The Senna may be faster around a circuit and the upcoming Speedtail will easily beat it in a straight-line, but the P1 hypercar will always be remembered as one of McLaren’s best and most important road cars.
At the time it was launched, the British company’s automotive division was still in its infancy, having launched the half-baked MP4-12C only a couple of years before. When the P1 arrived, it established McLaren as a legitimate rival to Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche, and for years was the benchmark all other McLarens were compared to.
Doug DeMuro recently had the chance to drive one. This particular P1 is owned by real estate mogul Manny Khoshbin and may be familiar to some readers. It is bathed in matte carbon fiber and definitely looks gorgeous.
Also Watch: Matte Carbon McLaren P1 Makes Stealth Bombers Look Puny In Comparison
As usual, most of DeMuro’s review is focused on the interior and exterior styling of the hypercar as opposed to what it’s like to drive. He takes a detailed look at the stunning carbon fiber finish, for example, and mentions some of the least-discussed elements of the hypercar. One his favorite aspects of the car’s design is how McLaren beautifully integrated the brake lights and turn signals into the rear bodywork.
McLaren only ever built 375 examples of the road-going P1, excluding the crazed P1 GTR. Khoshbin’s is chassis number 142 and is the collector’s favorite driving car, high praise from a man who owns a Pagani Huayra, McLaren Senna, Mansory-tuned Bugatti Veyron and various other exotics.