The McLaren P1 is a huge step forward for the company and for the hypercar game in general. It represents the pinnacle of McLaren’s knowledge in creating road cars that integrate the best Formula 1 technology to achieve searing performance on par with the best of the best from Ferrari and Pagani.
The P1 risked being overshadowed during its big debuts in Paris and Geneva, thanks to the concurrent reveals of LaFerrari and the Lamborghini Veneno, which both pack more styling drama and a more artful execution than the P1. Not one to shy away from competition, McLaren is ready for the sales brawl in the hypercar segment with their vision of the ultimate road car.
The difference for McLaren (versus Bugatti, for example) is that this is a make-or-break technical showcase whose failure could threaten the stability of the entire fledgling McLaren Automotive division. The Woking crew needs the P1 to be a real hero car in order for its marketing magic to trickle down to their 12C and upcoming 911-fighting P13 models.
Among the admirable traits of McLaren supremo Ron Dennis is his willingness to make running changes to the models. Following the 12C’s debut, the team bumped the power output, made the engine and exhaust much louder, and re-programmed the stability controls – all in the name of driving pleasure.
Will McLaren implement what they’ve learned from the 12C program to make the P1 a thrill to drive, or just a clenched-fist technical marvel?
Updated 04/30/2013: McLaren has unveiled a new video (above) featuring the new P1 supercar put under extreme testing in northern Sweden. Enjoy!
Update 10/21/213: McLaren has unveiled all of the performance specs for the P1, and that its first buyer took delivery today. See all of the official specs after the jump.
Click past the jump for the full review, the latest images of the P1 in Monaco, and new details on the engineering package.
McLaren P1 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 21 October 2013 11:00 EST.
via Top Speed http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mclaren/2014-mclaren-p1-ar153561.html
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