SPY PICS: McLaren P1 hypercar

McLaren is busy honing its modern-day successor to the F1 – dubbed the P1– and these pics from Carparazzi provide the best look yet of the road-ready article, which is still 12 months away from going on sale.

Although concealed via psychedelic camouflage, the images suggest the vehicle is little changed externally from the concept that debuted at this year’s Paris motor show.

Touted by McLaren as “the best driver’s car in the world”, the new-age hypercar is expected to wear a pricetag in excess of $1.2 million when it launches internationally at the end of next year.

Rather than trying to compete with the 400km/h-plus Bugatti Veyron, McLaren says its aim is to make the P1 “the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit”.

Built around a similar carbon-fibre monocell to that of the MP4-12C, the P1 will allegedly have a power-to-weight ratio of over 600bhp (448kW) per tonne, which would put it more or less on par with the Veyron Super Sport.

Although McLaren hasn’t as yet divulged any information pertaining to the powertrain, it’s believed the P1 uses a modified version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 that propels the MP4-12C, with power boosted to almost 600kW.

It doesn’t end there, as supplementing the blown V8 is a KERS system that kicks in another 120kW in short bursts.

Some sources have speculated the P1 will have a top speed of 385km/h and sprint to 100km/h in under three seconds, and rumour has it the super-Mac has smashed the production car lap record at UK’s Silverstone circuit.

The car’s radical bodywork was conceived with aero efficiency as one of the primary criteria, and the result is an alleged 600kg of downforce at well below the car’s top speed. Getting cooling air into the brakes and engine was also a key requirement, as was extracting heat from the car.

The visual highlights of the car are provided by the large air intakes sculpted into the front corners of the car, while further back are additional air intakes that feed air into the mid-mounted V8.

As well as the scoop in the flank, there is a second intake cut into the top of the door skin that channels air into the rear radiators through the door structure itself.

The rear of the car is as elaborate as any road car we’ve seen to date, and the double-element rear wing is said to be capable of adjusting by up to 300mm rearwards on a racetrack and by up to 120mm on the road.

The showroom-ready article is also expected to feature a conventional windscreen wiper (unlike the concept, which made do without), but might feature a new type of rain-repellent glass that negates the need to use it at high speeds.

It’s believed the P1 will have three different ride-height modes, with the lowest for track work, maximising the value of the side skirts and rear diffuser.

We’ll be able to tell you more next March from the Geneva motor show, where McLaren is expected to reveal full technical details pertaining to the car.

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