More McLaren P1 details revealed

McLaren gave out more details on their next new model, the P1, which will be officially available by the end of the year.

At a private event in Beverly Hills, a fully-functional prototype was on display. It was the same Volcano Orange prototype that was displayed at the Paris Motor Show last year. Dark tints still covered all the windows, to ensure the interior was not visible ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

It has the same carbon-fibre tub used in the McLaren MP4-12C. The engine is expected to be the same turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 powerplant, but with a much higher output. It should be somewhere near the 800 hp mark. A Formula One-style KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) will provide small boosts in power. Like the MP4-12C, it will have a rear-wheel-drive setup.

McLaren plans to sell only 500 models of the P1, which will all be probably sold out before the first one is even delivered. Price is said to be around US$ 1.2 million. Of course, expect a few to roll in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait in the hands of boy-racers.