McLaren has released performance figures for the new P1 hybrid supercar, including claims that it can sprint to 300km/h in 16.5 seconds – or an astonishing 6.5 seconds quicker than its petrol-electric rival, the Porsche 918 Spyder.
The P1 will also crack the 0-100km/h dash in 2.8 seconds and go on to 200km/h in 6.8 seconds.
Put another way, it gets to 200km/h in pretty much the same time as a Volkswagen GTi gets to 100km/h.
All this and a top speed of 351km/h while returning town-and-around fuel consumption of a claimed 8.3 litres/100km (34mpg) and 194gr/km CO2 emissions.
But don’t expect the P1 to appear in New Zealand, despite the upcoming new McLaren dealership in Auckland.
Just 375 P1s will be built, all in left-hand drive and costing roughly NZ$1.7 million. The first car has been sold to a British customer.
The carbon-fibre P1 is powered by a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 engine and electric motor with a combined 673kW and 890Nm of torque. It can travel 11km on its plug-in electric motor alone.
The P1’s performance figures eclipse those of the Porsche 918 Spyder, which cracks 0-100km/h in an exact same 2.8sec, but then falls behind, getting to 200km/h in 7.9sec, 300km/h in 23.0sec before topping out at 341km/h.
The Porsche is cleaning burning, its more complicated hybrid engine system returning 70gr/km of C02 compared with the P1’s 194gr/km.
Ferrari, however, could set a new go-faster standard. Its hypercar rival, LaFerrari, has only had its 0-300km/h time of 15.5sec confirmed.
Ferrari says the 0-100km/h time will be “less than 3.0sec” and the 0-200km/h time “less than 7.0sec”. It says LaFerrari’s top speed will not be announced “because it doesn’t matter”.
Those production cars with an official 0-100km/h time of under three seconds include specialised models like the Ariel Atom V8, Koenigsegg Agera R, Bugatti Veyron, and Nissan GT-R Spec V.
The P1’s stopping performance is equally as impressive, thanks to an exclusive carbon-ceramic braking system developed by Akebono and Pirelli tyres.
The P1 can go from 100km/h to rest in 2.9 seconds, or 30.2 metres – that’s up to 10m less than a modern family sedan.
McLaren says it takes 82 technicians 17 days to complete just one P1. Just painting the aerodynamic carbon-fibre body takes three days alone.