Having reached its target of 375 units, McLaren announced the end of production for road-going version of its P1 Supercar. The final example of this carbon-fiber-intensive hybrid rolled out of the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey, England finished in pearlescent orange, a color that pays homage to the last example of McLaren’s original supercar, the fabled F1. In a matter of weeks, production of the even-more exclusive, track-only McLaren P1 GTR also will end.
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Unveiled as a concept at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, the McLaren P1 proved an immediate hit with well-heeled performance fans. Shown in production form the following March at Geneva, it packed a mid-mounted McLaren-designed 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 mated to an electric motor that collectively produce 903 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque delivered to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.That prodigious motive force allows this 3,280-pound coupe hit an electronically limited top speed of 217 mph while active aerodynamics and Race Active Chassis Control let it carve corners with astonishing agility. Given that kind of performance pedigree, it’s not surprising that all 375 McLaren P1s were spoken for before the first one was delivered in September 2013. For the record, just over a third of those cars found a home here in America.
"The McLaren P1 has achieved more than we ever expected of it since it was first previewed little over three years ago, both as a new generation of supercar, and in enhancing the McLaren brand globally," noted Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer at McLaren Automotive. "As the direct ancestor to the fabled McLaren F1 – and the first in a new breed of hybrid-powered supercars – it had big shoes to fill, and it has more than succeeded. It has established itself as a true contender, proving to be more than a worthy rival on both road and track against long established rivals. It has done a fantastic job of becoming the halo product for the McLaren Automotive brand as we have grown the business into the three-tiered, profitable outfit that we are today."
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So what can we expect from the next generation of the automaker’s Ultimate Series range? Beyond noting that any successor would, by its very existence, need to offer "a significant step change in technology or performance," Flewitt will only admit "the future is undecided at this stage, which is an exciting proposition."
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