The McLaren P1 was the standout at this year's biggest European show, promising to re-write the rules for supercars and taking the fight right up to Ferrari and Lamborghini, and even challenging Bugatti.
McLaren is holding back on exact performance details for its new car, but the name tells you everything. It's called the P1 because in Formula One shorthand that stands for Position 1. "Twenty years ago we raised the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again," promises McLaren supremo, Ron Dennis.
The P1 is a much more radical looking car than McLaren's first serious road-car effort, the MP4-12C, and it also incorporates F1-style aerodynamics that promise racecar grip and cornering levels. The car is expected to be powered by a upgraded version of McLaren's existing turbocharged V8 - perhaps with around 550 kiloWatts - and to hit at least 350km/h, but no-one is confirming anything. The 1980s F1 was the world's fastest road car at the time but McLaren says its targets have changed.
"Our aim is not necessarily to be fastest in absolute top speed, but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit," says Antony Sheriff, managing director McLaren Automotive. "It's the true test of a super car's all-round ability and a much more important technical statement."
The P1 is known to be a two-seater with a fresh take on the McLaren carbon fibre chassis already used in the 12C, and it’s fitted with an F1-style drag reduction system to improve its top speed while generating massive cornering grip using an adjustable rear wing. But it will not be cheap.
"Pricing is still to be confirmed. We expect the UK pricing to be in the 700,000-800,000 pound range, plus taxes," says Greg Duncan, who is responsible for McLaren in Australia. That points to a local pricetag in the $1.5 million range, or even higher, but he refuses to be drawn. "Australian prices are unknown. An announcement should be made by the end of the year," Duncan says.
But there is no shortage of interest. "We have many hundreds of people on the list and we’re having a solid stream of visitors coming in and we’ve already started to take significant deposits," says Duncan. "We have some very keen interest. Some have already been to the factory and were blown away."
McLaren has yet to confirm timing for its first deliveries but Duncan is hopeful. "The P1 is going to go into production next year and we’ll have something the year after that - but I can’t tell you about that yet."
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