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Marton Pettendy14 Jun 2014
NEWS

McLaren announces $3.6m P1 GTR

British supercar maker doffs its cap to McLaren F1 GTR with 735kW P1 track special

McLaren has confirmed it will release a range-topping, track-only version of its ultimate supercar, the P1, which will produce no less than 1000ps, equating to 986bhp or a mammoth 735kW.

No other performance figures have been revealed for what will undoubtedly be one of the world's wildest production cars, but the limited-edition McLaren P1 GTR will eclipse the monumental performance of the 'regular' P1 (pictured in yellow).

That will be no mean feat, given it packs a 543kW/719Nm 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, backed by an F1-style KERS electric power unit dubbed IPAS (Instant Power Assist System) that produces an additional 131kW/260Nm, to deliver a total output of 673kW.

The standard P1, which can sprint to 100km/h in 2.8 seconds, lapped the legendary 20.8km Nürburgring-Nordschleife in less than seven minutes, a feat also recently achieved by the Porsche 918 Spyder super-hybrid, at an average speed of more than 178km/h.

Indeed, apart from being the most powerful McLaren ever, the hallowed sports car maker says the P1 GTR "will be designed and developed as the best drivers’ car in the world on track".

It promises "even greater levels of performance, grip, aerodynamics and downforce than the road car" thanks to more power, slick tyres, wider wheel tracks and "more aggressive and distinctive styling designed to offer optimised performance around a lap".

McLaren is yet to reveal the P1 GTR, instead revealing only a basic sketch and logo on the eve of this year's Le Mans 24-hour, 20 years after the McLaren F1 GTR after which it's named won the same event.

However, it has confirmed the modern-day GTR will enter a strictly limited production run after all 375 versions of the road-going P1 are produced, in response to customer demand.

Alas, like the road-registerable P1, the GTR will be produced only in left-hand drive.

And while the P1 costs the equivalent of $A1.5 million overseas, McLaren has announced the GTR will set buyers back a cool £1.98 million ($A3.6m).

For that stratospheric sum, McLaren says it will offer a "tailored programme created for each customer to build driver capability.

"It will include exclusive consultations with the McLaren driver fitness team and Design Director Frank Stephenson, privileged access to one of the McLaren racing simulators, and participation in a minimum of six dedicated international drive events to be held at some of the world’s most iconic Formula One circuits."

The P1 made its world debut at the 2012 Paris motor show and first customer deliveries took place in the UK in October 2013. All 375 examples of the limited-edition super-hybrid were spoken for a month later.

It is the spiritual successor to iconic three-seater McLaren F1 road car of 1993, which was also a mid-engined rear-wheel drive coupe with a carbon-fibre chassis, while the P1 GTR track special is inspired by the Le Mans-winning F1 GTR racer (pictured).

McLaren's born-again road car division, McLaren Automotive, was launched in 2010, with the 12C emerging soon after as its first model.

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