McLaren P1 GTR – Wild, Wonderful Wizardry from Woking

Does anybody remember the iconic BMW M1?

The M1 was a Lamborghini-designed BMW mid-engined supercar from the late 1970s. It was BMW’s attempt to enter that rarefied marketplace occupied at the time by Ferrari and its 512BB, Maserati’s Bora, and Lamborghini’s own Countach. Sadly, because of various circumstances, the M1 never really took off, and BMW had a surplus of the cars that went unsold.

So what did BMW do? It initiated the Procar one-make racing series. Most of the unsold M1s were upgraded and turned into GT racing cars, and the Procar series eventually became a super-entertaining opening act during most F1 grand prix weekends. It didn’t hurt at all that F1 luminaries such as Clay Regazzoni and World Champions Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda drove the racing M1s and competed against people who bought these racing M1s.

Anyway, the reason I mentioned the BMW M1 is to put the McLaren P1 GTR into a bit of historical context. It appears that McLaren is borrowing a play from its one-time engine supplier (BMW built the mighty V12 that was installed in the McLaren F1 road and GT racing cars in the mid-1990s) with its P1 GTR. The new car is making its public debut at the Geneva Auto Show, twenty years after McLaren’s great victory in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours.

The P1 GTR is a racing version of the already-insane P1. The boffins in Woking worked their wizardry on the 3.8 liter twin-turbo hybrid-electric power unit so that it now produces 986 bhp, compared to the plain-Jane P1’s 727 bhp. Though no torque figures have been disclosed, it’s a sure bet that the tweaked engine’s output would top the 531 lb/ft the road-only P1 produces. Aside from the upgrades to the power unit, the P1 GTR also boasts track-ready aerodynamics. It has a rear wing and a racing-spec front splitter which will enable the already aerodynamic base P1’s body shape to generate more downforce than ever. Allied to the Pirelli racing slicks mounted on the center-lock 19″ racing wheels, the P1 GTR is clearly designed to take corners at racing speeds.

Borrowing from McLaren’s Formula 1 pedigree, the P1 GTR’s rear wing is equipped with a drag reduction system (DRS). DRS makes sure that you have optimum downforce in the corners as well as less drag on the straights.

Further racing optimizations include a 110 lb weight reduction, a near-two inch ride height drop, and a front track that is 3.2″ wider. McLaren shaved a good portion of the excess weight from the P1 by substituting carbon fiber for glass for the roof and engine cover, as well as replacing the glass side windows with polycarbonate ones.

McLaren says it plans to introduce its one-make P1 GTR racing series later this year. If you want to participate, there are a few things you ought to know. For one thing, you need to already be an owner of the original P1. Not only that, a P1 GTR will set you back a cool $3.1 million. Your money has a ton of added value, though, because the price also includes racing driver training and a pit crew (you will need to race your P1 GTR!).

The only question in my mind is, would we find the likes of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel battling it out in the one-make P1 GTR racing series?

I can dream…