McLaren P1

[Just_a_fan]

My point is that Mclaren are building to design targets that appear to be purely performance based while paying seemingly little attention to other more important stuff.

What is more important than performance in a hypercar? McLaren's stated aim for the P1 is that you can drive to a circuit in comfort and then blast around the circuit as quickly as a racing car can. They're not designing for the "bling brigade", they're designing for the "cool tech" types. The Pagani is a definite bling interior and, if I were in the market for such a car then I would be put off by its interior.

Pagani have shown you can have a best in class interior, exterior and performance, and If I were to be in the market for such an expensive car, I'd want to best in every aspect. I don't think you can really call the interior of a Pagani a bling fest either.

Best in class interior depends on what you want from an interior. If you want showy excess then the Pagani is great. If you want understated class then the P1 is more likely to suit. As for performance, the current figures coming out of McLaren suggest that the P1 will be the head of the list (perhaps until the new Ferrari comes out, perhaps even then too). Certainly, in a recent magazine test at a particular circuit the Pagani was only 0.3s quicker than the MP4-12C. The P1 will be massively quicker than that.

And I can call the Pagani interior a "bling fest" because, to me, that is what it is. If you think otherwise then that's fine.

[Just_a_fan]

for a million dollars, that car better be a bling fest!
I like the paganis, especially for the detailed interior.
A million dollars for a empty black tub isn't really value for dollar. At the end of the day the speed of the car cannot make up for the million dollars, when you can get a similar sensation with more passion for half the price in a better looking package.

The thing about aesthetics is that they're subjective. For me, the P1 is a much better looking car than the Pagani. And the interior is much nicer too, to my eyes. And what is the "passion" element you mention? Do you think that the guys who design and build the P1 are any less passionate about it than those who design and build Paganis or Ferraris? McLaren are aiming at a different segment to those who think that "show" is what matters. They're aiming for those who think that "go" is important no matter what the relative cost involved.

The relaity with these cars is that people buy them for the rarity and the price; the things are expensive and they're rare so they're desirable to some people. Apparently McLaren has been hassled by P1 buyers in to limiting the production run to 375 units rather than the 500 they had planned. That's the market for these cars.

Pagani, on the other hand, kept producing ever more "one off" specials of the Zonda. I bet those who thought they'd bought the ultimate Zonda weren't very happy about that...

[Nando]

I first thought it was some cooling but yeah, it's for the seatbelt

It´s actually for the seat. Not seat-belt.

Do you think that the guys who design and build the P1 are any less passionate about it than those who design and build Paganis or Ferraris?

If there´s one supercar company that really doesn´t give a ..... about their interiors in their high-end supercars, it´s Ferrari.

It doesn´t get anymore bland then that. Which imo is what i would want (and P1 with Alcantara everywhere)
It´s purpose built whereas Pagani is over-designed.

[Richard]

It´s actually for the seat. Not seat-belt.

So what is it? What does it do?

[Nando]

It´s actually for the seat. Not seat-belt.

So what is it? What does it do?

A knob
To adjust the seat.



I´m not entirely sure but i think the first Zonda´s it was actually for various liquids.

Edit: like this one,

[Nando]

And i don´t think you can get the Zonda or Huayra with 5-point harness.

I´ve only seen the Zonda R (possibly the clubsport version too) with 5-point harness but they have different seats.

[ringo]

A million dollars for a v8?
This car is supposed to be a hyper car.

There's no passion in a dull sounding turbo v8 and motor whine.

Gimme a v12. With wood and polished aluminum, designer leather bags. Hyper cars are more than just a lap time.
I probably couldn't drive the P1 anywhere near it's limit anyway.

Speaking about the performance though, over 700hp from the 3.8lt engine is quite high strung. Almost 200hp per liter. The electric drive makes it more interesting too.
I got to admit though it's because this car is so different why i would consider it over another hyper car. But it's quite dull to be honest. Far from the italian "excess" hypercars.
Well i guess if i'm rich enough to buy one of these, then i could also buy a pagani and have my cake and eat it.
What am i complaining about again?

[ltitus]

Hmm... I signed up to this forum because I thought, out of all the other forums out there, maybe I would finally get to discuss the technical things about this car that makes it so spacial but nope. So far it's filled with mixed opinions and no real tech info. Let's try and change the topic.

On one of the pics of the p1 with the right hand doors open, I can see what looks like an air channel that starts right behind the front wheels and disappears into a hole in the chassis. I know it is to help extract the turbulent air created by the front wheels but, where does it go? Or, in what clever way can that air be used?

[ringo]

maybe for intercoolers.
It's usually found on the old school imsa cars.



There's aerodynamic benefit doing this as well.

[Richard]

By the way I've started a new thread to debate the meaninglessness of supercars and bling.

Supercars - What's the point? (aka The nature of beauty)

[markp]

As a die hard ferrari fan i prefer the looks and idea of a v12 but the p1 is great .i love both,advanced aero and hynbrid systems from 2 biggest f1 teams. lets celebrate they exist and are 2 different ideS for a similar goal. you cannot be all things to all men and if there was only one car in the world that people wanted the world would be boring.

[Nando]

Chris Harris on the P1. The best reporter on the planet imo.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Vd4nUj5W0[/youtube]

[amouzouris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... CRWf5A2fuQ#!

Ron Dennis on the P1..
He said he drove the P1 on the top gear test track and broke the record by 10s !?!?

[Just_a_fan]

On one of the pics of the p1 with the right hand doors open, I can see what looks like an air channel that starts right behind the front wheels and disappears into a hole in the chassis. I know it is to help extract the turbulent air created by the front wheels but, where does it go? Or, in what clever way can that air be used?

Could you highlight which bit you mean on a picture please? The doors have several air handling paths in/on them...

[gray41]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... CRWf5A2fuQ#!

Ron Dennis on the P1..
He said he drove the P1 on the top gear test track and broke the record by 10s !?!?

Insane lap time, imagine what the stig would do... 1minute flat?