Manufacturer McLaren Automotive Class Sports car (S) | Model years 2014–2016 Body style 2-door coupé | |
 | ||
Production October 2013 – December 2015
(375 units plus prototypes, GTR and LM) Assembly Woking, Surrey, England | ||
The McLaren P1 is a British limited-production plug-in hybrid sports car produced by McLaren. The concept car was capable of reaching speeds of 218 mph (351 km/h) with the limiter on. Debuted at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, retail began in the UK in October 2013 and all 375 units were sold out by November. Production ended in December 2015. The United States accounted for 34% of the units and Europe for 26%.
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It was considered to be the successor to the F1, utilizing hybrid power and Formula 1 technology, but did not have the same three seat layout as its predecessor. Like the F1, the P1 is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive design that used a carbon fibre monocoque and roof structure safety cage concept called MonoCage, which is a development of the MonoCell first used in the MP4-12C and then in subsequent models. Its main competitors were the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918. They are all similar in specifications and performance, and in a race round Silverstone circuit they were all within a second of each other, the P1 finishing first at 58.24 sec and the LaFerrari finishing at 58.58 sec; the Porsche was in-between with 58.46 sec.
A track version of the P1, the P1 GTR, was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Production of the GTR was limited and only original P1 owners were invited to buy one. The McLaren P1 is also one of the main rivals going against the Porsche 918 Spyder, and the Ferrari LaFerrari.
Specifications
The P1 features a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine. The twin turbos boost the petrol engine at 1.4 bar to deliver 727 bhp (737 PS; 542 kW) and 531 lb·ft (720 N·m) of torque at 7,500 rpm, combined with an in-house developed electric motor producing 177 bhp (179 PS; 132 kW) and 192 lb·ft (260 N·m). With both engine and the electric motor, the P1 has a total power and torque output of 904 bhp (917 PS; 674 kW) and 723 lb·ft (980 N·m) of torque respectively. The electric motor can be deployed manually by the driver or left in automatic mode, whereby the car's ECUs 'torque fill' the gaps in the petrol engine's output, which is considered turbo lag. This gives the powertrain an effective powerband of almost 7,000 rpm. The car is rear-wheel-drive with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission developed by Graziano.
Power for the electric motor is stored in a 324-cell lithium-ion high density battery pack located behind the cabin, developed by Johnson Matthey Battery Systems. The battery can be charged by the engine or through a plug-in equipment and can be fully charged in two hours. The car can be operated using either the petrol engine, the electric motor or with a combination of the two. The P1 has an all-electric range of at least 10 km (6.2 mi) on the combined European drive cycle. Under the EPA cycle, the range in EV mode is 19 mi (31 km). During EV mode the P1 has a petrol consumption of 4.8g/100 mile, and as a result, EPA's all-electric range is rated as zero. The total range is 330 mi (530 km). The P1 combined fuel economy in EV mode was rated by the EPA at 18 MPGe (13 L petrol equivalent/100 km; 22 mpg-imp petrol equivalent), with an energy consumption of 25 kW-hrs/100 mi and petrol consumption of 4.8 gal-US/100 mi. The combined fuel economy when running only with petrol is 17 mpg‑US (14 L/100 km; 20 mpg‑imp), 16 mpg‑US (15 L/100 km; 19 mpg‑imp) for city driving, and 20 mpg‑US (12 L/100 km; 24 mpg‑imp) in highway.
The P1 has Formula 1 derived features such as the Instant Power Assist System (IPAS), which gives an instant boost in acceleration via the electric motor, a Drag Reduction System (DRS) which operates the car's rear wing, thereby increasing straight line speed, and a KERS. Both of these features (IPAS, DRS) are operated via two buttons on the steering wheel. It also generates a downforce of 600 kg at 160 mph and it boasts of drag coefficient of only 0.34.
