Monday, March 25, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - McLaren unveils the most eagerly anticipated car of the year, the P1 supercar - FZ Restoration Livermore


McLaren wanted to develop a car that could be driven to the circuit track and raced on it. Here it is, the P1 (Picture: File)



It’s one of the most eagerly anticipated supercars of the year. No, of the decade. Perhaps even two decades. The car in question is the McLaren P1 and, to understand its significance, a brief history lesson is required.

The P1 is the spiritual successor to the McLaren F1, first launched 21 years ago. It’s a legend among petrolheads as a past holder of the ‘world’s fastest production car’, set at 243mph in 1998. More recently, the F1 hit the headlines after Rowan Atkinson parked his in a hedge. The repair bill was an eye-watering £900,000, worth paying because only 106 were ever made and, when they do change hands, it’s for much more than that.

And so comes the P1, a 903bhp monster that blends a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine with a state-of-the-art electric motor to create a hybrid powertrain. Designed to rocket the car from a 0-62mph in less than three seconds, it features many technologies from McLaren’s other line of business, Formula One. They include a drag reduction system – or DRS to armchair Grand Prix fans – which opens and closes a vent in the rear wing to make the car more aerodynamic.

This time, more than 106 will be made but, even so, not enough to keep all the world’s uber-rich collectors happy. Just 375 hand-built examples will leave McLaren’s factory in Woking, with each vehicle costing £866,000.

McLaren’s goal was to create the best driver’s car in the world, whether on road or track. Chief design engineer Dan Parry-Williams says: ‘The P1 celebrates aerodynamics; great packaging and light weight, and is all about innovative technology. At the very beginning, we sought to develop a car that you could drive to a circuit, then press a button and race it.’

The F1 was a gas-guzzler powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine but technology has moved on dramatically since 1992 and the P1 is actually a surprisingly clean car. CO2 output is below 200g/km, less than many large family cars, and provides around six miles of emissions-free driving. The electric motor is mounted directly on to the engine and drive is channelled through the dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox to the rear wheels. Spare energy is stored in a battery charged via the engine, though the P1 is also equipped with a plug-in cable that takes the cell to 100 per cent capacity in two hours.

Shaving the pounds wherever possible has been a priority to maximize performance. Formula One-grade carbon fiber has been used extensively, from the chassis and body panels to finishing the two-seater cabin. Switchgear has been kept to a minimum for the same reason and the top layer of resin has been removed from the dashboard. There’s no interior sound-deadening and while carpet is offered as an option, even then it’s fitted with a special lightweight backing.

News of the P1’s top speed – electronically limited to 218mph – inevitably leads to one question: will the car make a speed record attempt? Predictably, McLaren has avoided a clear-cut answer. The current benchmark, set by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, is 258mph, but it’s hard to believe the company doesn’t want the P1 to be No.1.
source: http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/22/mclaren-unveils-the-most-eagerly-anticipated-car-of-the-year-the-p1-supercar-3554589/
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