McLaren’s latest ‘project’ car, the McLaren P1 GTR was unveiled during a private event at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event in California this weekend. Work though continues apace towards production for the hyper-exclusive new model, now less than a year away.
The new car is the latest in the trend for non-road legal track cars evolved to laboratory standards for a very restricted clientele. The cars are NOT designed to race but rather to race car performance standards.
Boasting around 1000bhp from an uprated powertrain and featuring a long list of aerodynamic, systems and mechanical enhancements including many of the systems currently fitted to McLaren’s F1 machines.
The front track of the McLaren P1 GTR design concept has been increased by 80mm and is coupled with a more aggressive GT-style front splitter. Reprofiled low temperature radiator ducts seamlessly flow into the leading edge of the aggressively flared front wheelarches, while the active aerodynamic flaps are retained from the McLaren P1 in the floor ahead of the front wheels.
The bodywork is ‘shrink-wrapped’ around the carbon fibre MonoCage chassis behind the front wheels, and is designed to channel the air from around the wheel well. An additional aerodynamic blade is located behind the wheelarch to clean the air from the front tyres. This aero device flows seamlessly along the bottom edge of the dihedral doors, along the flank of the carbon fibre bodywork, to an additional side panel at the rear which ducts additional air into the high temperature radiator and improves the aerodynamic performance of the rear floor.
The profile of the McLaren P1 GTR design concept remains as dramatic as ever, hunkered down on to the race-prepared suspension with a fixed ride height, lower than the standard car. The snorkel air intake, inspired by the design of the original McLaren F1, is still present within the roof structure of the carbon fibre MonoCage chassis. The wing mirrors have been repositioned to the A pillars, to put them closer to the eye line of the driver and reduce aerodynamic drag, while the trailing edge of the door-mounted radiator channels have been extended to draw more air down through the cavity within the door, and into the engine to aid cooling.
A set of lightweight 19-inch motorsport alloy wheels are fitted – 10.5-inches wide at the front, 13-inches at the rear – and are secured into place with quick-release centre locking nuts. Tyre changes are made easier through an onboard air jacking system, similar to that seen on the McLaren 650S GT3 racer.
At the rear, a large, twin-element wing is mounted on dramatic carbon fibre pylons which extend around the rear of the bodywork. This fixed height wing is fitted with a hydraulically operated Drag Reduction System (DRS) to boost acceleration performance, and has been honed to provide increased levels of downforce compared to the road car, working with the active aerodynamic flaps located ahead of the front wheels. The active aerodynamic devices optimise aerodynamic balance through all phases of cornering.
The bodywork of the car has been reprofiled to improve aerodynamic efficiency below the large rear wing, and incorporates a quick-release system without affecting the rear wing. The road legal McLaren P1™ stows the rear wing within the bodywork, but with the fixed height wing, and therefore no pistons or moving mechanical parts, the bodywork of the McLaren P1™ GTR design concept behind the engine bay is now a smooth, flowing surface, feeding clean air below the wing and over the back of the car.
Below the rear wing sits the exposed, centrally mounted exhaust, which is an all new design, developed exclusively for the McLaren P1 GTR. Made from inconel and titanium alloy, the system maximises the aural characteristic of the higher output 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine to maintain, and further emphasise, the McLaren sound. The design of the exhaust has also changed, with a straight cut twin pipe setup now used in place of the single exit exhaust.
Airflow is managed carefully across the whole car and channelled in the most efficient and effective ways possible. This includes the air below the car, and a large carbon fibre diffuser dominates the lower half of the rear of the car. This is designed to work in tandem with the rear wing to enhance rear downforce and grip levels. The McLaren P1 GTR design concept runs on the bespoke slick tyres designed by technical partners Pirelli in collaboration with McLaren, designed to offer a greater level of grip, cornering agility and handling balance. These characteristics enable much later braking into corners, higher apex speeds, and the earlier application of the throttle on the exit of corners, which lead to improved lap times.
The launch of the new car comes 20 years after the first tests of the legendary McLaren F1 GTR ahead of its assault on the 1995 GT season. The design concept for the new P1 GTR ‘reinterprets’ the livery worn by that very first car chassis #01R, the car that later went on to win at Le Mans.
The McLaren P1™ GTR driver programme
Just as key to the P1 GTR programme is the launch of the bespoke McLaren P1 GTR driver programme – the ultra-exclusive ownership programme which will include specialist driver training, human performance and access to the McLaren racing simulator, and which is designed to prepare each driver mentally and physically to fully exploit the abilities of the McLaren P1 GTR. The programme will be completely bespoke, with each individual having a fully-tailored experience.
McLaren Special Operations will maintain and run all cars, and manage the programme throughout.
The programme offers unprecedented access to the technologies, resources and people throughout the McLaren Technology Centre, working closely with a support team of authentic motorsport professionals, all experts in their respective fields including Human Performance, race engineers, designers and test drivers.
