In February 2015 McLaren Automotive released details of their track only P1 GTR, before the official launch at the 2015 Geneva Motorshow
First seen at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as a design concept, the P1 GTR represents the most extreme version of the P1 hypercar yet. Like it’s predecessor, the F1 GTR of the early nineties, the P1 GTR is intended for track use only.
McLaren P1 GTR – details
Lets start with the power unit. The GTR retains the petrol/electric drivetrain of the road car (Instant Power Assist in McLaren Automotive speak) but both receive a significant power hike. The 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 produces 789bhp (up from 727bhp) and the electric motor 197bhp (up from 176bhp). Combined they produce a whopping 986bhp. No word on performance figures but expect it to be slightly faster than the road car at 0-60 in 2.8 seconds and 217mph top speed.
Before we get too carried away with numbers, lets remember the numbers McLaren’s engineers were most concerned about, was lap times.
Aerodynamics and cooling have been adapted to suit the cars track focussed approach. While retaining the road cars drag reduction system, there’s all-new adjustable rear wing and aggressive front splitter, that work together to produce 10% more downforce than the road going P1. Numerically this equates to up to 660kg of downforce at 150 mph.
The P1 GTR is wider and lower than the standard car. The front-track has been increased by 80mm, while overall the GTR sits 50mm closer to the ground. At each corner sits a Pirelli Racing tyre, wrapped around a 19in, centre-locking, lightweight alloy wheel.
McLaren P1 GTR – weight
Mclaren Automotive have trimmed the road cars 1490kg weight by 50kg. Which can’t have been easy as the P1 road car wasn’t exactly overweight to start with. To do this, they replaced the side windows with polycarbonate racing windows, with the obligatory sliding ‘ticket window’ hatch on the driver’s side. Then fitted a carbon fibre roof and engine bay cover.
McLaren P1 GTR meets F1 GTR
This P1 GTR wears the same colours as it’s famous GTR predecessor the ‘Harrods’ McLaren F1 GTR chassis #06R.
Twenty years ago this car was one of seven McLaren F1 GTRs to compete in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven to the third place by multiple Le Mans winner Derek Bell, his son Justin, and Andy Wallace.
McLaren P1 GTR – price
The McLaren P1 GTR will only be offered to existing owners of the P1 road car, the price a cool £1.98 million.
McLaren’s P1 GTR programme is similar to what Ferrari have been doing with their XX programme. The price includes test sessions at Silverstone, followed by on-track activity at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya. These events follow on from a bespoke driver profiling sessions at the McLaren Technology Centre, where owners will receive a race seat fitting, have a Human Performance Centre assessment, agree the design and livery with McLaren Automotive’s Design Director Frank Stephenson and experience the P1 GTR in McLaren’s simulator.