The P1 accelerates from 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds, 0–200 km/h (0–124 mph) in 6.8 seconds, and 0–299 km/h (0–186 mph) in 16.5 seconds, making it a full 5.5 seconds faster than the F1. It completes a standing quarter mile in 9.75 seconds at 246 km/h (153 mph). The P1 is electronically limited to a top speed of 218 mph (351 km/h), but is capable of reaching a top speed of 401 km/h (249 mph) with the limiter removed. The P1 has a dry weight of 1,395 kg (3,075 lb), giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 647 bhp/tonne. It has a kerb weight of 1,547 kg (3,411 lb) which translates to 593 bhp/ tonne. Actual kerb weight (full tank of fuel, no luggage or people) of US-spec vehicles is 3411 lb. The P1 also features bespoke Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres and specially developed carbon-ceramic brakes from Akebono. It takes 6.2 seconds to brake from 190 mph (300 km/h) to standstill, during which it will cover 246 metres. From 97 km/h (60 mph), it will cover 30.2 metres.
Production and sales
The production version of the McLaren P1 was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Production was strictly limited to 375 units which, according to McLaren, is to maintain exclusivity. Pricing started at GB£866,000 (€1,030,000 or US$1,350,000) but, as of November 2013, about 75% of P1 customers opted for some level of unique design from McLaren Special Operations, raising the average sale price of a P1 above GB£1 million (€1.2 million or US$1.6 million).
In August 2013 McLaren announced that the production allocation destined to the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East was sold out. The cars destined for Europe were sold out by mid November 2013. The United States accounted for 34% of the limited production run, and Europe for 26%.
After some delays, production began in October 2013. Hand-assembled by a team of 61 engineers, at a production rate of one car per day McLaren production was planned for fifty P1s by the end of 2013. The first delivery to a retail customer took place at the company's headquarters in Woking, England, in October 2013, with 12 units manufactured by mid November 2013. The first P1 delivery in the U.S. occurred in May 2014. The production run ended in December 2015.
According to JATO Dynamics, only twenty units had been registered worldwide during the first nine months of 2014. A total of 12 P1s were registered in Switzerland during 2014, and an additional five units between January and August 2015. About 59 units were delivered in the U.S. in 2014, and sales in the American market totalled about 127 units delivered through December 2015.
P1 GTR
Celebrating 20 years since their victory in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, McLaren announced that they would resurrect the GTR name by launching a track-only version of the P1, the P1 GTR.
The P1 GTR was made available to the 375 P1 owners only, and the production was limited to 35 units. The concept car made its debut at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2014. The P1 GTR production model was officially unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The GTR variant is priced at GB£1.9 million. This price includes a worldwide owners trackday series; later P1 GTRs were offered for less money, approximately $1.7 million, for those P1 owners who had no interest in the track series but still wanted to purchase the GTR variant.
McLaren states that this will be the most powerful McLaren to date, with an intended power output of 987 bhp (1,000 PS, 735 kW). The car will also feature slick tyres, and have greater levels of performance, grip, aerodynamics and downforce in comparison to the road car. Featuring a new fixed ride height on race-prepared suspension, a fixed rear wing capable of using DRS, and a new exclusively designed exhaust, McLaren aims to deliver the ultimate track experience.
This limited edition will go into production in 2015, after all 375 standard P1's have been built, as homage to its race-winning ancestor, the iconic F1 GTR, and will be built, maintained and run by McLaren Special Operations.
The P1 GTR hybrid engine aims at producing 1,000 PS (987 bhp); 84 bhp over the current model, although McLaren did not disclose whether the power increase is from electrical boost or tuning the twin turbo 3.8-litre V8. Performance figures are unconfirmed. P1 GTR weight was reduced by 50 kg and deliver power-to-weight ratio of 687 bhp per tonne.
The P1 GTR can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 2.4 seconds, with the top speed at 225 mph (362 km/h), brake from 60 mph to 0 in 85 ft, and corners at 1.54 G.
P1 LM
Owners of P1 GTRs were able to convert their cars to a road-legal status through aftermarket developments made by Lanzante Motorsport. Prompted by Lanzante's efforts, McLaren authorized the construction of five brand new cars (plus one prototype). These six LM specification cars remove the pneumatic jack system of the GTR to save weight, and the addition of lighter seats, titanium bolts, and Lexan windows. The rear wing and front splitter have also been redesigned to produce additional downforce over the GTR's aerodynamics.
Lap records
McLaren announced a sub-seven minute lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which equates to an average speed in excess of 179 km/h (111 mph), but did not publish the exact time. The P1 currently holds the production car lap record at Circuit of the Americas, Algarve International Circuit, Anglesey Coastal Circuit and Silverstone National Circuit.