McLaren P1 almost ready

Fresh from celebrating its 50th anniversary, McLaren has released a second development video of its all-new P1 hypercar undergoing final durability tests without camouflage before first customer deliveries take place in coming weeks.

Revealed at the Geneva motor show in March and shown undertaking cold-weather testing in the Arctic Circle in May, the P1 is now being subjected to hot-weather testing in the extreme heat of deserts in Arizona, California and Nevada, which have recently experienced some of the hottest temperatures on record.

Undisguised on the road for the first time, McLaren says the Carbon Black-finished P1 is working through a number of final durability tests in temperatures in excess of 52°C, before the first of 375 limited-edition models is delivered to customers.

McLaren describes the P1 as the culmination of five decades of race-winning technology and expertise, and “everything the company has ever done”.

“From the outset, the goal for the McLaren P1 was clear: to be the best driver’s car on road and track. For this reason, the hot weather testing program has not been confined only to the challenging road surfaces of America’s west coast, as the team push the boundaries of all systems and components on track in blistering heat,” it says.

Priced in the UK from £866,000 ($A1.28 million), the P1 is powered by a mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 that slams out a phenomenal 542kW at 7500rpm and 720Nm at 4000rpm.

However, that increases to 673kW and 900Nm with the assistance of a 131kW/260Nm electric motor, which not only translates to 0-100km/h acceleration in less than three seconds and a 350km/h-plus top speed (eclipsing the famous McLaren F1), but also gives the P1 the ability to drive on electric power alone for up to 20km at speeds of less than 50km/h.