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 217Â mph (350Â 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%.
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 half a second of each other, the P1 finishing first at 58.24 sec and the LaFerrari finishing last 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 to 58 cars.
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 176 bhp (178 PS; 131 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 903 bhp (916 PS; 673 kW) and 723 lb·ft (980 N·m) of torque. 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 mpgâ€'US (14 L/100 km; 20 mpgâ€'imp), 16 mpgâ€'US (15 L/100 km; 19 mpgâ€'imp) for city driving, and 20 mpgâ€'US (12 L/100 km; 24 mpgâ€'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 600Â kg at 160Â mph and it boasts of drag coefficient of only 0.34.
The P1 accelerates from 0â€"62 mph (0â€"100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds, 0â€"200 km/h (0â€"124 mph) in 6.8 seconds, and 0â€"299 km/h (0â€"186 mph) in 16.5 seconds, making it a full 5.5 seconds faster than the F1, coming in at number 10 on the world's fastest (by acceleration) production cars. It completes a standing quarter mile in 9.75 seconds at 153 mph (246 km/h). The P1 is electronically limited to a top speed of 217 mph (350 km/h), but is capable of reaching a top speed of 249 mph (401 km/h) 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.
Variants
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.
Production of the P1 GTR was limited to 58 units, initially only available to P1 owners. 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 GB£1.3 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 986Â bhp (1,000Â PS; 735Â 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 to produce 986Â bhp (1,000Â PS; 735Â kW), representing an 83Â bhp (84Â PS; 62Â kW) increase over the standard production P1, 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. The weight of the P1 GTR was reduced by 50Â kg, achieving a power-to-weight ratio of 687Â bhp (697Â PS; 512Â kW) per 1 tonne (1.1 tons). This equates to a weight-to-power ratio of 1.44Â kg (3.17Â lb) per brake horsepower.
The P1 GTR can accelerate from 0-60Â mph in just 2.4 seconds, and will go on to reach a top speed of 225Â mph (362Â km/h). Additionally, the P1 GTR will brake from 60Â mph to 0 in 85Â ft, and can corner at 1.54 G.
In late 2015, historic racing team and McLaren F1 specialists Lanzante started undergoing road conversions of P1 GTRs for owners who wanted to drive their cars on the road. Thus far, 27 P1 GTRs have been converted for road use by Lanzante.
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. At the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the prototype P1 LM, XP1LM, set the fastest ever time for a road car up the Goodwood hillclimb, with a time of 47.07 seconds, driven by Kenny Bräck.
On 27 April 2017, the prototype P1 LM continued its success on track, beating the road car lap record time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a time of 6:43.22 using road legal Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres but without front number plate required to be road legal. This time was once again set by Kenny Bräck, and announced on 26 May 2017.
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. However, the P1 LM, which wasn't road legal during the run, beat the road car record time at the Nordschleife with a time of 6:43.22.
However, the claimed record is controversial because the LM's on-board timer failed to start upon LM crossing the start line. It eventually started counting the lap about 250 meters after the start/finish line, ultimately understating LM's lap time by around 4 seconds. After reconciling the LM's advantage, its performance is on par with that of Zonda R, with both cars completing the race within several tenths of a second of each other's 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.
See also
- Plug-in electric vehicle
- Plug-in electric vehicles in the United Kingdom
- Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles
- List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles
References
External links
- Video
- 2014 McLaren P1 at Jay Leno's Garage
