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McLaren’s next supercar will make the 720S look like a Toyota Camry

McLaren 675LT
Image used with permission by copyright holder
McLaren may have just launched the 720S, but it’s already working on an even more extreme supercar that’ll make the current monster look more like a Toyota Camry. The British firm is preparing to launch a new model that will sit above the 720S in its lineup, According to Autocar. Called the McLaren P15, it will serve as a replacement for the limited-edition P1 hybrid in McLaren’s top Ultimate Series.

The P15 will be shown to prospective customers later this year, but won’t make its public debut until the 2018 Geneva Motor Show next spring.

The P15 will be the most extreme McLaren road car to date, according to Autocar. On the road, it will outperform the P1. It will also surpass nearly every previous McLaren on the track, except the hardcore P1 GTR. Presumably, McLaren’s upcoming BP23 hypercar will also top the P15 in performance.

The P15 will reportedly borrow the MonoCage II carbon fiber body structure and 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 from the 720S. That engine will produce an estimated 789 horsepower, compared to the 903 hp the P1 extracted from its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 and electric motor. But without the bulky hybrid system, the P15 should be lighter than the P1, giving it an edge in performance. Autocar claims it will weigh 2,866 pounds, compared to 3,410 pounds for the P1.

An anonymous source told Autocar that the design of the P15 is best described as “brutal.” The car was reportedly designed purely with function in mind, rather than aesthetics. Luggage space is said to be so restricted that there is only room for two helmets and two racing suits. Like all current McLarens, expect plenty of clever aerodynamic features, and a body made almost entirely from carbon fiber.

Production will be limited to 500 cars, priced at around $900,000. Because of the extreme nature of the car, McLaren reportedly won’t produce a convertible version, and a higher-performance road-going version akin to the 675LT won’t be necessary. McLaren may produce a track-only GTR variant, though.

As if the P15 wasn’t exotic enough, McLaren will follow it up with the BP23, a car that should be even faster, and rarer. The BP23 is rumored to cost $2 million, and production will be limited to 106 units, matching the production run of the legendary McLaren F1. Like the F1, the BP23 will also have three-abreast seating that places the driver in the middle of the cockpit. It will also have a hybrid powertrain.

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Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
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