- McLaren’s next hypercar is expected to feature a bespoke V8 and a lightweight hybrid system.
- The brand has not yet confirmed the name of its new flagship, currently codenamed P18.
- The highly anticipated successor to the P1 is scheduled to launch on October 6.
The long-awaited successor to the McLaren P1 appears set to launch on October 6, and to live up to its iconic predecessor, it will have to be extraordinary.
A couple of days ago, McLaren released a video looking back at the great F1 and P1 while suggesting that something new was in the works. An even more intriguing teaser has since been released and includes some of McLaren’s high-ranking executives and employees speaking about what defines a ‘1’ car from the brand.
Read: McLaren Dealers Get A Glimpse Of $2 Million Hypercar Coming In 2026
According to McLaren, ‘1’ cars have to be timeless, are “all about theater,” and need to be the best-sounding, best-looking, and best-performing cars of their kind. It ends by saying, “It’s time the world gets to see what McLaren is gonna do next,” before a date of October 6, 13:00 BST appears on the screen.
The teaser doesn’t confirm if the new car will be unveiled in full on October 6 or if McLaren simply intends to preview its next hypercar on that date, perhaps with some more teasers. Whatever the case may be, it makes clear the new creation is just around the corner.
The name of the car remains a mystery. It’s currently codenamed P18, but that isn’t expected to be retained for the production model. The focus on the ‘1’ name through this clip is a strong suggestion that, like the F1 and P1, it will simply have a single letter before the 1. We have no idea what this letter could be and finding one that has the same ring to it as F1 and P1 is difficult. The McLaren R1 sounds nice, but Yamaha uses R1 for one of its motorbikes. Z1 would also fit, but that’s been used by BMW, albeit decades ago.
Regardless of its name, the new hypercar is shaping up to be something very special. It’s expected to use a bespoke V8 that’s unrelated to the mill found in the 750S, and will be supplemented by a hybrid system roughly 70% lighter than McLaren’s current hybrid systems. Power should sit well beyond the 1,000 hp mark.
