Currently reading: McLaren P1 vs McLaren F1
One is among the most iconic hypercars of all time, the other is an attempt to unseat it. We lay bare the numbers that make up the McLaren F1 - and the new McLaren P1

This year marks 21 years since the mighty McLaren F1 was launched. That car was, and remains, a landmark car. It was the world's fastest production car as well as one of the most expensive.

And now McLaren has launched a pretender to that crown - the McLaren P1.

In developing both models, McLaren used all the cutting edge technology and materials available to it in the pursuit of making their cars the best they could be. But 21 years separates them. Technology moves on. And now we lay bare the numbers that define both cars.

Autocar has produced digital books on the McLaren P1 hypercar as well as the F1 and 12C supercars.

Download the McLaren F1 digital edition.

Download the McLaren P1 digital edition.

Download the McLaren 12C digital edition.

McLaren F1 vs McLaren P1

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Car review

With hybrid hypercars from Porsche and Ferrari on the horizon, the stakes couldn't be higher - so has the P1 risen to the challenge?

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The Special One 7 November 2013

Error with Kerb Weight

1395kg is the dry weight of the P1, not the kerb weight. The kerb weight is in the region of 1,500kg. Making it 360kg higher than the F1.
Ofir 6 November 2013

F1 still the king

F1 so much simpler and approachable for the driver. If anything the new 458 Speciale is more comparable with the F1.
Marc 6 November 2013

An awful lot of extra power

An awful lot of extra power needed there by the P1, be interesting to know what the proper acceleration figures are rather than just the 0-100k. Guess it shows how far ahead of its time the F1 was Neither the P1 or the MP4-12 do anything for me, no emotion whatsoever. To me that's the biggest part of owning cars like these.
twyford 7 November 2013

Marc wrote: Neither the P1 or

Marc wrote:
Neither the P1 or the MP4-12 do anything for me, no emotion whatsoever. To me that's the biggest part of owning cars like these.
Do you mean visually they lack emotion? I guess that's that's a personal thing, I rather like the P1 as a car to look at more than I do the La Ferrari anyway. From the emotion in driving point of view, I'd have to ask if you're judging without having driven them, which seems a little unfair. Sure we take the word of magazines like Autocar, but I'm sure if I got to drive a P1 I'd find it had a whole heap more emotion than my 5 series as a driving experience.
Marc 7 November 2013

twyford wrote: Marc

twyford wrote:
Marc wrote:
Neither the P1 or the MP4-12 do anything for me, no emotion whatsoever. To me that's the biggest part of owning cars like these.
Do you mean visually they lack emotion? I guess that's that's a personal thing, I rather like the P1 as a car to look at more than I do the La Ferrari anyway. From the emotion in driving point of view, I'd have to ask if you're judging without having driven them, which seems a little unfair. Sure we take the word of magazines like Autocar, but I'm sure if I got to drive a P1 I'd find it had a whole heap more emotion than my 5 series as a driving experience.
Visually yes, but also as a package they do nothing for me. Obviously I've never driven a P1 but have been a passenger in a MP4 and was just left feeling cold by the whole experience. It just felt as though it was something built to be driven fast, and nothing more. I did once own a Ferrari 360 and that just felt special, even opening the garage door was an event and it felt good to just sit in, let alone drive it. It's something that Italian manufacturers (for all their faults) are able to do but others don't seem to understand. I have an Alfa Giulietta at the moment, it does nothing better than most other cars in its class, but it still makes me smile every time I look at it and drive it, you don't get that feeling with a Focus.