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McLaren P1 GTR

Have you got a spare £2 million which is burning a hole in your pocket? Here’s the answer, but you’ll have to be quick, because there will be only 30 available and they’re likely to disappear fast.

Oh, just one thing….you won’t be allowed to drive it on the road.

The McLaren GTR is an uprated, and racetrack-only, version of the stunning P1 road car. It is the fastest and most powerful car ever built by McLaren Automotive and supported in a bespoke programme run by the company’s Special Operations division. Power comes from an enhanced version of the 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine and electric motor, which combine to produce an astonishing 1000PS.

McLaren

Production starts in May 2015 after the last of the run of 375 P1s is made and the racecars will be offered only to existing P1 owners who want something even more special than their near-enough £1 million runabout. Already the interest has been huge. I’m told some buyers are likely to just tuck them away as an investment or play with on their own circuits but included in the range of customers are some committed and experienced racers who will go wholeheartedly into the package.

Your £1.98 million gets you the car plus tyres and maintenance for a two year programme which will take you and your car to six Formula One class circuits around the world. There you will have your own garage, race engineer and driving coach along with your own McLaren race suit and helmet. In-car cameras and high-tech equipment used in F1 will help you improve your lap times and when you’re not behind the wheel you’ll also have the chance to go to McLaren’s Human Performance Centre to develop your skills in the same way that drivers like Lewis Hamilton moved from the nursery slopes to the pinnacle of his sport.

“It opens the doors to all our toolboxes,” said the man from McLaren, “to let our customers enjoy the ultimate driving experience.”

So that’s the package, but what about the car?

Well I’ve only seen a full-scale model in the high-security workshops at McLaren’s base at Woking in Surrey but it certainly looks the business.

It has been completely re-engineered to achieve its target of being the ultimate drivers’ track car. The aerodynamically-efficient ‘shrink-wrapped’ body shape has been worked on even more to offer maximum performance, superior handling and unmatched driver engagement.

Without having to comply to road regulations, the front track has been increased by 80mm and is coupled with a more aggressive GT-style racing front splitter. Reprofiled low temperature radiator ducts flow into the leading edge of the flared front wheelarches, while the active aerodynamic flaps are kept from the P1 in the floor ahead of the front wheels to ensure optimised balance front to rear.

An extra aerodynamic blade is set behind the front wheelarch to clean the air from the front tyres. It follows the line along the bottom edge of the dihedral doors, along the flank of the carbon fibre bodywork, to an additional side panel at the rear that ducts extra air into the high temperature radiator and improves the aerodynamic performance of the rear floor.

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The profile is as dramatic as ever, hunkered down on to the race-prepared suspension with a fixed ride height, lower than the standard car. The snorkel air intake, inspired by the design of the original McLaren F1 road car, stays within the roof structure of the carbon fibre MonoCage chassis. The wing mirrors have been repositioned to the A pillars, to put them closer to the eye line of the driver and reduce aerodynamic drag, while the trailing edge of the door-mounted radiator channels have been extended to draw more air down through the cavity within the door, and into the engine to aid cooling.

It has a set of lightweight 19-inch motorsport alloy wheels – 10.5-inches wide at the front, 13-inches at the rear – and are secured with quick-release centre-locking nuts. Tyre changes are made easier through an onboard air jacking system, similar to that seen on the McLaren 650S GT3 racer.

At the rear, a large, twin-element wing is mounted on dramatic carbon fibre pylons which extend around the rear of the bodywork. This fixed height wing is fitted with a hydraulically operated Drag Reduction System (DRS) as on a Formula 1 car, and has been honed to provide increased levels of downforce compared with 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 bodywork of the car has been reprofiled to improve aerodynamic efficiency below the large rear wing, and incorporates a quick-release system without affecting the rear wing.

A large carbon fibre diffuser dominates the lower half of the rear of the car. This is designed to work in tandem with the rear wing to enhance rear downforce and grip levels.

Below the rear wing sits the exposed, centrally mounted exhaust, which is a new design, developed exclusively for the GTR. Made from inconel and titanium alloy, the system maximizes the aural characteristic of the higher output 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine to maintain, and emphasise, the McLaren sound. The design of the exhaust has also changed, with a straight cut twin pipe setup now used in place of the single exit exhaust.

The GTR will run on bespoke slick tyres designed by Pirelli and are designed to offer a greater level of grip, cornering agility and handling balance. These characteristics allow much later braking into corners, higher apex speeds, and the earlier application of the throttle on the exit of corners, leading to improved lap times.

Each car will be built to the exact specification of its owner with a bespoke livery and is guaranteed to be the only one of its type in the world. You won’t even have to worry about it while you’re not driving it. McLaren will store it and look after it for you.

But then at that price, you’d expect some valet parking.

VITAL STATS:

Car: McLaren P1 GTR

Price: £1.98 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine and electric motor.

Power: 1000 PS combined

Max speed: Very fast

Performance: 0-62 mph under 2.5 seconds

Fuel consumption: Don’t even think about it.

CO2: Don’t even think about it.

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Journalist, broadcaster, former Regional Journalist of the Year of the Guild of Motoring Writers and overall motoring enthusiast.