Ahead of the public unveiling, McLaren is refusing to give any more details about the car. However, Autocar has managed to uncover some of the P1’s secrets. Despite the car’s dramatic exterior, it has a very similar footprint to the MP4-12C. McLaren sources say the P1 retains the “everyday usability” of the MP4-12C, with the same deep windscreen, narrow A-pillars and relatively slim width. In fact, the P1 is shorter than a current Porsche 911. The interior will be different from the 12C’s, with bespoke switchgear, but it is unclear whether the basic architecture of the cabin will remain unchanged.

The dramatic styling — a deliberate move by McLaren styling boss Frank Stephenson — is said to express the deeply technical nature of the car. The aerodynamically significant areas of the exterior — sculpted by McLaren’s wind tunnel experts — are exposed in matt black and the surfaces that have been styled are body coloured. The new headlamp design hints at the McLaren logo and is tipped for the facelifted version of the 12C.
There are also stylistic nods to the McLaren F1 in the roof’s air scoop, the single ridge running through the door skin (although it tilts in the opposite direction on the P1) and the fighter-plane-style cockpit sitting proud of the rear deck.

The P1 uses a modified version of the MP4-12C’s carbonfibre Monocell. The same basic door frame and mechanism is also used on the P1, although the door skin now extends on to the front wing. The outer panels are made from carbonfibre and the P1 is said to weigh less than 1300kg. The rest of the understructure is thought to be significantly different from the 12C’s.