Discussion
So I thought I would get my thoughts down on the P1 after covering around 1800 miles and good 4 tanks of fuel at Silverstone this week.
On the road the car feels light and compact, even though it is slightly larger than say a 991 Porsche it wraps around you far better. You sit much lower, the end of the bonnet is closer to you, you are in what I would call the perfect drivers position. In the RS you sit slightly too high for it to feel like a supercar, in the Speciale you sit slightly at an angle to the pedals, the 918 feels like your position is tailored that little bit more for longer journeys and comfort (however some shaped passengers feel like you sit slightly too upright). In the P1 you sink in to the car, in race mode your arse is virtually grazing the floor and I imagine that is actually a reality…
The steering in normal road is extremely light and direct, not a huge amount of feel at low speeds however this weights up nicely when pushing on. The downside I suppose is it’s impossible on the road to push on in the P1 you just carry too much speed. In race mode I don’t know the ins and outs of how the car recalibrates but it makes a real difference to feel. It takes about 30 seconds to get from road to race. The car reduces its ride height considerably to the point it is useless really to use this mode on the road except for the flattest of surfaces. I would not want to graze the carbon bottom of the car or get perched on a speed bump, that would be a silly and expensive mistake! Although I tried this mode in the past to see how it felt I don’t now on the road, it changes the car dynamic slightly – steering weights up and because of the added stiffness you feel every change in momentum much more. My girlfriend is always keen to get out of this car but I have learnt in its softest setting she is slightly happier. Those times we drove in race mode she cursed and I was scared of the imminent dental bit, plus whatever MSO would charge to remove her old teeth from the bare carbon dash!
The noise the car makes is something quite special. Its gruff and without tone at low revs then when the turbos kick in you hear from the roof scoop to the engine bay the turbos spooling and whistling which is really an overwhelming noise inside the cabin, its hard to talk and the Harman Karden sound system can be heard but not well. The third and final stage is the from the spool to the end of the limiter. I cant describe it but its an exhilarating build and so exciting. I had never heard much of this until I hit the track and used every ounce of power the car had. Its no V12 screamer or V8 monster n/a noise but something very unique and even through a crash helmet one of the best I have experienced. Its not all engine, turbos and exhaust – the arches are all bare carbon. No insulation or protection. Ever little pebble the sticky Trofeos flick up pings against that carbon and again this takes over the cabin. This car is not really one for the passenger unless they like it rough. For the driver, there is little better!
The power delivery is brutal but the batteries work is a much more progressive way than they do in the 918. In the Porsche you feel the battery power before the engine power. After about 3.5k rpm the engine power takes over and the electrical power massages the engine to speed through each gear. All the electrical torque comes at once. In the P1 the battery power is much more subtle. First of all there is less electrical power than the 918, secondly I think there is more of a build, at least it feels that way. In the P1 the electrical power helps to fill in the turbo lag to some extent but not enough for it not to be noticeable. Especially in the higher gears at low rpm. All this means you have to work the P1 much harder to go really really really fast! This is not a bad thing, just different. On track you never notice any lag, you keep in the right gear and performance is of the chart fast. So what is faster the 918 or the P1? I will come to that…
I did not appreciate the P1 until I did a trackday. To set the scene I am by no way a trackday god despite the amount of days I have done over the last 8 years or so. I don’t push the cars beyond my ability unless I know the outcome will not result in me hitting the barrier. I usually keep the traction control on unless I really know the car and track. Ferraris usually have a setting that lets the hands of god intervene when you hit an angle the car deems just right. Makes you feel special but its not all me!
