Do you know what makes me suddenly feel super old? Realizing that the McLaren P1 was launched in 2013 and that was 11 years ago. I still remember when the P1 was the pinnacle of automotive performance. The hypercar’s hybrid powertrain and active aero felt space-age at the time, and they’re still pretty damn impressive today. But after more than a decade, McLaren is finally prepared to reveal the P1’s successor, something that the brand says will live up to the “1” name.
Per the video released Wednesday, McLaren’s next flagship will debut on October 6 at 8 a.m. Eastern. You should be able to follow the festivities over at the McLaren Automotive YouTube channel. The short, minute-long teaser doesn’t appear to share any glimpses of the new car—only cuts of the F1 and P1 before it, as well as various employees of the British supercar maker discussing what defines a “1” vehicle. If you ask McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown, the car has got to be the “best looking, sounding, performing” in its class, which perhaps explains why McLaren’s taken its time on this third act.
McLaren hasn’t released any powertrain specifics, but it did say that its next-generation powertrain would stay a V8 hybrid, continuing its partnership with Ricardo. The P1 of course also packed a V8 hybrid, making 903 combined horsepower. And while it’s cool that McLaren is sticking with a V8 rather than downsizing to a six- or four-cylinder engine, it’s a bit disappointing that the basic formula looks to remain unchanged. One of the qualities of the P1 that made it so special was how drastically different it was from its predecessor, the F1. That car was an analog masterpiece with a BMW-sourced, naturally aspirated V12, and, like it or not, the P1’s powertrain was sci-fi by comparison. It’s possible we may not see such a leap this time around.
Familiarity aside, though, expect mind-bending numbers. It seems almost certain that this P1-successor will far exceed 1,000 horsepower and tout a lighter curb weight than the P1, as McLaren’s hybrid powertrain technology and carbon fiber chassis design have improved considerably since then. Hopefully, McLaren’s new hypercar sparks another three-way race between Ferrari and Porsche, just like the one between the P1, LaFerrari, and 918 Spyder.
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