Antony Sheriff, managing director of the operation, says outright pace is not the objective of the new model. “Our aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series-production road car on a circuit. It is the true test of a supercar’s all-around ability and a much more important technical statement. It will be the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar ever made.”
Ahead of the public unveiling, McLaren is refusing to give any more details about the car. However, Autocar has managed to uncover some of the P1’s secrets. Despite the car’s dramatic exterior, it has a very similar footprint to the MP4-12C.
McLaren sources say the P1 retains the “everyday usability” of the MP4-12C, with the same deep windscreen, narrow A-pillars and relatively slim width. In fact, the P1 is shorter than a current Porsche 911.
The interior will be different from the 12C’s, with bespoke switchgear, but it is unclear whether the basic architecture of the cabin will remain unchanged. In contrast to the F1, which was unofficially the fastest production car in the world for a number of years, the company said performance characteristics of the P1 would skew toward quickness and ultimate lap times rather than top speed.Judging by the shape of the P1, the engine and transmission could be sitting much lower in the rear of the car. It looks as though the centre of the rear deck is rather lower than it is on the 12C.
It seems likely that the intake manifold has been redesigned to sit lower on top of the engine and the exhaust system redesigned and rerouted.Also, judging by the huge air intakes feeding the P1’s engine compartment, there is a need to manage the high temperatures generated by the big hike in power. As well as the deep side intakes, there are also forward-facing vents mounted over the rear wheels, matched by large exhaust ports over the rear LED light strips.
The P1’s engine will not be a V10 or V12, and the latest information is that it will be a modified version of the 12C’s twin-turbo V8. Power will jump from just over 600bhp to about 800bhp at 9000rpm. This significant potential is supplemented by a KERS system — a pair of flywheels that can deliver up to 160bhp in short bursts.
Rumours suggest that the P1 will have a top speed of 239mph and a 0-60mph time of under three seconds. It is also said to have completely shattered the best lap time for a road-legal car at the Silverstone circuit.
“The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage,” Ron Dennis, executive chairman of McLaren, said in the release.
The arrival of the P1 next year is consistent with McLaren’s promise that it will launch a new car every year until 2020. It is also likely to be an investment for buyers. Just 108 F1s were made, originally costing £540,000 two decades ago; they now fetch up to £3.8 million at auction.More information will be released following the McLaren Automotive press conference scheduled for Thursday, September 27th.
No comments:
Post a Comment