Friday 16th January 2015

McLaren P1 GTR latest

Geneva debut confirmed for 700hp-per-tonne track only P1 GTR

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With the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and now the McLaren P1 GTRall confirmed for Geneva debuts it seems lovers of extreme, track focused supercars best book a ticket to the Palexpo in Switzerland for the first week of March.

Thanks to "significant weight-saving measures and track-optimisation of the petrol-electric powertrain" the P1 GTR will be the most extreme of the lot though, and by some margin. Or at least 10 per cent in power to weight over the regular P1, to put a number on it. And while the other two retain a notional degree of road usability the GTR is a pure track car and is so hardcore buying it also signs you up to a fitness and training programme to make sure you stand a chance of doing it justice. Very McLaren.

The teaser video just released offers a hint of how far McLaren has come from the basic concept unveiled on the lawns of Pebble Beach just last year, the GTR now a living, breathing machine being put through its paces by McLaren's test driver team. Headed up by Chris Goodwin, they've been subjecting it to an "extreme testing" regime at "several UK and European locations" as well as, tellingly, in the heat of Bahrain and Qatar.

"The dedicated development programme will continue at a relentless pace" boasts McLaren, this seemingly also applying to owners. Or, rather, members of the McLaren P1 GTR Driver Programme as they're officially known. They will attend McLaren's Woking HQ in the coming weeks to "start the journey" - best pack your gym kit if you're one of them. If nothing else your neck muscles are going to get a work out with the combination of 700hp per tonne and aero to make even the regular P1's track mode look a bit timid.

Teaser vid here

[mrclav]

That thing looks evil. Love it.

Edited by mrclav on Saturday 17th January 01:40

[IMIA]

Want!

[Rich_W]

Possible to buy it then convert it back for Road Legal?

[zeduffman]

Rich_W said:

Possible to buy it then convert it back for Road Legal?

A very short run of P1 LMs would be awesome.

[Slickhillsy]

Bloody fantastic - however, imagine shelling out for P1 and then seeing this - knowing they could have made the P1 better....?

[BugLebowski]

Well thank christ I held back on buying that P1 then eh?

[redroadster]

For this money why not just buy a pure race car which would be even quicker since the mcclaren can,t be driven on the road anyway.

[DanielSan]

redroadster said:

For this money why not just buy a pure race car which would be even quicker since the mcclaren can,t be driven on the road anyway.

How many pure race cars will actually be quicker though? Especially once running costs come into it.

[saxy]

The Zonda R had about 700hp per ton too... But sounded a lot more awesome

[Brite spark]

Slickhillsy said:

Bloody fantastic - however, imagine shelling out for P1 and then seeing this - knowing they could have made the P1 better....?

Better is subjective though, better for the track does not mean better for the road.

[Rich_W]

Slickhillsy said:

Bloody fantastic - however, imagine shelling out for P1 and then seeing this - knowing they could have made the P1 better....?

I think that was Flemkes annoyance. (and others I gather) Specifically after they told him "only 375 never any more"

On a side note. Once again McLarens marketing dept get silly. You really think the "arrive and drive" this will be massively better than Ferrari's FXX programme? Comparable absolutely, but how can it be any better

[Mermaid]

Rich_W said:

I think that was Flemkes annoyance. (and others I gather) Specifically after they told him "only 375 never any more"

Porsche said no more Turbos in 1989 and the rest is history

[noble12345]

Obviously this P1 GTR was always going to be built, the regular P1 was always a road car first and fun track toy second. The GTR is a no compromise track P1, gone are the things that held the road car back, its a P1 unleashed.

Be interesting to see the ring time, seeing as Porky's ring time was a load of rubbish and Failari wont dare turn up, its only competition will be the clock and the P1 development cars time.

[sticks090460]

I don't really understand why anyone would buy one. If you've got that much money, why not buy an old but relatively recent F1 car if you all you can do is use it on a track. That'd piss all over one of these over a lap.

[alexpa]

sticks090460 said:

I don't really understand why anyone would buy one. If you've got that much money, why not buy an old but relatively recent F1 car if you all you can do is use it on a track. That'd piss all over one of these over a lap.

A few do both; certainly with Ferrari's Corse Clienti.

http://corseclienti.ferrari.com/2015en/home/index/

Do Mclaren also assist to run F1 cars?

[Rawwr]

Mclaren really have mastered the art of making pointlessly sh*t videos, haven't they?

[anonymous-user]

sticks090460 said:

I don't really understand why anyone would buy one. If you've got that much money, why not buy an old but relatively recent F1 car if you all you can do is use it on a track. That'd piss all over one of these over a lap.

I wonder if you're missing the point(s), namely:


1)you can't take you best mate or that girl you've been trying to inmpress for a lap of Spa in your exF1 race car

2) Your exF1 race car doesn't have traction control, stability control, and needs a load of people/ faff to make it run and keep it running

3) The number of people capable of driving an exF1 car anywhere near it's limits is low. The number of extremely rich people capable of driving an exF1 car anywhere near it's limits is even lower.


4) The whole point of the P1 GTR program surrounds being in a Niche "club", and yes you get a fast track car, but you also get all the other stuff you can't buy anywhere else (but Ferrari). (ie tuition, circuit events etc)


TBH, i prefer the std P1 over the GTR, as it moves around a lot more on it's road biased tyres. No, it's not nearly as quick round a lap, but it's more "fun" imo ;-)

[alexpa]

''Niche' club' sums it up well. There are many track day options as we all know. This is one of them.

Wonder of Porsche have similar planned. Doubt it. 918 GTsomething single car championship or...

[Rich_W]

noble12345 said:

...the P1 development cars time.

[robinessex]

DanielSan said:

redroadster said:

For this money why not just buy a pure race car which would be even quicker since the mcclaren can,t be driven on the road anyway.

How many pure race cars will actually be quicker though? Especially once running costs come into it.

EX F1 car ?