McLaren unveils P1 GTR Design Concept

McLaren has taken the cover off the P1 GTR design concept during a private event at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, a preview of the final model that will see production in about a year.

Dubbing it "the ultimate track-focused race car," the concept is the most powerful model produced by McLaren Special Operations so far. The car features an F1-derived drag-reduction system from the large, fixed rear wing, an ERS-style push-to-pass system and "shrink-wrapped" bodywork around a carbon fibre MonoCage chassis designed to channel air from around the wheel well. An aerodynamic blade is also located behind the wheelarch to clear the air from the front tires.

Compared to the street car on which it's based, the concept repositions the wing mirrors to the A pillars and features a more aggressive GT-style front splitter.

At the rear, a large, twin-element wing is mounted on dramatic carbon fibre pylons thatextend around the rear of the bodywork. This fixed-height wing is fitted with a hydraulically operated Drag Reduction System (DRS) to boost acceleration performance

and provides increased levels of downforce compared to the road car, working with the active aerodynamic flaps located ahead of the front wheels.

The active aerodynamic devices optimise aerodynamic balance through all phases of cornering. The road car stows the rear wing within the bodywork, unlike this fixed-height wing.

The concept displays an all-new design for the exposed, centrally mounted exhaust under the rear wing, maximizing the grrrrowl coming from the higher output 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 that manages nearly 1,000 bhp. A straight-cut twin pipe is now used in place of the single exhaust unit. 

The car was launched along with a bespoke McLaren P1 GTR driver training program, an ultra-exclusive ownership program designed to prepare owners "mentally and physically" to "fully exploit" the abilities of the P1 GTR.