McLaren Automotive unveiled the McLaren P1 today. It will receive its official unveil at the Paris Motor Show next week. At the moment the P1 is purely a design study, however, a production version is planned and the company aims to put it on sale within twelve months. The aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in terms of top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit.

For now, all we have is a set of three pictures so we can only comment on what we see and what the rumoured specs are. The McLaren P1’s design bears a similarity to McLaren’s previous designs. The overall shape has hints of the MP4-12C with the rear central exhaust and the layout of the rear facia. However, it’s obviously a more extreme design with an aggressive layered diffuser, front air intakes that remind us of the Aston Martin One-77 and a set of headlights that look visually similar to the McLaren Automotive logo.

The black sections are important aerodynamic parts. The new P1 headlights could also appear on a facelifted MP4-12C at some point in the future. Hints of the F1 come through the use of a design line that intersects the door and through the F1-style roof scoop. The McLaren P1 uses a modified version of the MP4-12C’s carbonfibre Monocell. It weighs less than 1300kg.

The P1’s front and rear aluminium subframes and the suspension components have received significant upgrades with active damping and active roll control thought to be fitted. McLaren could also make use of active aerodynamics.

The P1 should feature the same 3.8 liter V8 engine as the MP4-12C complete with a turbocharger. The engine and transmission sit lower in the chassis. Power ratings could be over 800hp at 9000rpm from the standard setup and approximately 960hp with a next generation Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) boost offering an additional 160hp. These figures could make the new McLaren P1 the fastest accelerating production car in the world with a sprint time from zero to 100km/h in less than 2.3 seconds. The top speed will be hypercar-like, but stays short to the Veyron.

Wiper blade companies are going to be disappointed though. Apparently McLaren fitted a new type of acrylic window to the P1 that doesn’t require windscreen wipers!

The final release of the production-ready McLaren P1 will happen in 2013 with the production likely to start in 2014. Sources say the new McLaren hypercar will be limited to 500 pieces with an exclusive price tag of around $1.56 million. For the complete rumour roundup, read our earlier McLaren P1 detail post.

Let us know what you think of the car in the comments box below.

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14 COMMENTS

  1. The back looks fantastic everything else is just…don’t know but I was expecting more and at least more brutal. This looks just too sensible, don’t get me wrong it’s not boring but it’s missing that certain something.

  2. I feel this as invented, its a road Zonda R in shape and design is average except the cool Mclaren rear, far better rear than Aventador for example, here and in the Mp4 12-c.

  3. Wow ! Looks just like an MP4-12C with some bits and bobs glued on to give it the air of the old McLaren F1 .

    Just like I said . And as to the ‘ performance ‘ claims and rhetoric spewing from McLaren … pre show and pre road test . Well in light of the ZR1 handing the MP4 its lunch on the race circuits as well as the road ( at less than half the price ) … not to mention the 458 Italia leaving it in the dust .

    I won’t hold my breath over what this re-bodied .. re-badged ( as per Anthony Sheriff ) mildly engineered – tweaked – tuned and chipped MP4-12C will or won’t do . With all bets being everything in its price range ( as well as a few below ) showing their heels to the P1 . Sheesh . Now McLarens even taking Hyperbole & Lies lessons from Ferrari . Seriously . The McLaren theme park has got to be in the works what with Wokings desperation to keep up with the Jonatori’s

  4. @Guitarslinger: I’m intrigued that you say the ZR1 is handing the 12c it’s lunch….in what series? Hope you’re not mistaking the GT3 car with the road car? ;o)
    You’ve no idea the specs of this car but it will be far more then the dressed up 12c you’re suggesting.

  5. So lets see, a narrow passenger compartment, a low chiseled front with some scoop arrangement(s) bulgy curves above the front wheels and a mechanical/transformer style rear end.
    Yawn…
    God another fast car designed by a computer and given a shiny paint job, yaaawwnnnn.
    Yeah, it is probably a good car to drive and it definitely looks looks like a performance car…. but then they all do.
    They spend all that money designing a car, building a huge factory to assemble the thing in and what do they come out with?
    A car of todays style, a fashion car, a been done before style of car. It is a car that so special, so unique that the majority of today’s road users will likely say something like “hay look, is that a Ferrari?” (that is assuming they actually notice it enough to comment).

    What makes this one special? Electronics?

    There must be a shop somewhere selling cookie cutter type molds for today’s super-car builders.

    Yawn!

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