 featuring AI co-pilot and SELF-HEALING tyres

• McLaren have unveiled their exciting take on the future of Formula One with the 2050: the MCLExtreme
• The daring and revolutionary race car design features an on-board AI co-pilot as well as self-healing tyres 
• Researchers also assessed driver developments, tracks of the future and the overall fan experience in 2050

McLaren have given fans their take on what the future looks like as they presented a futuristic race car that can take to the tracks in 2050. 

McLaren Applied Technologies, the sister company of the Formula One team, worked extensively gathering opinions from fans of the sport and now present the 2050: the MCLExtreme which features an on-board artificial intelligence co-pilot, an electric battery that can be folded away and self-healing tyres. 

The work done by MAT encapsulates more than just the race car for the drivers in three decades time. They have also extensively given their thoughts on developments in driver human performance, racing tracks of the future and the fan experience we can expect to see in 2050.

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McLaren have unveiled to fans their exciting take on the future of Formula One in the form of the 2050: the MCLExtreme

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The exciting and daring futuristic design features an on-board artificial intelligence co-pilot for drivers and self-healing tyres

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Ruling out flying cars - even in 30 years time - McLaren instead focused on delivering the most advanced race car ever

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Artificial intelligence is going to form a key part of technological advancement in the sport moving forward in coming years

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McLaren's research also looked at the tracks of the future and how the overall fan experience would go on to differ from nowIn an extensive breakdown of the various elements that the MCLExtreme includes, fans raved given it is a 500km/h rear-wheel-drive electric car powered by a 'foldable battery moulded to the aerodynamic package'. 

This is not a new venture for McLaren having teased fans with futuristic designs back in 2015 when they released images and designs for its MP4-X.

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid rate but the notion of flying race cars was soon quahsed by both fans and engineers. 

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Efficiency and a need to streamline the car's design was the basis for the research team when they began their discussions

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What they have produced is a stunning car with plenty of nods to future advancements in aero-dynamics and AI instructions

2050: the MCLExtreme 

500 km/h (310mph) inductively charged, electric car

On-board advanced AI co-pilot

Shape-shifting active aerodynamicsIn the unveiling, McLaren wrote: 'Staying true to the sport's mission to be road relevant, we don't expect race cars to fly by 2050. Flying road cars equals more aerial congestion, more noise pollution and probably more accidents. 

'If you think drone sightings at airports cause wide-scale disruption, well... you know the rest. With the emergence of high-speed underground transportation portals, such as Virgin Hyperloop One, building underground networks that shift large volumes of traffic in less time is more probable.

'This is in keeping with the desires of the fans we spoke to, who believe flying race cars are the antithesis of grand prix racing.'

Efiiciency is absolutely essential for successful racing teams and chasing quicker times rarely ever puts efficiency at risk.

But with cars getting faster, a fascinating feature on the latest design sees contractible side-pods that alter depending on the natural conditions. 

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Designers have looked into every element of the car and one key decision was to add sidepods 'that contract like shark gills' 

'Taking inspiration from nature, the MCLE features sidepods that expand and contract like the gills of a great white shark,' McLaren added. 

'They turn it into a 500 km/h bullet on the straights, but expand as the car enters braking zones and corners to provide stability and control.'  

Artificial Intelligence is likely to prove one of the biggest advancements in the sport moving forward with on-board assistance potentially making radio communications with engineers redundant. 

The statement continues: 'Drivers may be connected to AI via a symbiotic link in the helmet and sensors within the race suit. The AI learns and predicts the driver's preferences and state-of-mind. 

'It provides real-time race strategy and key information via a holographic head-up display – but more than that – it understands the driver's mood and emotional state, tailoring advice based on the physiological and psychological feedback it receives.'

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How drivers receives instructions from AI is a fascinating discussion with talk they could be linked through the crash helmet

'In the future we could get to the point where human ingenuity is replaced with an AI algorithm,' explains Karl Surmacz, Head of Modelling and Decision Science at McLaren Applied Technologies. 

'Machine learning would see human preferences and decisions, as well as our domain expertise and instinct, captured. 