Back to the P1 I started in track aero mode. That means sharpest handling, a little slip allowed bit normal road setting. I did this for a few laps got the trofeo tyres hot and came back in to the pits to reduce the pressures and set the car up in race mode. I was very nervous at first. Race mode as many of you will know means no traction control. None! What you get instead is much shaper handling with much more feel and massive massive aero. The big old wing the P1 has only stands to attention in this mode. 1000bhp though with only 305 section rear tyres, same as a 12C, no matter how sticky the tyre I was nervous. I always said the car seemed undertyred and should struggle to get its power down. The RS for example has 325 section rear tyres. Well I was wrong. So wrong. I have never felt a better set up car on track. I have never had so much fun on track. The car felt solid as a rock and that it could do it forever. I went through 4 tanks of fuel! Only one in the RS on the same day! The car did not miss a beat. The poor old RS felt a little neglected. I felt like a hero – even if I wasn’t the fastest thing on track (due to skills not the car!). Only in second gear corners if I pushed the throttle too hard would it break loose, but even then the car had so much power and grip it literally pushes through the slide and you just aim the rocket in the right direction. No other of my cars can do this, they do not have the power…
So what is faster a 918 or a P1. Well the stats are out there for all to see. I am also not the right person to really tell you the answer, I am just not a good enough driver. The 918 gets its power down in an unbelievable way that makes near on 1000bhp feel like no effort. Its systems are cleverer, it has 4wd, its heavier and it has bigger tyres. It does feel like a bit of a truck compared to the P1 though and I simply do not believe when the Macca gets its power down the 918 is faster. The rush from both of them is obscene and feel double a specaile or RS but I would guess the P1 is the faster car in the right hands. In the wrong hands the 918, it’s a much easier car to drive fast. Later this year I am taking them both to track together for a back to back. I write more then but do not expect times or an answer for which is best as there isn’t one. Despite the power, cost, and stats of each car they are not direct competition. They answer the same question on going fast so very differently. The 918 is such an all rounder. A weapon that can be a spyder, has the best sound system of any car on the planet, comfortable and quiet with little road noise, every bit of tech you want, can drive for 20 miles as a milk float. It is the best car on the planet in my opinion. Despite all of this it cant be a P1, it can be very exciting and accomplished but I have never had so much fun as I did a Silverstone yesterday in the Mclaren. I couldn’t sleep last night, I couldn’t stop talking about it at dinner, this morning I woke up reminiscing. It left such an impression on me I have totally fallen for it. However, I’m doing a 2500 mile road trip very soon with my girlfriend as a passenger and no other car is better for this than the 918. What can I say I love them both! Very lucky to have these cars and be able to really use them.
Im not the worlds best driver as I have said but for those interested hope that helped a little…
for pictures: https://www.instagram.com/woppum/
On the road the car feels light and compact, even though it is slightly larger than say a 991 Porsche it wraps around you far better. You sit much lower, the end of the bonnet is closer to you, you are in what I would call the perfect drivers position. In the RS you sit slightly too high for it to feel like a supercar, in the Speciale you sit slightly at an angle to the pedals, the 918 feels like your position is tailored that little bit more for longer journeys and comfort (however some shaped passengers feel like you sit slightly too upright). In the P1 you sink in to the car, in race mode your arse is virtually grazing the floor and I imagine that is actually a reality…
The steering in normal road is extremely light and direct, not a huge amount of feel at low speeds however this weights up nicely when pushing on. The downside I suppose is it’s impossible on the road to push on in the P1 you just carry too much speed. In race mode I don’t know the ins and outs of how the car recalibrates but it makes a real difference to feel. It takes about 30 seconds to get from road to race. The car reduces its ride height considerably to the point it is useless really to use this mode on the road except for the flattest of surfaces. I would not want to graze the carbon bottom of the car or get perched on a speed bump, that would be a silly and expensive mistake! Although I tried this mode in the past to see how it felt I don’t now on the road, it changes the car dynamic slightly – steering weights up and because of the added stiffness you feel every change in momentum much more. My girlfriend is always keen to get out of this car but I have learnt in its softest setting she is slightly happier. Those times we drove in race mode she cursed and I was scared of the imminent dental bit, plus whatever MSO would charge to remove her old teeth from the bare carbon dash!
The noise the car makes is something quite special. Its gruff and without tone at low revs then when the turbos kick in you hear from the roof scoop to the engine bay the turbos spooling and whistling which is really an overwhelming noise inside the cabin, its hard to talk and the Harman Karden sound system can be heard but not well. The third and final stage is the from the spool to the end of the limiter. I cant describe it but its an exhilarating build and so exciting. I had never heard much of this until I hit the track and used every ounce of power the car had. Its no V12 screamer or V8 monster n/a noise but something very unique and even through a crash helmet one of the best I have experienced. Its not all engine, turbos and exhaust – the arches are all bare carbon. No insulation or protection. Ever little pebble the sticky Trofeos flick up pings against that carbon and again this takes over the cabin. This car is not really one for the passenger unless they like it rough. For the driver, there is little better!
