It rested in the dark waiting to barge out from the abyss into the world. And now finally the curtains are about to be pulled off and the savage predator will lash out like a bat straight out of hell. McLaren will finally unleash P1 Supercar, said to be the trump card of the flagship race-car maker. McLaren is counted as one of the heavyweights in the supercar battalion and with the launch of P1 Supercar; McLaren will be directly locking horns with the most primeval bull of the herd, Bugatti Veyron.
The car will be showcased to the world at the upcoming Paris Motor Show as McLaren’s “Ultimate Supercar”. The designing of the car has been done in such a manner that there would be minimum resistance from the side of air which in turn will let P1 attain speeds up to 384 km/hr. McLaren has pushed Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) into the heart of P1 as this is something that powers McLaren F1 as well. What lies beneath the hood is something that can only be seen inside a Supercar. McLaren P1 will be powered by an engine capable of churning out maximum power of 960 bhp.
Getting a hold of the steering wheel of P1 is a mean feat as McLaren will be rolling out only 500 of these on the roads adding to which, these will be available specifically for those who are already owing a McLaren. Ownership also extends to high-profile collectors but definitely not to the general public. The model which has been showcased to the world is not exactly the one that will be rolling out next year but is a rendition of the final design though it is being ascertained that there would not be much of a difference between the former and the latter in terms of their exoskeletons. The advent of McLaren F1 on the contrary will coincide with the 50th anniversary of McLaren.
McLaren’s racing division is basically the brainchild of P1 as most of the components inside F1 are there under the hood of P1. Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive gave a statement highlighting the fact that McLaren P1 is a perfect torchbearer for all the other McLaren supercars which have treaded the roads. He further added that McLaren proudly deluged the heart of F1 into that of P1 thus adding one more page in the legacy of supercars.
It appears that the officials of McLaren are sitting tight-lipped and are refraining from divulging any more specifications regarding P1 until 27th September when the beast is unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. But as it appears, media has its nose even in the deepest pits. Autocar somehow managed to get their hands on a few more clandestine features of McLaren P1 which includes the fact that the exterior of P1 to some extent correlates with that of MP4-12C. The windscreen of P1 is almost the same as that of MP4-12C and in addition to that the width of both is same. P1 also has narrow A-pillars which MP4-12C has. If dimensions are to be considered, then one might stumble upon the fact that P1 is shorter than the contemporary Porsche 911.
The exteriors of both the cars might bear similitude but there is difference in the interiors. McLaren P1 will be having bespoke switchgear which is not there in the MP4-12C. There are speculations that the interior cabin of P1 will resemble that of the interior cabin of MP4-12C.
Frank Stephenson is the mind behind the design of McLaren F1. He says that the designing of the car has been done keeping the aerodynamics in mind so that P1 can attain its maximum potential speed. All the areas of the car which are sensitive to aerodynamics have been painted black whereas the other parts bear the same colour as the rest of the body. The shape of the headlamp bears facade to that of the McLaren logo and might make way to the design of the latest upgraded model of the 12C. The air scoop installed in the roof also has nods which are pretty stylistic in ire to McLaren. There is a lone ridge that is crossing the door skin and the driver’s seat gives a perfect feel of a jet-style cockpit.
Monocell is an integral carbon fibre component of MP4-12C and McLaren P1 uses amalformed component of the same type.The frames of door as well as few other mechanisms are there in 12C. If we monitor closely, then we will come across the fact that the skin of the door extends up to the front wing of the car. The weight of P1 is hardly 1300 kg and the exterior panels of this supercar have been made up using carbon fibre. The structure of the car is different if considered from below the hood.Coming to the side skirts of McLaren P1, the designers have come up with a new devise which alters the ride height with respect to the road. On the contrary, if the ride height downsizes, then there is a subsequent increase in the down force of the car. Thus, the formidable rear diffuser will work in sync with the side skirts. The flaps as well as the spoilers are also electronically controlled.
Coming to the most important part of P1, the engine is what defines the car. Naturally we would presumptively ascertain that a car of this calibre has a V10 or a V12 engine under its hood but in the contrary, McLaren P1 is powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine which is as a matter of fact a modified version of the engine that 12C carries. P1 has one of the best accelerations so far and shoots up from 0-100kmph under 3 seconds.
McLaren P1 was recently showcased at Pebble Beach in California and will be launched next year. McLaren has promised to all its followers that until 2020, it will consistently be rolling out one model every year.