PROVENANCE
First Owner, Georgia (acquired new in January 2015 via Dimmitt
Automotive Group, Pinellas Park, Florida)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

THIS CAR
The McLaren P1 is a showcase of cutting-edge technology and inspired design applied to automotive engineering. Incredible acceleration, handling, and braking deliver an exhilarating experience on the track, a rewarding drive on a favorite winding road, and remarkable convenience for the urban commuter.

Based in Woking, in the English home counties, McLaren road cars are styled with a nod to McLaren’s distinctive, modern chevron logo. The company, the namesake of Bruce McLaren, has been led for the last 35 years by Ron Dennis, a Londoner who started in Formula 1 as Jack Brabham’s mechanic and grew into the archetypal Formula 1 team boss.

This 2015 P1, numbered 220, is finished in Volcano Orange, with a leather, Alcantara, and carbon-fiber interior. At the time of cataloguing, this immaculate P1 had covered less than 200 miles since new.

The weight-saving mantra of Formula 1 is evident in the P1 – there are no permanent carpets or glovebox, thin glass is used, the carbon-fiber components are not lacquered, and, amazingly, the finished seats weigh only 23 lbs. each. The P1 is assembled from just five body panels, saving weight while increasing structural rigidity.

In stark contrast to traditional hybrids, which alternate between gas and electric power, the P1 uses its electric motor for torque fill to eliminate tiny inefficiencies in the gas engine’s performance. In those few milliseconds during gear changes, and while the gargantuan turbos are spooling up, the electric motor contributes seamless power. Phenomenal levels of downforce are generated using an active rear spoiler and an exhaust-utilizing diffuser, and high-grade and exotic materials are used throughout the car, including the brake rotors which are coated in silicon carbide.

The P1 produces sheer raw speed, but it is the power delivery that defies description. Both Chris Harris and Jeremy Clarkson, journalists who’ve had experience with hyper cars from around the world, saved their gasps for when the P1 was traveling beyond 150 mph and still accelerating with the same alacrity it had from 15 mph. The P1 is particularly stunning in fast, sweeping turns, as this is where the colossal, Formula 1-inspired downforce comes into play. At speed, the rear-wheel-drive P1 inspires confidence and is eminently controllable while drifting through a curve; and the prominent turbo whistle and popping wastegates deliver a visceral driving experience.

The rear spoiler adjusts in height and angle for maximum efficiency. At low speeds it sits unobtrusively flush with the body; at speed, it rises to provide downforce; and above 156 mph it feathers itself slightly for optimal effect.

Pirelli developed special tires especially for the P1 since stiff sidewalls are needed to cope with the extraordinary levels of downforce generated by the air moving over the P1’s surfaces.

Inside, the cabin is a welcoming yet purposeful space due to the translucent roof panels and the emphasis on simple, clean interface design.

The P1 is the future – not because it has almost 1,000 hp and is faster than other cars, but because this leviathan’s performance is so controllable and enjoyable. In under a minute, the P1 can seamlessly shift from commuter-car Jekyll to track-day Hyde. Many collector cars transport us back in time, but few allow us to glimpse the possibilities of the future as effectively as the P1; and fewer still are as jaw-dropping for 15-year-olds as they are for 50-year-olds. The P1 leaps that generation gap. Jeremy Clarkson called the P1 “a game-changer, a genuinely new chapter in the history of motoring.” All 375 examples have now been sold, making the chance to own this delivery-mile P1 a particularly compelling opportunity.