'Take enough examples of our creative processes and outcomes, and this could be codified into an algorithm which would enable AI to make creative decisions consistent with those of a human counterpart.'

With plans in the UK to have UK all new cars with 'effectively zero-emission' by 2040, this makes up a key part of the latest designs, too. 

Tracks are another area of constant discussion with new countries pitching all the time to bring F1 to their nation. 

Transparent roofs and adaptable race tracks depending on conditions are just two of the suggestions that have emerged from McLaren's findings.  

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Tracks of the future are to be adaptable to the changing weather conditions and will also feature transparent roof

Money shedding motors: These are the 10 fastest depreciating new cars you can buy in showrooms today

• All 10 cars lose around 75% of the original value after 3 years and 36,000 miles
• Models range from high-performance saloons to budget-friendly city cars
• The fastest depreciating motor retains just over one fifth of its original price There are so many details to take into account when buying a new car. Is it practical enough for your daily needs? How efficient is it? What's the reliability track record like?

But one of the most important things to consider is how rapidly it will depreciate, because a significant drop in value could be costlier than poor fuel economy and a stack of repair bills.

It could also mean higher monthly payments if you're taking out finance, because charges are based on the depreciation of the vehicle over the duration you have it. 

These are the 10 new mainstream cars that top the list of models estimated to lose their value the quickest after three years of ownership and 36,000 miles, according to What Car?'s own data. While it might not be good for new car buyers, all 10 will be great value second-hand purchases.

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The Citroen C3 loses almost 73% of its value after 3 years and average annual mileage, says What Car?

10. Citroen C3 - 72.6% depreciation

Model: 1.5 Blue HDi 100 Feel

Price new: £18,600

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £5,100

Value lost: £13,500

Citroen's C3 has very popular rivals. It goes up against the might of the supermini class, which includes the UK's most popular car - the Ford Fiesta - as well as the Vauxhall Corsa and VW Polo.

While it wins over fans with quirky looks, limited driving performance and practicality make it less attractive than the examples previously mentioned.

After three years, expect to see almost three quarters of the original value wiped from a C3. 

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The Fiat Panda is getting long in the tooth, having been launched in this guise in 2011. No wonder they lose value so quickly

Analyst explains why Fiat Panda received zero stars on NCAP test

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9. Fiat Panda - 72.7% deprecation

Model: 1.2 Pop 

Price new: £10,255 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: 2,800 

Value lost: 7,455 

The Panda is by no means new. Fiat has barely updated the third generation model since it was first launched to market in 2011, meaning it has been on sale for the best part of a decade.

In 2018 it became the first car to score zero stars in Euro NCAP's crash test ratings due to it lacking the modern technology as standard that the safety body wants to see.

This poor reputation means depreciation hits hard, with it retaining just 27.3 per cent of its original value after 36 months of ownership. 

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The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet might be stylish but if you do pay the high price for one don't expect to get much of it back by the time you want to sell it

8. Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet - 72.3% depreciation

Model: S560 Grand Edition 

Price new: £124,975 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £33,400 

Value lost: £91,575

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class isn't like the cars already featured here - certainly not the S460 Cabriolet in question. Priced at £125,000, it costs the same as 12 new Fiat Pandas.

But while it might be packed with performance and elegance, it still suffers from similar levels of catastrophic depreciation.

The value you lose over three years (£91,575) is enough to buy a new Porsche 911 Carrera 4. 

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Another hot Mercedes is the AMG E53. While it might be fast, it depreciates almost as quickly as it accelerates 

7. Mercedes-AMG E53 - 73.4% depreciation

Model: Premium Plus 4dr

Price new: £68,250 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £68,250

Value lost: £50,075

Another high-powered Mercedes to lose value at an alarming rate is the AMG E53 saloon.

It's no slouch, using a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and a mild hybrid system to produce 435bhp - good for a 4.4-second sprint from zero to 62mph and a limited top speed of 155mph.  

Unfortunately it depreciates almost as quickly as it accelerates, shedding over 74 per cent of its original value - £50,000 - in the first three years. 

