McLaren once held the title of "world’s fastest production road car" in 1998 when the F1 supercar hit an impressive top speed of 240 mph. However, with the new P1, unveiled today at the Paris Auto Show, the company is not aiming for the same thing. according to McLaren, with the P1 "the aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit."
While McLaren offered no details on the engine to be used in the P1, they did confirmed it will deliver a power to weight ratio of more than 600 HP/tone making us believe that the supercar will be either very light or very powerful. Or Both?
We will have our answer pretty soon, as a production version will arrive withing the next 12 months.
UPDATE 01/24/2013: McLaren has just released a series of official spy shots and a new video presenting the latest testing session of their upcoming P1 supercar. New details reveal that the car was developed using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) aerodynamic modeling and Formula 1-derived dynamics simulation tools. Also, the cars put to tests have been equipped with a highly efficient braking system from Akebono, high-performance Pirelli tires and Mobil 1 fluids. All these updates have been made in an attempt to give the production version P1 "truly outstanding road and track dynamics and performance, coupled with levels of driveability and refinement unprecedented in such a supercar."
McLaren P1 unveil at the Paris Motor Show 2012
McLaren P1 unveil at the Paris Motor Show 2012
Exterior and Interior
"It is engineering design led. Yet it is a striking and handsome car. The P1 reflects McLaren’s core values. It celebrates aerodynamics, great packaging and light weight. It is all about innovative technology. At the very beginning, we sought to develop a car that you could drive to a racing circuit, then press a button and race it. Maximum speed was never a priority. It’s much more technically challenging, and more meaningful, to develop a car that seeks to be the fastest-ever series production car on a racing circuit. That also makes it much more road relevant than just sheer top speed," says Chief Design Engineer Dan Parry-Williams.
The car will feature a carbon fiber Monocell that’s similar to the 175-pound version found on theMcLaren MP4-12C. In addition to that, the Mega Mac will also feature a number of components found on the just-released McLaren supercar, including a re-tuned pushrod suspension, hydraulic anti-roll control, adaptive dampers, active aerodynamics, front and rear spoilers, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, and traction control to name a few.
At the rear a huge rear wing adjusts automatically to boost downforce and optimize aerodynamics. It can extend rearwards by up to 300mm on a racetrack, and by up to 120mm on the road. The car’s aerodynamic is being optimized by those two flaps mounted under the body ahead of the front wheels. These are also actively controlled, and change angle automatically to optimize performance, boosting downforce and aero efficiency, increasing both speed and driver confidence.
The car’s interior has been inspired by the canopies of fighter jets, giving the occupants similar sensations to a pilot. The windscreen is deeper than it is wide, creating a feeling of lightness and airiness inside.
Performance
The McLaren P1 is rumored to come with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that has been developed in partnership with Ricardo. This engine comes with an output of 800 horsepower and is mated to a Graziano seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Performance figures suggest that the Mega Mac will be capable of hitting 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds – that’s a tenth of a second slower than the almighty Veyron – 0-100 mph in 5.5 seconds, and 0-200 mph in just 20 seconds.
Other rumors hint at a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine combined with a KERS energy storage system.
However, today McLaren has promised that this new engine will deliver an impressive power-to weight ratio of more than 600 HP per tone.
Pricing
The production version of the McLaren P1, which will be limited to only 500 units, will sell much higher than our initial guesstimates. We previously thought that the supercar will sell in the neighborhood of £350,000 to £400,000, which is about $566,000 to $647,000. But now, McLare announced that the P1 will sell for around $1.2 million apiece. It is anticipated to make its debut in the next 12 months.
Competition
1996 McLaren F1 GTR
Once McLaren unleashes this supercar sometime in 2014, you can expect it to immediately gun for the title of fastest car on the planet, a title the company hasn’t held since the legendary McLaren F1 burst into the scene in the mid 90s.
On that note, the Bugatti Veyron, Pagani Huayra, and the Koenigsegg Agera R should have one on the road and one eye on the rear-view mirror for the McLaren ’Mega Mac’. It may still be a few years away from hitting the road, but the sound of a McLaren’s piercing engine shrieking across pavements is something that the supercars of today should be very cautious of.
