McLaren 650S Reviews

McLaren’s new P1 is out in the open, though the promotional efforts surrounding the new supercar are far from over. The latest out of Woking is news of an upcoming “online interactive experience” that will involve the P1.What exactly McLaren has planned remains a secret, although a teaser video released by the company provides some clues. It focuses on the aerodynamics of the car and the Formula One technology behind it. A statement in the video also reads, “Discovers how we achieve new levels of performance.”We’re guessing McLaren is about to launch a new P1 microsite that will allow users to highlight certain sections of the car and discover its exact purpose. It’s possible the site will also feature some kind of 3D tour. McLaren will reveal all next month, so stay tuned.The new P1 is billed as the spiritual successor to the legendary McLaren F1 launched more than two decades ago. The car features a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that combines a V-8 engine with an electric motor and provides a combined output of 664 kilowatts and 899 Newton metres of torque.This is enough for 0-60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration in under 3.0 seconds and a top speed limited--for an undisclosed reason --to 350km/h. Only 375 examples of the P1 will be built, with pricing in the U.S. starting at $1.15 million.www.motorauthority.com 

If you’ve ever driven Colorado’s highway 6 across Loveland Pass, you know it can be a bit intimidating in the best of weather. With a maximum elevation of 11,990 feet, the road bears the distinction of being the highest mountain pass in the world to remain open year-round. Though the scenery is spectacular, the switchback corners and steep drops are more than a bit puckering for those unaccustomed to mountain driving. In short, it’s not a place to make an error behind the wheel, regardless of what you’re driving or when you’re driving it. When you add an icy road surface into the mix and want to film a race down the pass, pitting professional snowboarder (and Winter X Games medalist) Chanelle Sladics against the McLaren MP4-12C Spider, it’s best to hand the keys to someone with plenty of experience in mountain driving. Someone like Pikes Peak record holder Rhys Millen. For his part, Millen calls it "an honor" to drive the MP4-12C Spider in the video, especially in light of McLaren's 50th anniversary in 2013. Like the company's founder, the late Bruce McLaren, Rhys Millen is a native New Zealander with plenty of experience in hill climb competition. The stunt was filmed to promote the start of McLaren MP4-12C Spider deliveries in the United States. It also highlights the 12C Spider’s unique power-retractable hard top and superb handling balance, though we’d guess that Millen opted not to use the 12C Spider’s “Winter” driving mode for optimized traction on slippery surfaces. Even with all the electro-nannies turned on and winter tires mounted, piloting a mid-engine, rear-drive sports car with 616 horsepower on tap down an icy mountain pass requires a fair amount of skill and the driver’s complete attention. We'd have loved to give it a try, but our run wouldn't have been nearly as impressive as Millen's on video. www.motorauthority.com  

Europe’s annual motoring event, the Geneva motor show, opened this week with a rich list of debuts from elite brands topped by the opening rounds in a performance showdown between Ferrari and McLaren

This is the McLaren P1 supercar as it will appear at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show on March 5 and in McLaren showrooms all around the globe later in the year. The production version looks almost identical to the concept version unveiled last year in Paris, with only a few subtle details to tell them apart and all of the proposed Formula One technology still intact. We can confirm that only 375 examples will be built, making the P1 one of the most exclusive supercars of modern times. That number is still more than three times the amount of the P1’s predecessor, the legendary McLaren F1, though we're sure seeing one in your neck of the woods will still be an extremely rare sight, unless you happen to live in Monaco or Dubai. Pricing is set at $1.15 million, though the number is meaningless as we’re sure the car is already sold out. McLaren says at that price the car is fully loaded, but the company’s McLaren Special Operations personalization service will happily inflate the sticker should you desire to burn more cash. Top speed Moving on to performance, the P1 will be able to accelerate to 100 km/h from rest in under 3.0 seconds, pass 200 km/h in under 7.0 seconds, and close on 200 km/h in no more than 17 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 350 km/h. So it won’t outmatch current supercars like the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and Koenigsegg Agera R in straightline speed, but that isn’t really the point as McLaren has sought to make its P1 one of the fastest road-legal cars around a race track. As already announced, the McLaren P1 will have the combined force of two highly-efficient powerplants: a V-8 engine and electric motor. They offer a mix of insane throttle response, day-to-day drivability and top speed thanks to various driving modes including electric only, gasoline only and combined hybrid modes. Engine Its V-8 engine is an upgraded version of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre M838T unit built by Ricardo and currently fitted to the MP4-12C, and in the P1 delivers 535 kW and 718 Nm of torque on its own. The electric motor adds 130kW and 259 Nm, all of which can be drawn on by pressing the “IPAS” (Instant Power Assist System) button on the car’s steering wheel. Hybrid drivetrain McLaren says the additional boost of the electric motor allows a wider performance band, allowing the turbocharged car to feel like a naturally aspirated one. Note, a further benefit is that the electric motor also allows faster upshifts of the gearbox. This is achieved through the application of instant negative torque at the point of shift, making the engine revs drop as quickly and efficiently as possible to the required engine speed for the upshift. In addition to the IPAS button, the P1’s steering wheel features a second button marked “DRS.” This is to activate the car’s Drag Reduction System, which uses technology similar to that employed on current F1 cars. Speed can be increased by reducing the amount of drag--up to 23 percent--on the P1's rear wing, which is done by changing its angle. The system immediately deactivates when the button is released, or if the driver touches the brake pedal. Massive stopping power comes from a braking package developed by Akebono, McLaren’s brake specialist in F1. The system features a new type of carbon ceramic disc, used for the first time on a road car. Not only is the system lighter, it dissipates heat more effectively, giving the highly efficient braking system exceptional stopping and cooling capability. These work in conjunction with super sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. The team at Pirelli was involved throughout the entire development program, and has also transferred much of its knowledge gained from F1. Full carbon-fibre construction The car’s construction is all carbon-fibre. Built around what McLaren likes to call the MonoCage, the P1 uses a carbon fiber monocoque and roof structure to form a strong safety cage. The structure of the MonoCage, unlike the 12C’s MonoCell, also serves to guide air into the engine through an integral roof snorkel and air intake ducts, saving further weight. The P1 is highly aerodynamic in its design, carrying a drag coefficient of just 0.34 despite generating around 600 kilograms of downforce at speed. Part of that equation is the aforementioned active rear wing, which can extend 30cm for maximum performance. The carbon fiber theme continues into the P1’s relatively spartan cabin, which features a digital gauge cluster complete with a race-inspired digital dash readout. The display has multiple modes including a “Race” mode, where a bank of lights across the top illuminate green, followed by red and finally blue. These act as a shift indicator, as in McLaren’s own F1 car. The P1 is a strict two-seater, with storage space minimal due to the 90 kilogram battery back sandwiched between the seats and the engine. Only a single change between production and concept As for the styling, McLaren explains that after engaging with potential customers following the reveal of the concept in Paris, it was determined that the large majority wanted the design to remain unchanged. So unusually, the P1 has translated to production form with very little change. In fact just one, the addition of cooling ducts ahead of each of the front wheels to further aid cooling and optimize downforce. Now that we finally know all there is to know about the McLaren P1, apart from how it drives, stay tuned for live photos and video following the car’s debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show next week. www.motorauthority.com  