The power delivery is brutal but the batteries work is a much more progressive way than they do in the 918. In the Porsche you feel the battery power before the engine power. After about 3.5k rpm the engine power takes over and the electrical power massages the engine to speed through each gear. All the electrical torque comes at once. In the P1 the battery power is much more subtle. First of all there is less electrical power than the 918, secondly I think there is more of a build, at least it feels that way. In the P1 the electrical power helps to fill in the turbo lag to some extent but not enough for it not to be noticeable. Especially in the higher gears at low rpm. All this means you have to work the P1 much harder to go really really really fast! This is not a bad thing, just different. On track you never notice any lag, you keep in the right gear and performance is of the chart fast. So what is faster the 918 or the P1? I will come to that…
I did not appreciate the P1 until I did a trackday. To set the scene I am by no way a trackday god despite the amount of days I have done over the last 8 years or so. I don’t push the cars beyond my ability unless I know the outcome will not result in me hitting the barrier. I usually keep the traction control on unless I really know the car and track. Ferraris usually have a setting that lets the hands of god intervene when you hit an angle the car deems just right. Makes you feel special but its not all me!
Back to the P1 I started in track aero mode. That means sharpest handling, a little slip allowed bit normal road setting. I did this for a few laps got the trofeo tyres hot and came back in to the pits to reduce the pressures and set the car up in race mode. I was very nervous at first. Race mode as many of you will know means no traction control. None! What you get instead is much shaper handling with much more feel and massive massive aero. The big old wing the P1 has only stands to attention in this mode. 1000bhp though with only 305 section rear tyres, same as a 12C, no matter how sticky the tyre I was nervous. I always said the car seemed undertyred and should struggle to get its power down. The RS for example has 325 section rear tyres. Well I was wrong. So wrong. I have never felt a better set up car on track. I have never had so much fun on track. The car felt solid as a rock and that it could do it forever. I went through 4 tanks of fuel! Only one in the RS on the same day! The car did not miss a beat. The poor old RS felt a little neglected. I felt like a hero – even if I wasn’t the fastest thing on track (due to skills not the car!). Only in second gear corners if I pushed the throttle too hard would it break loose, but even then the car had so much power and grip it literally pushes through the slide and you just aim the rocket in the right direction. No other of my cars can do this, they do not have the power…
So what is faster a 918 or a P1. Well the stats are out there for all to see. I am also not the right person to really tell you the answer, I am just not a good enough driver. The 918 gets its power down in an unbelievable way that makes near on 1000bhp feel like no effort. Its systems are cleverer, it has 4wd, its heavier and it has bigger tyres. It does feel like a bit of a truck compared to the P1 though and I simply do not believe when the Macca gets its power down the 918 is faster. The rush from both of them is obscene and feel double a specaile or RS but I would guess the P1 is the faster car in the right hands. In the wrong hands the 918, it’s a much easier car to drive fast. Later this year I am taking them both to track together for a back to back. I write more then but do not expect times or an answer for which is best as there isn’t one. Despite the power, cost, and stats of each car they are not direct competition. They answer the same question on going fast so very differently. The 918 is such an all rounder. A weapon that can be a spyder, has the best sound system of any car on the planet, comfortable and quiet with little road noise, every bit of tech you want, can drive for 20 miles as a milk float. It is the best car on the planet in my opinion. Despite all of this it cant be a P1, it can be very exciting and accomplished but I have never had so much fun as I did a Silverstone yesterday in the Mclaren. I couldn’t sleep last night, I couldn’t stop talking about it at dinner, this morning I woke up reminiscing. It left such an impression on me I have totally fallen for it. However, I’m doing a 2500 mile road trip very soon with my girlfriend as a passenger and no other car is better for this than the 918. What can I say I love them both! Very lucky to have these cars and be able to really use them.
Im not the worlds best driver as I have said but for those interested hope that helped a little…
for pictures: https://www.instagram.com/woppum/
There's an increasing amount of crap on this site written by users with seemingly zero genuine interest in performance cars/driving cars at all, but stuff like this is great and keeps me coming back -owners sharing their interest. You're obviously an enthusiast and as such it made the write up that bit better than for me than an overdone journo style piece.
