The McLaren P1 took the world by storm when it was first debuted in 2012 at the Paris Auto Show – a car that arguably shaped the company’s future with its hybrid powertrain.
Now more than seven years later, the Gaydon-based hypercar maker has finally confirmed that the long-awaited P1 successor is in the works, and will be making its appearance in 2024.
Just like its predecessor, the ‘Son of P1’ will also be powered by an electrified powertrain. Speaking to Autocar UK, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt said, “We haven’t announced the powertrain. Obviously, looking forward, it will be either hybridized or an EV.”
However, the idea of a full EV track-focused hypercar with current technologies might be a bit of a stretch even for McLaren, citing subpar user experience due to charging times.
“Take the 765LT as an example. We know a lot of customers are going to take that to the track. If it were an EV, you would be looking at maybe 30 minutes of running time and then plugging it in until the next day. That’s not a persuasive position,” continued Flewitt.
Although admitting that the specifications of the forthcoming pure-electric hypercars such as the like the Lotus Evija seem “incredible” on paper, Flewitt believes that McLaren customers look for more than just performance numbers.
“We don’t build cars like that: pure 0-200 km/h or 0-300 km/h or even top speed. It’s not the car’s purpose, it’s a consequence of the attributes we’ve designed into it.”
McLaren seems to be bidding heavily on electrification. Recent reports suggest the brand is looking to introduce an “entry level” hybrid sports car as part of its Sports Series.
With four years to develop the car, it’s not impossible to imagine a fully-electric McLaren P1-replacement with the rate of technology advancement these days. For now though, McLaren is probably focusing its efforts on the production of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8-powered McLaren Elva, which has recently seen a drop in production quota to “increase exclusivity“.
