The British car builder McLaren is starting high speed tests with their new McLaren P1 supercar at the Nardo high-speed testing facility. Dutch journalist Werner Budding shared via Twitter that McLaren’s test driver Chris Goodwin will drive the McLaren P1 test mule at the Italian test track tomorrow.
Discussed the P1 with McLaren test driver Chris Goodwin. He tests the P1 tomorrow at Nardo. I asked him ‘Will it reach 400km/h?” He looked thoughtful.
The message also revealed the test driver’s doubts on breaking the magic limit of 400km/h (249mph). An interesting fact if you refer back on early non-confirmed information suggesting that the new McLaren P1 will become the fastest accelerating production car in the world while lacking a Vmax beating the Bugatti Veyron’s new record of 431km/h (267mph).
Still the top speed was rumoured to be hypercar-like, but not up to a level we know from hypercars like the Koenigsegg Agera R and the Bugatti Veyron. We can clearly say that the Brits are focussing on another goal: to sell the best driver’s car in the world on road and track.
The P1 was designed from the outset to prioritise aerodynamic performance over top speed. A totally new perspective in the automotive world opening up bew possibilities of using Formula 1 techniques like DRS, KERS and developing an astonishing downforce of 600kg.
A production version will be made available within the next 12 months and the next release with figures and information will be at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year.
What?? So only cars with greater top speed than 400 kmh are hypercars? Thats not true? Huayra is a true hypercar and that does like 370?
@Lukas, good point! I will change my story slightly.
How many folks can test >350 km/h without killing themselves? How many folks can humilliate others on traffic lights or on track. Totally logical.
To paraphrase that old commercial (I think it was Pirelli)- “Power is nothing without control”. I bet my $$ the better handling P1 will give it’s owner more opportunity to fully utilize it’s capabilities than the Veyron owners will (no disrespect to Bugatti intended!!!!).
Note that many car producers do not release exact figures to avoid other producers to out compete them, they may just pay the test drivers to say it won’t break the 400 barrier to create a lower buzz just so it can sucker punch the competition and beat them out in all the things they said it would too.