Very interesting comparison. Thank you for writing it.
The P1 colour scheme you have chosen looks good too. The silver wheels set it off IMO.
My wife will not ride in the Ultima as it is to 'hard core' for her, so I understand your girlfriends comments. Believe me, if she becomes your wife, her comments will become 'much firmer'.
The P1 colour scheme you have chosen looks good too. The silver wheels set it off IMO.
My wife will not ride in the Ultima as it is to 'hard core' for her, so I understand your girlfriends comments. Believe me, if she becomes your wife, her comments will become 'much firmer'.
Many thanks for that write up, far too many endless value/money threads in this section rather than the owner and driver experience of the actual cars we are all interested in.
Out of curiosity would the Carrera GT still excite you, now that you have spent some time in the more current faster supercars? (Country road blasts, not track work)
Out of curiosity would the Carrera GT still excite you, now that you have spent some time in the more current faster supercars? (Country road blasts, not track work)
From what I've read on both the 918 seems to be the best all round supercar by a mile and would be my choice if I could only have one. P1 does look more special though, especially in track mode.
Chris Harris' video seemed to benchmark both cars performance pretty well. P1 slightly faster on equivalent tyres to the 918 but then noticeably quicker on Trofeos.
You mentioned there were a few 675 LT's going to the same trackday. Were you able to judge the performance gap between them and the P1?
Chris Harris' video seemed to benchmark both cars performance pretty well. P1 slightly faster on equivalent tyres to the 918 but then noticeably quicker on Trofeos.
You mentioned there were a few 675 LT's going to the same trackday. Were you able to judge the performance gap between them and the P1?
lambo666 said:
Many thanks for that write up, far too many endless value/money threads in this section rather than the owner and driver experience of the actual cars we are all interested in.
Out of curiosity would the Carrera GT still excite you, now that you have spent some time in the more current faster supercars? (Country road blasts, not track work)
I have been going on and off the idea of getting a CGT for some time. I know many people with the car and it seems its a totally marmite experience. I decided, without driving one it wasn't for me. Its just too hard work and wouldn't suit the sort of driving i like to do. Plus the fact you cant have everything!Out of curiosity would the Carrera GT still excite you, now that you have spent some time in the more current faster supercars? (Country road blasts, not track work)
Great review, out of interest do you know the top speed you got up to on Hangar Straight? I hit 151 in my 458 Spider and was chomping at the heels of a La Ferrari so wondering how much quicker my P1 will go, it should be a fair bit faster but I've yet to try for myself!
Most engaging drive aside, the P1 also seems the best buy of the 3 hypercars, with the addition of the Spider there are now 550 or so La Ferrari's, at least 918 918's (and rumours of many more made for the Chinese market) and only 375 P1's.
Most engaging drive aside, the P1 also seems the best buy of the 3 hypercars, with the addition of the Spider there are now 550 or so La Ferrari's, at least 918 918's (and rumours of many more made for the Chinese market) and only 375 P1's.
SteelySteve said:
Great review, out of interest do you know the top speed you got up to on Hangar Straight? I hit 151 in my 458 Spider and was chomping at the heels of a La Ferrari so wondering how much quicker my P1 will go, it should be a fair bit faster but I've yet to try for myself!
Most engaging drive aside, the P1 also seems the best buy of the 3 hypercars, with the addition of the Spider there are now 550 or so La Ferrari's, at least 918 918's (and rumours of many more made for the Chinese market) and only 375 P1's.
too fast to really see. im a billy but somewhere around late 170 early 180 i think. would go alot faster in more capable hands. there are no more 918's each one has a number and plaque x of 918. same with p1 but they sold the development cars too, porsche did not. for refrence the p1 is noticeably faster than the 918 and holds its battery for longer on track. the 918 can hit a brick wall after a certain amount of laps.Most engaging drive aside, the P1 also seems the best buy of the 3 hypercars, with the addition of the Spider there are now 550 or so La Ferrari's, at least 918 918's (and rumours of many more made for the Chinese market) and only 375 P1's.
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