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AUTOS: McLaren P1 To Blast 903 Horsepower From Plug-In Hybrid Drivetrain
The British automaker releases details about the upcoming supercar prior to its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
The McLaren P1, which debuts in production-ready form at the Geneva Motor Show on March 5, will pack a heady 903 horsepower from its advanced plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid drivetrain, the British automaker revealed today.
Previewed in concept car form at last year's Paris motor show, the carbon-fiber bodied P1 is powered by a heavily reworked version of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 used in the current MP4-12C coupled with a unique lightweight electric motor that was developed by subsidiary McLaren Electronics and mounted directly to the engine.
The mid-mounted V8 kicks out 727 horsepower at 7,500 rpm, with the electric motor providing an additional 176 horsepower. In hybrid mode they provide the P1 with a combined 903 horsepower – 311 horsepower more than the engine-only MP4-12C.
The torque rating of the P1 swells to a peak of 664 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm, McLaren said. The gasoline engine provides 531 pound-feet and the electric motor provides 192 pound-feet, which comes to a total of 723 pound-feet but is capped at 664 to ensure that the P1's standard seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox can cope with the load.
By comparison, the Bugatti EB16.4 Veyron is rated at 987 horsepower and 921 pound-feet in standard trim. Its quad-turbocharged W16 gasoline engine has a capacity of 8 liters, however, more than twice that of the V8 in the P1.
The P1’s hybrid system also serves to conserve fuel and lower emissions, McLaren said, while still providing startling performance.
The power and torque of the P1's electric motor is available instantly through a system McLaren dubs Instant Power Assist System, which is operated by a steering wheel-mounted button and provides the P1 with "throttle response associated with a naturally aspirated engine," according to McLaren.
The McLaren P1 can be driven in either of two modes: gasoline engine and electric motor together or solely by the electric motor. The car's electric-only range is put at more than six miles.
An as-yet-unspecified battery pack used to power the electric motor is mounted on the underside of the P1's carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. Described as possessing a greater energy density than any existing battery used in a hybrid application, its weight is pegged at 212 pounds.
The battery can be fully charged in two hours using a high voltage plug-in charger that stores in the P1's luggage compartment, McLaren said. When the battery charge is depleted on the move, the gasoline engine automatically fires to maintain drive.
No performance figures for the P1 have been released, although McLaren has already stated it is not interested in building the fastest or most powerful production car. Instead, the company says, it wants to produce "the best driver's car in the world."
As part of the latest information relating to the P1, McLaren has also revealed that its new flagship supercar will feature a Formula One-inspired Drag Reduction System rear wing. The DRS is operated by a button on the steering wheel and is claimed to reduce the angle of the rear wing to lower drag by up to 23 percent and provide the potential for a higher speed.
McLaren has issued a further series of pictures of a P1 prototype that confirms the production car will remain faithful in shape to the concept car.
The P1, a key rival to the Ferrari Enzo successor – also with hybrid power – that will get its first public airing at the Geneva motor show, will be produced in left-hand drive only and is planned for sale on a limited basis to preferred customers.
Pricing has not yet been announced.
This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.
Previewed in concept car form at last year's Paris motor show, the carbon-fiber bodied P1 is powered by a heavily reworked version of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 used in the current MP4-12C coupled with a unique lightweight electric motor that was developed by subsidiary McLaren Electronics and mounted directly to the engine.
The mid-mounted V8 kicks out 727 horsepower at 7,500 rpm, with the electric motor providing an additional 176 horsepower. In hybrid mode they provide the P1 with a combined 903 horsepower – 311 horsepower more than the engine-only MP4-12C.
The torque rating of the P1 swells to a peak of 664 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm, McLaren said. The gasoline engine provides 531 pound-feet and the electric motor provides 192 pound-feet, which comes to a total of 723 pound-feet but is capped at 664 to ensure that the P1's standard seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox can cope with the load.
By comparison, the Bugatti EB16.4 Veyron is rated at 987 horsepower and 921 pound-feet in standard trim. Its quad-turbocharged W16 gasoline engine has a capacity of 8 liters, however, more than twice that of the V8 in the P1.
The P1’s hybrid system also serves to conserve fuel and lower emissions, McLaren said, while still providing startling performance.
The power and torque of the P1's electric motor is available instantly through a system McLaren dubs Instant Power Assist System, which is operated by a steering wheel-mounted button and provides the P1 with "throttle response associated with a naturally aspirated engine," according to McLaren.
The McLaren P1 can be driven in either of two modes: gasoline engine and electric motor together or solely by the electric motor. The car's electric-only range is put at more than six miles.
An as-yet-unspecified battery pack used to power the electric motor is mounted on the underside of the P1's carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. Described as possessing a greater energy density than any existing battery used in a hybrid application, its weight is pegged at 212 pounds.
The battery can be fully charged in two hours using a high voltage plug-in charger that stores in the P1's luggage compartment, McLaren said. When the battery charge is depleted on the move, the gasoline engine automatically fires to maintain drive.
No performance figures for the P1 have been released, although McLaren has already stated it is not interested in building the fastest or most powerful production car. Instead, the company says, it wants to produce "the best driver's car in the world."
As part of the latest information relating to the P1, McLaren has also revealed that its new flagship supercar will feature a Formula One-inspired Drag Reduction System rear wing. The DRS is operated by a button on the steering wheel and is claimed to reduce the angle of the rear wing to lower drag by up to 23 percent and provide the potential for a higher speed.
McLaren has issued a further series of pictures of a P1 prototype that confirms the production car will remain faithful in shape to the concept car.
The P1, a key rival to the Ferrari Enzo successor – also with hybrid power – that will get its first public airing at the Geneva motor show, will be produced in left-hand drive only and is planned for sale on a limited basis to preferred customers.
Pricing has not yet been announced.
This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.
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