Tuesday 12th February 2013

McLaren reveals P1 interior

New shots from McLaren reveal the look of the P1's insides

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We’ve seen what it looks like outside – now we know how it looks inside. This is the view from the driver’s seat of the McLaren P1 – undoubtedly one that only a select few drivers will be party to.

Lacquer on the carbon fibre would be too heavy

So, what have we got in here? Well, not much, to be honest. Weight saving is the order of the day, with great slabs of carbon fibre making up the vast majority of the interior trim. McLaren claims that leaving the carbon fibre lacquer-free has resulted in a 1.5kg weight saving. They’re committed to this lightness thing, then.

Other measures that have been taken in that regard include the seats, which are encased in super-thin carbon fibre shells and which weight just 10.5kg each. They also feature backrests which are fixed, but give the option of reclining by a further four degrees to allow for more helmet room when out on a track.

Weight saving has been the main aim

McLaren says that the amount of trim covering the interior has been minimised, too. Anything that isn’t finished in bare carbon fibre is swathed in Alcantara, as befits the P1’s race-bred ethos. That said, despite all the talk of automotive dieting, this won’t be a stripped-out track special; climate control, sat nav and a Meridian sound system will all feature.

And for fans of pure technical geekery, how does this strike you? McLaren has come up with what it describes as a steering wheel diameter ‘as technically precise as a McLaren racing driver’s wheel’. They’ve done this by modelling past McLaren world champions’ grips on a CAD system, and scanning them to produce an exact replica, coming up with the optimum wheel. Gosh.

[ruta87]

Seriously 'racey' seating position!

[Oddball RS]

Looks like a Volvo interior to me :-))))

[Speed_Demon]

Perfect. McLaren all over. The basics and nothing more, and just what we need, variation; worlds apart from the interior of the Hyura or Agera.

My anticipation for this car is growing, I can't see how it won't be mind blowlingly fast on a track.

[Greg 172]

"They’ve done this by modelling past McLaren world champions’ grips on a CAD system, and scanning them to produce an exact replica, coming up with the optimum wheel."

Aren't F1 drivers typically on the diminutive side? Does this mean that a powerfully-built-director buying one of these will simply crush the feeble wheel in the steely, vice-like grip of his enormous man hands?

[schrodinger]

Looks like someone's left their blanket lying on top of the dashboard....

[tony993]

Yes, McLarens do have nice steering wheels - the bit you grip at the sides has the same cross section shape as the bit at the top. Most other new high end cars I have driven recently have really horrible wheels with fat bits where you grip them - very annoying.

McLaren also ensure plenty of reach in their steering wheel adjustment. Every other car I sit in has the wheel too close to the pedals, even at max adjustment (ie they're all designed for short people).

I just wish McLaren would offer a no cost option round wheel. No doubt a lot of their customers will want the flat bottom wheel to make it look like a racing car but I should think most keen drivers would prefer a round wheel.

[Krise]

I get the functionality, plain simple and focused, but to me it doesn't look special enough for hyper car

[dugsud]

Love the matt carbon......so much nicer than gloss!

[TaylotS2K]

Minimal yet futuristic. I suspect you can brighten it up a bit with a few choice options.

[anonymous-user]

Surely it would be better to custom fit every purchaser of said hypercar to all the contact points, including the steering wheel? I for example have murderers hands, so i like a nice thick rim, but a lot of people prefer a slim wheel. Neither is right or wrong so why spend ages scanning in some random persons features?

[Captain Muppet]

dugsud said:

Love the matt carbon......so much nicer than gloss!

Cheaper too.

[Monty Zoomer]

Article said:

the seats, which are encased in super-thin carbon fibre shells and which weight just 10.5kg each

weigh

[Galileo]

I don't like it. Give me dials and stuff any day, and hang the weight saving.

[NGK210]

The epitome of elegance and simplicity/less-is-more - lovely

But... bare carbonfibre is fine for looks and weight-saving - and *cough* build-cost-saving - but won't it also be a 'mare for fingerprints?

(OCD, moi?)

Edited by NGK210 on Tuesday 12th February 16:44

[bobalog]

Krise said:

I get the functionality, plain simple and focused, but to me it doesn't look special enough for hyper car

Proper driver focussed IMO, an Enzo interior is pretty spartan. If you like Pagani interiors though, chances are this isn't for you.

[Lordbenny]

Is it me or does the steering wheel angle seems at odds with the dash in front of the passenger in the bottom photo?

[Frik]

Captain Muppet said:

Cheaper too.

Does it make a different sound when you tap it though? A cheaper sound?

[Macboy]

Hmmm...not really convinced by the digital dash at all. I know it's a cliche but I had one in my MG Montego company car with a bar graph tacho and digital speedo and although a bit more Speak-and-Spell than this one I can't help thinking that a combination of configurable gauges is better. It certainly doesn't weigh any more. Perhaps Mclaren will have other options than this one which may be clear for race use but isn't exactly elegant.

[MrKipling43]

Absolutely love this.

Pretty extreme tyres on it too.

[stew-S160]

So, when Ferrari did this type of thing with the F40, it was OK, but as McLaren are doing something like it now, some folk are not happy about it...hmmmm.

Personally, LOVE it.