McLaren Reveals P1 Performance Estimates

When Ron Dennis lifted the covers off the McLaren P1 at this year’s Geneva auto show, he promised some impressive performance figures: 0–62 in less than three seconds, zero to 186—the magic 300-km/h mark—in less than 17 seconds, and a top speed of 217 mph. He wasn’t lying. Today, McLaren revealed its full performance estimates, and what Dennis claimed back in March was pretty close to spot on. McLaren says the P1 will be capable of reaching 60 mph from a standstill in 2.8 seconds, 186 mph will arrive in 16.5 seconds, and the top speed will indeed be 217 mph. Oh, and did we mention that McLaren estimates the P1 will achieve 34 mpg in the unicorns-and-rainbows European cycle?

It’s at this point that we’d like to point out that the heart of the P1’s powertrain, a 3.8-liter V-8, is shared with its little brother, the 12C. While McLaren squeezes 727 horses out of the mill in P1 spec, the 12C sees output of 616 horsepower—and that car is EPA-rated for 15 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway, so even with electric assistance, we’re anticipating the P1’s fuel-economy estimates to come down stateside.

McLaren began production of the 903-hp, 664-lb-ft P1 over the summer and recently delivered its first customer-destined car. The Woking-based marque says it will produce one P1 a day until mid-2015, when the full 375-car production run is completed.