McLaren P1 Officially reveiled At The 2012 Paris Motor Show

The 2012 Paris Motor Show happens to be the McLaren’s 1st ever appearance at an international show at which they give us a preview its next generation ultimate super-car – the McLaren P1, which has taken much of its technological- as well as spiritual inspiration from the Racing division. The main target of McLaren P1 is to be the best driver’s car in the world on the road and the circuit. At the Paris Motor Show, the McLaren P1 is previewed as a design study but “more than 95 percent” of the exterior look will be retained. Next year a production version, which the company aims to put on sale within 12 months, will be revealed soon.

The McLaren P1 powers five decades of McLaren’s motor-sport skills. The new McLaren P1 has much higher levels of down force than any current road car; 600 kilo is achieved well below maximum speed. This is about 5 times as much down-force as a McLaren 12C. Its margin compared to other high performance super cars is even bigger. The McLaren P1’s down-force is similar to current high-end street racing (super) cars, which also includes the 12C GT3 racer. It has a drag coefficient of 0.34 and makes use of a carbon fiber structure that integrates a cf roll-bar over the cabin.

A regular windscreen wiper is expected from the final production version along with the steering wheel on the left. The mid engine'd car is built around a carbon fiber monocoque that also incorporates a safety cage within the roof structure, a concept that McLaren calls Monocage. This structure also works to bring heaps of fresh air to the engine via a roof snorkel. All of the P1’s body panels are made from cf, also to keep it as light as possible. The rear wing has an automatic adjustment up to 300 mm hind-wards when on a racetrack and by up to 120 mm, while road driving. In addition to the adjustable ‘active’ rear wing, the McLaren P1′s aerodynamic performance is optimized using two flaps mounted under the body ahead of the front wheels. These are also actively controlled, and change angle automatically in order to enhance performance, boosting down force and aero efficiency, increasing both speed and driver confidence. The flaps operate through a range of 0-60 degrees. The car will go on sale in the spring.