The V-8 engine is an upgraded version of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre M838T unit built by Ricardo and currently fitted to the MP4-12C, though in its latest application it gets coupled to a low-weight, highly efficient electric motor that ensures instant torque for optimised throttle response.Some of the upgrades to the P1’s engine include optimised cooling and durability under the higher loads; the V-8 by itself is rated at 542 kilowatts and 718 Newton metres of torque, which is 82 kilowatts and 119 Newtown metres of torque more than the figures for the 12C’s engine, respectively.The electric motor adds 129 kilowatts and 259 Newton metres of torque, though the peak torque of the motor and engine arrive at different points. The lower peak torque of the electric motor is said to help the force-fed V-8 feel more like a naturally aspirated engine.The setup also allows an electric-only range of more than 9.6km, and, at certain times, the driver can draw up the full 129 kilowatts of the electric motor with just a push of the “IPAS” (Instant Power Assist System) button on the P1’s steering wheel.McLaren hasn't said how fast the car is under electric-only power but says the performance is still “strong.” The amount of power delivered under IPAS will depend on how much charge remains in the onboard lithium-ion battery, which is sandwiched between the engine and seats, and adds about 254kg to the weight of the car.When the battery is empty, the V-8 will automatically start to maintain drive and charge the battery, although the battery can also be topped up under braking or by using an ordinary household plug. The P1, then, is essentially a plug-in hybrid.The electric motor is mounted directly onto the engine, and all drive is channelled through the same dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox found in the 12C and out to the rear wheels. Note, a further benefit is that the electric motor also allows faster upshifts of the gearbox.This is achieved through the application of instant negative torque at the point of shift, making the engine revs drop as quickly and efficiently as possible to the required engine speed for the upshift.You’ll notice that the P1’s steering wheel features a second button marked “DRS.” This is to activate the car’s Drag Reduction System, which uses technology similar to that employed on current Formula One cars.Speed can be increased by reducing the amount of drag--up to 23 per cent--on the P1's rear wing, which is done by changing its angle. The system immediately deactivates when the button is released, or if the driver touches the brake pedal.Also found in the P1’s relatively spartan cabin is a digital gauge cluster, which adopts a race-inspired digital dash readout. The display has multiple modes including a “Race” mode, where a bank of lights across the top illuminate green, followed by red and finally blue.These act as a shift indicator, as in McLaren’s own Formula One race cars. As we already know, the car’s construction is all carbon-fibre. Built around what McLaren likes to call the MonoCage, the P1 uses a carbon-fibre monocoque and roof structure to form a strong safety cage.The structure of the MonoCage, unlike the 12C’s MonoCell, also serves to guide air into the engine through an integral roof snorkel and air intake ducts, saving further weight.The P1 is highly aerodynamic in its design, carrying a drag coefficient of just 0.34 despite generating 598kg of downforce at speed. Part of that equation is the aforementioned active rear wing, which can extend close to 305 millimetres for maximum performance.Look for further information on the P1 to be released in the coming weeks, ahead of the car’s official world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show on March 5. We’ll bring you live pictures and details from the reveal as part of our complete Geneva show coverage.www.motorauthority.com  

Though the McLaren P1’s official debut will take place at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, McLaren is still showing off its P1 prototype. The car made its Middle East debut in Bahrain last month, so McLaren took advantage of a vacant Bahrain International Circuit to grab some stills of the car.Bahrain is both the Middle East base for McLaren Automotive and the home of its largest shareholder, Mumtalakat. It’s no secret that a significant number of P1 sales will take place in the region, too, adding to the urgency of the car’s reveal.As McLaren’s regional director for the Middle East, Mark Harrison, explained, “...we are very excited to be bringing the McLaren P1 to the United Arab Emirates, where our retail partner, Al Habtoor Motors, has confirmed a huge interest in the unique car.”While we can’t give you any new information on the P1 since we posted interior shots yesterday, we thought these high-quality stills of McLaren’s latest effort were worth sharing. We hope these will hold you until we can bring you all the P1's inner secrets as part of our 2013 Geneva Motor Show coverage.www.motorauthority.com  

With just three weeks remaining until the P1 supercar has its official debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, McLaren is teasing bits and pieces of its construction to keep the car in the public eye.