What's the news?
McLaren has given us more details and visuals on the epic P1 GTR track car it will display at the Geneva Motor Show. This 1,000hp beast has been going through some final development work, ahead of a strictly limited production run beginning once the 375 road-going P1s have been built.
Exterior
Deviating only slightly from the Design Concept that McLaren showed six months ago at Pebble Beach, the big news here is the livery - the yellow and green paint job is to evoke that of the F1 GTR (chassis #06R), which was part of the five-car phalanx that dominated Le Mans 20 years ago, where #06R finished third. This livery will be available to the few lucky souls who will be able to buy this track-ready monster.
Some of the details of the incredible P1 GTR include: a front track that's 80mm wider than that of a road-going P1; ride height that's 50mm lower; centre-locking 19-inch alloys on Pirelli slick tyres; a fixed aerodynamic blade on the lower portion of the car to clean up airflow; and that impossible-to-miss fixed rear wing, which nevertheless still has a Drag Reduction System. The lightweight, 3.2mm-thick windscreen from the regular P1 has been carried over, while the side windows are polycarbonate with a sliding 'ticket window' on the driver's side. Carbon fibre panels replace the glass items in the roof and the GTR is 50kg lighter than a regular P1. Downforce is said to be increased by 10 per cent at 240km/h, to 660kg.
Mechanicals
McLaren cites 'significant updates and modifications' to the IPAS powertrain to generate 1,000hp from its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine and attendant electric motor. The combustion engine makes 800 of that horsepower, leaving the rest to the electric unit. McLaren says the IPAS is thoroughly revised for optimum performance on track, with key components replaced with motorsport-developed parts. This thing is serious, make no mistake about that.
Anything else?
The first locations for the McLaren P1 Driver Programme have been confirmed, with an initial test session at Silverstone in the UK followed by proper track time at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain. The McLaren P1 GTR joins the road-going P1 in the Ultimate Series of the company's cars (these prioritise aerodynamics and outright performance through weight reduction and re-engineering). We will get to see the production P1 GTR in the metal for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in March, where it will be alongside the so-far mysterious 675LT. Can't wait.