SPY PICS: McLaren P1 in motion

Legendary British sports car maker McLaren has released new images and video of its ground-breaking P1 prototype supercar undergoing testing, ahead of its official debut later this year.

McLaren is touting the P1 supercar, which is expected to retail for $1.2 million, as a worthy successor to the iconic McLaren F1 supercar of the '90s. Though it hasn't revealed details of the engine that lurks under the car's sinuous body work, it’s likely the P1 will use a modified version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 from the MP4-12C, tuned to output around 600kW. The car will also leverage McLaren's F1 powertrain know-how with the addition of a quasi-hybrid KERS system, believed to pump out 120kW surges of power for brief periods.

The flame-belching McLaren P1 is expected to make use of electronically-adjustable suspension and wing settings, to alter ride height and downforce levels, and have a top speed of more than 350km/h. As such, the braking system jointly developed by Akebono, is designed to reliably exert huge retardation.

The P1 hypercar will also benefit from bespoke tyres and integral fluids developed by Pirelli and Mobil 1.

Despite being super-quick, the new car is said to be smooth and without the compromises normally associated with seven figure-priced supercars, according to McLaren. Refinement and driveability levels will be "unprecedented" for a supercar.

It also claims the vehicle will surpass top models from the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani. To use McLaren's words, its aim is to build "the best driver’s car in the world on road and track".

The road-going version of the camouflaged P1 appears to be almost identical to the P1 design study shown at the 2012 Paris motor show. However there are likely to be a few minor tweaks to the external design as McLaren continues to develop the vehicle's aerodynamic and cooling characteristics.

And in case you were wondering; the camouflage on the fleet of XP-codenamed prototype vehicles (pictured), designed by the McLaren team, features the outlines of various race tracks from around the world that are "significant in the history of the brand".