Wednesday 18th October 2017

McLaren confirms 'brutal' P15

Teaser pic previews the launch of another Ultimate Series model; this one fulfilling the extreme track car brief

---

Last month it was the BP23; this month it's the P15. Last month it was the 'fastest' McLaren ever; this month it's the most 'track-concentrated' road car Woking has yet built. If the firm appears to be hedging its bets, that's because it most certainly is: the Ultimate Series is all about exclusivity and extreme performance - and coming at the equation from both ends does rather sew up the market for million-pound hypercars.

In the BP23's case, McLaren treated us to some pictures of a development mule (so as to show off the centre-mounted driving position); with P15, we only get a preview image of the car's new triple-pipe exhaust. This is important because unlike the BP23, which features a hybrid powertrain, the P15 is very likely to rely on a combustion engine alone (a little for purity and a lot for bettering the P1's 1,547kg kerbweight).

Expect that engine to be the familiar turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, but also expect it to be tuned well beyond the 720hp produced in the current 720S. And as McLaren has stated that its 'brutal' design will be the most elemental expression yet of its 'form follows function' philosophy, it can safely be assumed that the firm has doubled down on the kind of active aero features that pay dividends on a pit lane stopwatch.

Its circuit focus notwithstanding, Woking has confirmed that the 'ultimate' track car will be road legal (experience with owners converting their P1 GTRs for road use has taught McLaren the value of a number plate), although it pointedly suggests that daily usability has been 'sacrificed' in the pursuit of raw handling talent; a characteristic which coincidentally helps distinguish the P15 further from the 'hyper-GT' status of the BP23.

While it has been teased second, it'll comfortably beat its sibling to customers. The model is due to be publically revealed in Geneva next March (having already been shown to customers) and will likely be delivered by the summer - probably just as the BP23 is officially unveiled. The clockwork timing of all the cloak-and-dagger stuff is admirable - not least because it's not entirely necessary: McLaren having sold out all examples of both cars months ago.

Inspired? Buy a McLaren P1 here

[RumbleOfThunder]

Another?! Will no doubt be fantastic though. Good to see the naming strategy is still an absolute mess.

[GroundEffect]

RumbleOfThunder said:

Another?! Will no doubt be fantastic though. Good to see the naming strategy is still an absolute mess.

TBF, the P15 just means Project 15. The P1 was internally known as P12. Since then we've had the 5xx sports cars, 720S and now on to the P15.

[markcoznottz]

As was mentioned last month, look at who owns the business, they want regular returns and then some, numbers on a spreadsheet is all that matters.

[leakymanifold]

markcoznottz said:

As was mentioned last month, look at who owns the business, they want regular returns and then some, numbers on a spreadsheet is all that matters.

Yeah i know, its horrendous when a company tries to sell products people are willing to pay for in order to turn a profit and therefore create a sustainable business*

• Apply a strongly sarcastic voice to this sentence.

[Mark-C]

markcoznottz said:

As was mentioned last month, look at who owns the business, they want regular returns and then some, numbers on a spreadsheet is all that matters.

Isn't that the whole point of running a business?

[suffolk009]

But they've already sold out?

Can't help thinking perhaps they should build a few more of them then.

Sure to be utterly epic.

[cookie1600]

markcoznottz said:

As was mentioned last month, look at who owns the business, they want regular returns and then some, numbers on a spreadsheet is all that matters.

As opposed to a loss making business that can't sustain development of new products and advance engineering, design and technology you mean?

I think McLaren are better at what they do than being a charity for 'poor' supercar owners.

[Gandahar]

GroundEffect said:

RumbleOfThunder said:

Another?! Will no doubt be fantastic though. Good to see the naming strategy is still an absolute mess.

TBF, the P15 just means Project 15. The P1 was internally known as P12. Since then we've had the 5xx sports cars, 720S and now on to the P15.

The problem is when they get to P45 in 2026AD.

They could then rename it the MP4-P45 so this sort of dinner conversation does not crop up --

Roger "Well Jeremy, how are you doing?"

