RE: Paris 2012: McLaren P1

[tinkertaylor]

[aelord]

They certainly don't do themselves any favours by insisting on launching every car in that horrid burnt orange.



I dunno, active this and active that - just give me an early, light Elise with a VHPD engine, and no driver aids at all please.

[Cheib]

I read somewhere that the black bits on the car were designed by the "aero team" and the orange/coloured bits were designed the "stylists".....personally I love it. Of course some people won't like the colour but then we all like different colour cars so someone is always going to dislike the launch colour a manufacturer chooses.

[MonteV]

kingb said:

3 seater??

That would be the spirit, and it is the most CENTRAL DNA/heritage for the top of the line McLaren and would differentiate to anything else out there. I doubt it though.

[luke111s]

CraigyMc said:

luke111s said:

Totally blacked out windows; could that mean 3 seats that are still being kept quiet?

No. Look at where the rear view mirror attachment goes.

Also - as reported all over the place, it's LHD only.

Damn!

Surely not LHD only though? Is that official?

[CraigyMc]

luke111s said:

Surely not LHD only though? Is that official?

I've not seen anything officially stating that from McLaren but a few people who say they have been directly contacted my McLaren (prospective customers) say that's the case.

I'm sure it will all come out in the wash.

C

[Oz83]

Some more colour options...

Edited by Oz83 on Friday 28th September 09:23

Edited by Oz83 on Friday 28th September 09:41

[marcosgt]

Ten Four said:

Looks appalling... And I bet they said the speed thing cause it will no doubt be slower than the original F1...

With all that aero (and presumably and active rear wing), I suspect it'll be faster around any given track than an F1.

Disappointing for the Tops Trumps players maybe, but a step forward in terms of vehicle dynamics.

The F1 could never be made these days, relish it for what it is and enjoy the P1 for what it is.

Visually more interesting than the (still dull) MP4-12C, but on looks alone I'd spend my Veyron money with Pagani still.

M.

[kayzee]

Absolutely-bloody-fantastic.

I never usually like that orange colour but on this it looks great, and the white photoshop too.

Honestly the best looking car made in years... possibly even more so than the Veyron, I'll have to think about that one a while longer though.

LHD only sucks though, why!?

[RobDickinson]

Remember Flemke always said the F1 was a pretty poor track car, needing changes to suspension and brakes , tyres etc to hold its own with more modern stuff despite the raw performance figures.

[Dick Seaman]

Isn't it almost unfair to compare the looks of the P1 to the F1?

To be faster on a track these days (the stated aim) you need downforce, the focus must be aero, this will have the greatest influence on the car's shape. The most efficient and effective aero designs are not usually the most aesthetically pleasing (compare early 1990s F1 cars to the modern era). The present day stylist has far less design latitude than he would have enjoyed 20 years ago.

That said, I think the P1 looks fantastic, an exciting modern interpretation of 'form following function'.

[raptor600]

marcosgt said:

With all that aero (and presumably and active rear wing), I suspect it'll be faster around any given track than an F1.

M.

I suspect the 12C would be faster than an F1 around any given track.

This thing is going to be insane. I love it.

[CraigyMc]

raptor600 said:

I suspect the 12C would be faster than an F1 around any given track.

I suspect if the track was somewhere like Nardo or Ehra-Lessien you'd be wrong by quite some margin.

Any track that has a premium on top speed would have the F1 leading.
Any track that had a premium on cornering and downforce at low and medium speeds would have the MP4-12C leading.

C

[5harp3y]

Oz83 said:

Some more colour options...

Edited by Oz83 on Friday 28th September 09:23

Edited by Oz83 on Friday 28th September 09:41

OH YES PLEASE

[raptor600]

CraigyMc said:

I suspect if the track was somewhere like Nardo or Ehra-Lessien you'd be wrong by quite some margin.

Any track that has a premium on top speed would have the F1 leading.
Any track that had a premium on cornering and downforce at low and medium speeds would have the MP4-12C leading.

C

They aren't tracks though are they - they are top speed test facilities! Around any 'proper' track the 12C will beat an F1.

[CraigyMc]

Ignoring the fact that Nardo and the like are clearly test tracks (you didn't specify it had to be a racetrack in your post anyway), Talladega, Michigan, Fontana and Indy are all current international motorsport venues where I'd be interested to know which car was quicker.

Talladega in particular is *very* quick and the F1 is *very* fast from 150mph upward.

C

[JS100]

Article

'Since when, for instance, did you last hear the boss of a supercar company launch a new car with the words "Our aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed" as McLaren Automotive MD Anthony Sheriff has with the P1'

Think you'll find that's pretty much exactly what Stephan Winkelman said when they launched the Aventador actually.

[Davey S2]

foxhounduk said:

And yes, the acceleration and top speed DOES matter. We've waited 20 years for this. If this doesn't beat the B.Veyron SS in straight line performance, it's still in 2nd position in my eyes.

It would be relatively easy to just build a car with massive top speed but it needs to be a whole lot more than that to be really special.

The original F1 was praised fron the off as being a brilliant drivers car yet it was several years after the cars launch that Andy Greene did the 230 mph run. The massive top speed was just a bonus.

Other than official runs at Nardo or VW's test strip there is little chance to use any car over 200 Mph in this day and age.

[garypotter]

CHIEF said:

RobDickinson said:

Side on not a huge change...

Good lord doesn't the F1 look fantastic even after all these years?

Wow!

+1 brilliant car the F1

!st impressions of the P1 wow!, but the more I look at it I'm less Wowed by it but I am sure in the flesh and a differnet colour it will be better.

Will the prices of the new P1 be worth 2 or 3 times more in 20 years time?

Are MCL planning on racing the P1?? to give the P1 more street cred...

[2loud]

I think it looks magnificent (my taste, I know).

It's McLarens flagship car therefore, I suspect, it will be tremendous.

By all means compare it to whatever you like but it will be a great step forward from what has been.

I have not the resources to own one, nor the skill set to drive one.

But I'd really, really like to see one parked on my drive.

Jon