The Hypercar

Posted by : Flex Next Friday, February 15, 2013

Move over Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti! Let the show begin for McLaren P1, “The Hypercar”!

McLaren is a name that rings a bell in almost anyone with a passing interest in automobiles, and a brand revered by enthusiasts across the globe. Yes, it is known for seriously fast cars, both on the racetracks and highways. British - based McLaren Automotive, as the company is accurately known, was founded by New Zealand racer Bruce McLaren as a racing team, pitted their first Formula One team in 1966, and celebrates its 50^th year in existence in 2013. McLaren runs the highly successful McLaren Formula One (now Vodafone McLaren – Mercedes) team, which is one of the powerhouses in the sport, and encompasses a massively successful history with a host of legendary drivers winning numerous championships driving their machines. The latest of the lineup is young driver Lewis Hamilton, who won the title in 2008.

However, there is one solid reason behind McLaren’s fame outside the racing world, the McLaren F1. First produced back in 1992, it held the world record for “fastest production car” for almost one and a half decades, till the Bugatti Veyron came screaming in. Its 0 – 60 mph time of 3.2 seconds is still horrendously fast, even well after 20 years it was first produced, and the top speed of 231 mph is again quite an astounding feat, for a mass production supercar.

McLaren F1

However, after the F1 was canned in 1998, McLaren Automotive did not offer any road going vehicles for quite some time, baring the McLaren – Mercedes SLR supercar built for the German marque. It came up with the MP4 – 12C supercar in 2009, which went into production in 2011. However, this was more comparable with the higher – end Porsche 911s and Ferraris of today rather than its elder brother F1, even though its McLaren – built twin - turbo V8 generated 616 bhp (brake horse power – the power generated by an engine in hp, without taking the losses caused by gearbox, exhaust and other systems into account), just 11 less than the BMW sourced V12 in F1.

Well, time to celebrate 50 years, and McLaren does it in style. Roll on the P1. F1’s spiritual successor, P1 is set to be the world’s BEST DRIVER’S CAR, a very ambitious title. But given the reputation of the manufacturer, and the shots of the machine unveiled by McLaren, little doubt can be placed in the epithet. Benchmarked against the flagships of two equally powerful marques in automotive industry, Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari F150 (the successor of Enzo), the P1 will, without doubt, be a legendary automobile.

McLaren has teased the machine several occasions, with the latest and the most comprehensive exterior shoot coming from Bahrain. The exterior suggests a very aerodynamic machine, with a futuristic styling that, surprisingly, pays little homage to F1, but borrows a lot from MP4 – 12C. The highlight in the interior shots is the digital instrument panel, with a digital rev counter that redlines at 9000 rpm. Carbon fibre is spilled all over the cabin and gullwing style doors are standard too. And beneath the sheetmetal (it’s mostly carbon fibre though) is a hybrid powertrain producing around 720 bhp, powering all four wheels. Gear box specs or suspension facts haven’t been leaked yet.

And not surprisingly for such an important upcoming car, the P1 is not without controversy. One of the foremost criticisms is the PRICE, which is estimated at FOUR times the price of a standard MP4 – 12C priced at £ 168, 500. Calculation is homework. And for such a staggering price, the power is seemingly not adequate for some critics (a modest 100+ bhp over the MP4 – 12C). While there are some outlandish claims about the pace of the machine, including a Silverstone (British racetrack) run 24 seconds, yeah, twenty four seconds faster than ANY other production car, no official 0 – 60 mph or top speed figures are yet unveiled by McLaren. So it still remains to be seen if the P1 does justice to the hypercar title bestowed on it, and battles it out with the Porsche and Ferrari.

The wait, however, won’t be too long. The car is set to make its premiere in the 83rd Geneva MotorShow, and that will kick off on the 7^th of March. So fingers crossed till then. But one thing is for certain; McLaren’s back with a BIG bang!