Did the reveal of McLaren’s P1 GTR, the 986 horsepower track-only variant of the P1 hypercar make you long romantically to see the F1 GTR that inspired it in action once again? wouldn’t it be kinda neat to see the two of them side by side on the track to see how things have changed over the years? Indeed it would be… and McLaren knows this, so that’s exactly what they did.
In anticipation of its Geneva debut, McLaren has released a video of exactly what we want to see. No talking, no erratic editing, just some footage of both cars ripping up the track and overtaking each other.
The P1 GTR takes the regular (if you can call it that) P1 and builds upon it to make it a track-attacking race car that puts out 789 horsepower from its 2.8-liter twin turbo V8 which works in conjunction with the 187 hp cranked out of its electric motor. This power is housed within a lighter P1 body with aerodynamic improvements found throughout its surfaces, not the least of which is a fixed wing that sits 400 millimeters above the rear bodywork, increasing downforce.
As for the classic McLaren, the F1 GTR chassis #06R was the race version of the legendary McLaren F1 that ran in the BPR series back in 1995. This car houses a naturally aspirated 6-liter BMW V12 engine that produced around 600 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. The Harrods livery is aped by the P1 GTR in tribute to the car’s heritage.
Both cars look stunning on their own, and each represent amazing, if not vastly different advances in racing performance. We’ll see much more of the P1 GTR in the future, particularly after its Geneva Auto Show debut. If anything, we’re thrilled that this debut gave McLaren the chance to roll the F1 GTR out of the garage once more and put the collection piece back on the track where it belongs.
