The McLaren P1 is one of the most impressive road cars ever built. Not just a stunningly beautiful machine, it’s also a pure driver’s car that is the epitome of McLaren’s ethos. It’s a perfect blend of track performance and daily drivability that is not only the most desirable car on the market but is also worth its price tag.
A 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 with 727hp and 531lb-ft reaches the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The engine is mated to a lightweight KERS-fed electric motor that adds another 176hp and 192lb-ft to the mix for an astonishing total of 903bhp.
All that power is put to good use on the road and at the racetrack where the McLaren P1 excels. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s faster than any production car out there, including supercars like the Veyron Super Sport, Caterham Seven 160 and Radical SR3 SL. Yet the P1 is also surprisingly joyful to drive around a challenging dry handling circuit, thanks in part to the incredible levels of downforce it generates.
The massive rear wing produces up to 600kg of downforce in Race mode, which is more than any other production car on the market. But it’s not just the wing that generates this force, every panel on the car has been designed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. From the door shapes that funnel clean air into the numerous ducts, to the wheel-arch liners that extract turbulent air and even the snorkel intake on the roof to reduce drag – it’s all there.
Even the suspension is optimised for racing. In Road mode the ride height is raised by 50mm, while the active suspension stiffens by more than threefold and in Race it drops by another 50mm to turn the P1 into some sort of fluid land missile when driven hard.
When you flick the Track button it’s as if a team of engineers have come in and fitted a hugely expensive set of race-prepped dampers, lowers the ride height to make room for the enormous rear wing and alters the gear ratios to deliver an even more ferocious driving experience. The only thing that’s missing is a limited-slip differential, but it’s easy enough to adjust as the mammoth power and instant throttle response quickly lull you into oversteer. The stability control intervention is also much less intrusive, to the point where you hardly know it’s there.
If you’re lucky enough to own a McLaren P1 you can further personalise your vehicle with the help of MSO (McLaren Special Operations). This separate distinct department is where customers can get their McLarens equipped with everything from bespoke stitching to personalised paint finishes. Approximately 80% of the P1’s and 20% of the 12C’s that find their way into customers hands go through MSO at some point for some sort of modification. mclaren p1 for sale