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Far from the world of fast Mercedes-Benz is the Citroen C1 - a budget-friendly city car that's ideal for new drivers. It might be at the lower end of the price standings but still loses value

6. Citroen C1 - 73.7% depreciation

Model: 1.0 VTi 72 Feel 3dr 

Price new: £12,375 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £3,250 

Value lost: £9,125

Here's proof that bruising depreciation can impact all types of cars. The budget-friendly Citroen C1 is a model that depreciates slightly faster than a £100,000-plus Merc.

It might be small and cheap to run, but it will still shed plenty of its original price in the first 36 months of ownership.

Almost three quarters of the £12,375 purchase price will disappear, meaning an owner will get just over £3,000 when it comes time to sell. 

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Another Fiat that's been around for some time is the 500. A Cabriolet city car isn't high on many drivers' wish lists, especially in the UK. Hence why the 500C is high on this list

5. Fiat 500C - 74% depreciation

Model: 1.0 Mild Hybrid Pop 

Price new: £15,315 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £3,975

Value lost: £11,340 

Like the Panda, Fiat's efforts to update the 500 have been minimal. Bar a small tweak here and there, it has remained almost unchanged since 2007. The same can be said for the 500C cabriolet, which comes in at number five in this list.

What Car? puts the chronic depreciation down to the fact there are so many available on the used market, though it can also be argued that not many people are hunting for convertible city cars.

After three years, buyers of the 1.0-litre Mild Hybrid Pop will be left with a car that's worth just 26 per cent of what they originally paid for it. 

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Badge kudos suggests the Citroen C1 is slightly more in demand than the Peugeot 108, despite the two cars being mechanically the same

4. Peugeot 108 - 74.9% depreciation  

Model: 1.0 72 Allure 3dr 

Price new: £13,670 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £3,425 

Value lost: £10,245 

The 108 is the sister car to the Citroen C1 that is at number 6 in this list. It suggests badge power doesn't do Peugeot any favours.

Cheap and cheerful to run it might be, but three quarters of the original value goes missing after three years averaging 12,000 miles annually. 

That means a car costing just over £13,000 new loses over £10,000 in just three years. 

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The Quattroporte is Maserati's answer to a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The question is, does there need to be an answer to two such dominant models in a class?

3. Maserati Quattroporte - 76.4% depreciation 

Model: V6d 

Price new: £75,700 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £17,875 

Value lost: £57,825 

We're back up to the other end of the market now with a pricey and stylish luxury saloon from Maserati - a brand that's synonymous with depreciation.

The Quattroporte is an alternative to hard-hitting German powerhouses - the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Horrific depreciation hammers this diesel example, which has a fairly poor ride and feels dated against its slick competition. It's easy to see why it loses value at an alarming pace.  

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The Fiat Tipo was launched to take on the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. It hasn't proved popular or capable of holding its value

2. Fiat Tipo - 77.3% depreciation

Model: 1.6 Multijet Mirror 

Price new: £20,385 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £4,625 

Value lost: £15,760 

Fiat's attempt to relaunch the Tipo name to go up against the popular Ford Focus, Kia Ceed and Vauxhall Astra has backfired in a big way, with dealers having to offer huge discounts to move their stock of the family hatchback.

While it might be well kitted out with standard equipment, it severely lacks when it comes to driving performance - and value retention.

More than three quarters of a Tipo price is lost in three years.

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The fastest-depreciating mainstream new model, according to What Car?, is the Peugeot 308. It does away with almost four fifths of its value after 3 years

1. Peugeot 308 - 78.1% depreciation 

Model: 1.5 Blue HDi 100 Active 

Price new: £21,765 

Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £4,775 

Value lost: £16,990 

The Fiat Tipo has been narrowly edged out in the order by one of its rivals in the same family hatchback class, the Peugeot 308.

Anyone who has been inside a 308 might be surprised by its inclusion, given the interior is classy and it has a decent size boot.

However, a lack of driving performance and cramped back seats have seen it fall down buyers' shopping lists. Buy the 1.5 Blue HDi 100 Active diesel new and it will hold around only a fraction over a fifth of its origi