McLaren’s P1 GTR track weapon tribute

McLAREN will commemorate 20 years of its 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans victory by building the special edition P1 GTR, but don’t expect to be able to drive it down to the shops.

The McLaren P1 GTR will be a tribute to the McLaren F1 GTR – the car which took out first, third and fourth places in the GT1 category at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

While the F1 GTR was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 BMW engine with a McLaren chassis, the GTR will be based on the P1 hybrid supercar.

The McLaren P1 made its world debut in 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show amid much excitement thanks to a sub three-second 0-100km/h sprint time from its plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The P1 has two powerplants – a mid-mounted twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 and an electric motor – with a combined output of 673kW and a staggering 900Nm of torque.

Just 375 examples of the circa-$A1.5 million hypercar will be made and once the final car is built, production of the P1 GTR will begin.

McLaren says the P1 GTR will have an even more extreme drivetrain and will produce in excess of 735kW.

With its slick tyres and improved aerodynamic styling, grip and down-force will also be developed to a higher level, with the car-maker declaring the P1 GTR will be “the best driver’s car in the world on track”.

And on track is where the P1 GTR will have to stay.

McLaren is building it to be a track-only car, allowing the P1 to be as hardcore as possible without the limitations that road-car legislation imposes.

While the British sportscar-maker has not revealed any details about the design of the P1 GTR other than a sketch showing the basic outline, without the limitation of road regulations we can expect to see something that is extreme – possibly with a fixed rear wing.

Also extreme will be the price tag. McLaren says the pricing will start from $A3.6 million, but owners are set to receive more than just a car. When customers purchase a P1 GTR, they will be given a tailor-made program to help develop their driving skills.

This includes assistance from the McLaren driver fitness team, consultations with the design director Frank Stephenson, access to the McLaren racing simulators, and participation in six track events held at Formula One circuits around the world.

McLaren is yet to determine when the P1 GTR will make its debut or how many will be produced, but it will be limited.

Earlier this month, McLaren announced it would be producing an entry model car codenamed the P13. Expected to be about the same size as McLaren’s new mainstream model the 650s, the P13 will be more affordable, comfortable and have the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, but tuned for less power.

The McLaren 650s has taken the place of the 12C, which arrived in 2011. While several orders have been put down for the McLaren 650s in Australia, it’s thought no Australians have yet ordered a P1.