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McLaren reveals new P1 GTR ready for gentleman racers

There are race cars and there are road cars. McLaren is known for making both, but lately there's been a new class of vehicles emerging in between. They're supercars developed specifically for the track but for no specific racing series, and the new McLaren P1 GTR is the latest. Previewed in concept form in Monterey this past summer, the P1 GTR is now ready to hit the track. It's based, of course, on the P1 – Woking's million-dollar flagship hybrid hypercar – but incorporates a long list of upgrades to make it better suited towards ripping around a closed circuit than an open road. For starters, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain has been optimized for track use and retuned: the internal combustion engine cranking out 789 horsepower (up from 727) and the electric motor another 197 (up from 176) for a combined output of 986 hp. The other side of the power-to-weight ratio has also been optimized, with unnecessary elements removed and many parts replaced by lighter ones: The glass roof and engine cover, for example, have been replaced by carbon fiber, and the side windows by plexiglass. There's also a new Inconel and titanium alloy exhaust that saves 14 pounds all by itself. The result of these and other measures is a drop in curb weight by a solid 110 lbs. Of course the performance-obsessed engineers in Woking didn't stop there. They also dropped the suspension by two inches and widened the track by over three, riding on 19-inch alloys with Pirelli slicks. The aero has also been revised, with a splitter jutting out the chin and a fixed wing rising a foot and a half taller than the roof, helping the P1 GTR produce 10 percent more downforce than the road car on which it's based. Hit 150 mph on the straightaway and you'd be generating 1,455 lbs of downforce, assuming you haven't activated the Drag Reduction System flap in the rear wing by then. Although it hasn't disclosed the details, and as good as the road-car's stoppers are, McLaren has hopefully upgraded the brakes as well. Like arch-rival Ferrari's XX client development program (and the path that Aston Martin is tipped to take with the upcoming new Vulcan), the P1 GTR will be part of an organized program. Participating owners will start at the McLaren Technology Centre to have their seats fitted, livery designed and fitness assessed before hitting the first track sessions at Silverstone in the UK and Catalunya in Spain.

McLaren offers glimpse inside P1 GTR program [w/video]

Among the many things we were looking forward to seeing at Pebble Beach this year, the McLaren P1 GTR was near the top of our list. Invoking the spirit of the legendary McLaren F1 GTR that dominated sports car racing in the mid-1990s, the P1 GTR was unveiled in Monterey this past August in concept form, giving us an idea of what to expect. But now McLaren has given us a little more. Envisioned as a track toy for the wealthy who want to play racing driver, the P1 GTR is a further evolution – and a more extreme one – of the road-going P1. The GTR is being developed exclusively for use on track. To that end, Woking has stripped out the cockpit and installed a multifunction steering wheel said to be derived from the championship-winning MP4-23 grand prix car, allowing the driver to "fully adjust the setup and characteristics of the car without having to take their hands off the wheel." The racing buckets are modeled after a DTM touring car, equipped with six-point harnesses and affixed directly to the chassis. Outside you'll notice Pirelli slicks and a fixed rear wing with F1-style Drag Reduction System. The P1 GTR is about more than the vehicle itself, though, as McLaren – similar to what Ferrari offers with the XX client test-driver program – is launching a full driver support program to go along with it. Customers will have access to the advanced simulator at the McLaren Technology Centre (typically reserved for the team's contracted racing drivers) as well as the factory's coaches. The program will also include 10 to 12 track sessions each year, to be held at F1-certified tracks around the world, at which each customer will have his or her own garage and crew, all for the benefit of their enjoyment. The program is laid out in the video below, along with which McLaren has released a fresh batch of images showing the uncamouflaged prototype inside and out undergoing hot-weather testing at the grand prix circuit in Bahrain. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Chris Harris spends a couple of days with the McLaren P1

Driving a supercar like the McLaren P1 during a launch event is one thing. And Chris Harris has done that, bringing his film crew along to document the experience. But driving one cross country on public roads over the course of days is another matter entirely. So to see how Woking's hybrid hypercar behaves as a daily driver, Harris drove one around and in between two of the UK's finest racing circuits. Documented in the video above, everyone's favorite British automotive journalist picks up a black P1 at Anglesey – that picturesque circuit by the seashore in Wales – and drives it to Goodwood, home of the Festival of Speed and so many other octane-drenched extravaganzas. Along the way (and in between track lapping sessions), he treats a stranger to a drive, drags it against an Audi RS6 and highlights the finer points of experiencing a supercar out in the wild. It's well worth the 19 minutes of play time, so check out the footage to see what it's like to live with nearly 1,000 horsepower under your right foot. Related Video: Related Gallery McLaren P1 News Source: Chris Harris on Cars via YouTube McLaren Hybrid Supercars Videos mclaren p1