We have heard very little about the new McLaren P1, until now, she hadn’t yet found its final lines.
Use a big engine block to achieve disproportionate power? The recipe is not really fashionable anymore. Even for supercars, the trend is hybrid. Presented in Geneva and virtually identical to the concept, the McLaren P1 therefore retains the “modest” 3.8L V8 biturbo from her sister the MP4-12C, simply boosted from 625 to 737 BHP.
A little “thin” to play in the big league? Not really, because this muscular mechanics already receives assistance from an electric motor, and graced with 179 extra horse power. The whole system can achieve 916 BHP, while torque rises to 900 Nm! All that with CO2 emissions below 200 g / km of CO2. As for performance, the figures announced promise to ruffle the hair of the most jaded. Of course, the speed is restricted to 217 MPH, far from the 253MPH of a Bugatti Veyron.
But the 0 to 60 is completed in less than 3 seconds, 0 to 120 MPH in less than 7 seconds, and 0 to 180MPH in less than 17 seconds! The carbon-ceramic brakes and special retractable spoiler which can act as a spoiler seem to be almost mandatory, just like the Pirelli P Zeros Corsa tires, specially developed for the P1. Moreover, as a Porsche 918 Spyder, the battery is rechargeable with a classical electrical outlet. Except here, the electric range is limited to 12 miles in the city, instead of 15.To take full advantage of the P1, it will combine the two types of energy. The steering wheel will help to do so by hosting a button “IPAS” to force the electric motor to deliver maximum power, and a second command, called DRS just like in Formula 1, to reduce the downforce generated by the retractable rear spoiler. Definitely high-tech, the McLaren makes the Bugatti Veyron’s 8.0L W16 quad-turbo engine looks like a legacy of prehistory.
Limited to 375 copies, it also ensures exclusivity. If you had the money, would you pay £866,000 (almost $1.5 million) for the McLaren P1?
