So the car that has been codenamed ‘P12’ is to be officially released as the P1. It must have been the shortest marketing brain-storming session to name a car in living memory. Which is a good thing because the MP4-12C is a bit of a mouthful and ends up being shortened to MP4 or 12C anyway. So P1 it is and kind of pays homage to the F1 which was probably the best badge to stick on just about any supercar never mind a Mclaren.
McLaren has been promising us something special with its new hypercar and the pre-launch blurb has gone to great lengths to make sure we should expect to be blown away. Having seen the first official images today they may well have pulled it off.
There are only three images available so far so it would be unfair on the car to make any subjective comment on how it looks and it is one of those shapes that will undoubtedly look better in 3D using your own eyeballs. Nonetheless the shape does look mental and wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’. In fact it would probably be the car that the creature would choose to drive off in.
The P1 almost seems to have an organic form – particularly at the rear end assuming that this is the version that will make into production at the end of this year. It looks quite animal-like in a curvy, muscular way and is the antithesis of Lamborghini’s sharp, linear, stealth forms. The P1 is likely to draw gasps but for different reasons to an Aventador.
Not much has been revealed about the powertrain and chassis but McLaren is making it clear that this car is not designed to break world speed records a la Veyron but it will outrun anything this side of a Formula One car around a track. In the real world that counts for a lot more than sheer straight-line speed.
A figure of 850 plus BHP has been quoted in the press today but the company is staying tight-lipped at the moment and we are unlikely to hear any more detail until the official unveiling on Thursday 27th September at the Paris Motor Show. Can’t wait!
The Car Spy 