Making its official public debut in concept form at the Paris Auto Show, McLaren’s P1 supercar was met with near-universal acclaim. While the styling seemed a bit awkward in early teased images, it worked much better when seen in person or in video.
We brought you live images of the car’s reveal in Paris, but it was impossible to shoot video of the press conference and unveiling. Fortunately, McLaren is offering up the next best thing with this condensed reveal video, which depicts the McLaren F1’s successor morphing from an airflow study to a completed concept.
As we learned from designer Frank Stephenson, the P1’s shape was ultimately dictated by both design and engineering. In other words, McLaren’s latest supercar, designed to excel on both road and racetrack, is a case of form following function.
McLaren is remaining tight-lipped on details surrounding the P1’s output or performance, but it’s believed the car will use a version of the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-8 found in the MP4-12C, with supplemental power coming from a KERS-type hybrid system. Rumor is that combined output could top 800 horsepower.
Expect to see a production version of the McLaren P1 at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March, with sales beginning later next year.
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