Pebble Beach, California – It is part classic auto concours, part new car auto show, part art show and it’s pure spectacle. It’s the only place on earth where you can find the most expensive cars in the world, in a single day and sometimes, in a single place. It’s the place where extremely wealthy individuals come to showcase their latest, greatest and shiniest toys and letting us mortals get as close as one can get to one of those precious gems.
First day in Pebble Beach today and our first encounter with a one-of-a-kind automobile: McLaren P1. Parked on the streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and with no owner on sight, the P1 was the main attraction for the thousands of visitors pulling into the city ahead of the three-day weekend filled with car activities.
The 903 horsepower makes uses of some of the technology found in the F1 racing model. The P1 is powered by a hybrid powertrain with a small 3.8 liter V8 engine producing 757 hp and an electric motor which adds an extra 176 hp.
The system is similar to the KERS system found on F1 cars and the electric power is activated via a button on the steering wheel.
As a real racing car, the P1 comes with a rear mounter spoiler that can be adjusted to decrease drag by as much as 30%. Boasting more downforce than any other road car, the P1 generates 600kg of downforce @ 161mph which puts it in the same ballpark as a Porsche GT3.
0-62mph comes in less than 3.0 seconds, 0-124mph in less than 7.0 seconds and 186mph in less than 17 seconds with a top speed of 349 km/h.
Total cost for this ultra-sophisticated automobile? $1.4 million.
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