MCLAREN P1 HYPERCAR HITS THE TRACK

When McLaren went off the track and into the public roads as McLaren Automotive, few doubted the company’s resolve. The release in 2011 of the MP4-12C proved the brand’s super exclusive performance car pedigree. Now the P1 is coming. It’s the ultimate road McLaren and promises “to produce the best driver’s car in the world on road and track”

The camouflaged pictures you see here are of the production P1 itself, being pushed to its performance limits on the racing track. Disguised as the car is, we can clearly see its lines, the large air dams up front, on the roof and at the rear, the retractable rear spoiler, and that single windscreen wiper. A lot of the car’s design has to do with increasing performance through the knowledge garnered in Formula One.

Engine details are obviously quite scarce at this point in time, but speculation is that it will use a V8 engine with at least two turbos, spitting off around 650kW. We reckon even 550kW would be acceptable by our lowly standards, but then again, we aren’t exactly in the market for a hyper car.

The P1 should hit the streets later this year and arrive in Mzansi either at the end of 2013 or at the beginning of 2014.