McLaren P1 GTR to Debut at Geneva Motor Show

The track-dedicated 985 hp McLaren P1 GTR will debut at Geneva Motor Show in limited production form with only minor modifications to the design concept presented six months ago.

The most noticeable change is the livery that the Geneva show car will be sporting, with the design is homage to the yellow and green Harrod’s-sponsored McLaren F1 GTR which dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the historic debut by McLaren 20 years ago.

The McLaren P1 GTR has completed an extensive and intense testing schedule across the world following the unveil of the Design Concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last summer. This has produced enhancements to the original design to optimise aerodynamic performance and cooling.

The front track is 80 mm wider than the road-going McLaren P1 and with its aggressively profiled front splitter, the also car sits 50 mm lower to the ground on centre-locking 19-inch motorsport alloy wheels shod with Pirelli slick tires. The lower bodywork is trimmed with a sleek aerodynamic blade as previewed on the design concept, which cleans the flow of air along the car’s flanks.

The lightweight windscreen from the McLaren P1 road car, measuring just 3.2mm thick, has been retained, while the side windows are now motorsport-specification polycarbonate with a sliding ‘ticket window’ on the driver’s side.

The chemically toughened glass panels in the roof have been replaced with carbon fibre panels to give the cabin a more enclosed, cocooned environment, as has the engine bay cover. The weight saving measures on the McLaren P1 GTR combine to strip out 50 kg over the road-going model.

The rear of the track-only model is dominated, in contrast to the road-going model, by the presence of a fixed-height wing which sits more than 400 mm above the sculpted rear bodywork – an increase of over 100 mm of the adjustable wing on the road car.

Working in conjunction with the front-mounted aerodynamic flaps ahead of the front wheels, the rear wing helps to increase downforce levels by more than 10 percent – meaning up to 660 kg at 150 mph. Mounted on light weight carbon fibre pylon supports, the wing retains the DRS of the road car.

Significant updates and modifications to the IPAS powertrain have been made beneath the ‘shrinkwrapped’ carbon fibre bodywork.

The car integrates the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine with an enhanced lightweight electric motor. Combined, these powerplants generate 985 hp; 789bhp is produced by the petrol engine, coupled to 197bhp available immediately from the electric motor.

The powertrain has been thoroughly revised for optimum performance on track, with key components replaced with motorsport-developed parts, more suited to the sustained high speed running the cars will be subjected to.

In addition to this, features within the powertrain of the McLaren P1 designed specifically for public highway use have been removed to reduce weight.