Jeremy "Well I got my P45 last week"

Roger " Oh dear, well there is always another financial institute that pushes the moral boundaries week in and week out to keep the gravy train a rolling"

Jeremy "No. It's a new car. From Mclaren. Like their F1 car, but with 4 wheels "

Roger, "Silly me. I did see their F1 car at the back of the grid at the Silverstone GP thingy. It's got a French Renault engine that smells of garlic I believe?".

Jeremy "No they left Renault and are now using an engine made by ChingChong , it's Chinese"

Roger " Good for them, that will put a crimp on the Boxer revolution"

Jeremy "Indeed, was just reading that in the Telegraph, after 100 years that will put a stop to it. Which is exactly the same number of months Mclaren have not won the Formula1 championship. Pesky Germans"

Roger " We should have bombed them during the war, knocked out their Audi, Merc and BMW factories"

Jeremy "We did"

Roger "Well not well enough. Every oik has one of those now. Their funny headlights give me a migraine. They would have been told off for using those during the blackout"

Fades to grey*......


metallic satin grey with freckles is an additional cost and can only be applied during the months the virgins from Switzerland have come back from milking cows in the high pasture with huge bells around their necks.

Edited by Gandahar on Wednesday 18th October 14:35

[British Beef]

GroundEffect said:

RumbleOfThunder said:

Another?! Will no doubt be fantastic though. Good to see the naming strategy is still an absolute mess.

TBF, the P15 just means Project 15. The P1 was internally known as P12. Since then we've had the 5xx sports cars, 720S and now on to the P15.

They could have called it: La Mclaren or The Mclaren !!

[markcoznottz]

Mark-C said:

markcoznottz said:

As was mentioned last month, look at who owns the business, they want regular returns and then some, numbers on a spreadsheet is all that matters.

Isn't that the whole point of running a business?

Of course, but there have been concerns at the speed at which new models have been brought out, and the some say, confusing line up. This has been discussed at length on the net, and it's effect on long term residuals.

[thegreenhell]

GroundEffect said:

RumbleOfThunder said:

Another?! Will no doubt be fantastic though. Good to see the naming strategy is still an absolute mess.

TBF, the P15 just means Project 15. The P1 was internally known as P12. Since then we've had the 5xx sports cars, 720S and now on to the P15.

I thought the name was inspired by the F1 team's average position.

[suffolk009]

Their residuals are bloody amazing.

I was hoping to be able to pick up an early MP4-12C for under £50k by now. They're twice that!

[cookie1600]

British Beef said:

They could have called it: La Mclaren or The Mclaren !!

Of course, but when you've done the so called best achievable or imaginable (say as Ferrari did with La Ferrari), what happens when you make a better one next year or in 10 years?

'La Ferrari slightly better than the very best we've ever done'

'The MacLaren but now improved and an ickle bit more and very, very fast on tracks and rapid around Nürburgring editon'

I agree with the model numbering, but the world is ruining out of superlative names for hypercars

[J4CKO]

"Brutal", such an over used word these days, along with "Insane", all a bit clickbaity.

[lestiq]

markcoznottz said:

Mark-C said:

markcoznottz said:

As was mentioned last month, look at who owns the business, they want regular returns and then some, numbers on a spreadsheet is all that matters.

Isn't that the whole point of running a business?

Of course, but there have been concerns at the speed at which new models have been brought out, and the some say, confusing line up. This has been discussed at length on the net, and it's effect on long term residuals.

You could also look at it from the point of a petrolhead that loves a particular brand, if a business owner is more interested in the numbers, it could have an impact on the end product which in term may then put off a loyal customer, but attract a quick new one..

Business is a fascinating thing, I don't envy anyone that has to please both customers and shareholders, in my opinion if one is happy the other is not..

As you've said, residuals can and will be affected.

[chelme]

Let me guess (have not read the article)...it has the same 4.0 litre V8...zzzzzz

[CraigyMc]

chelme said:

Let me guess (have not read the article)...it has the same 4.0 litre V8...zzzzzz

You mean like Ferrari fitted the same V12 to the Laferrari, FF, F12, tdf and GTC4?

[redroadster]

And already sold out amazing business

[Yipper]

Good to see a British-based company doing well in these Brexit times.

[noble12345]

I was hoping Mclaren would build something like Aston Martins Valkyrie but more mental GTR style. With no heavy electric crap in it, this is going to be awesome! Congrats to everyone thats got one, roll on Geneva