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2014 McLaren P1 Specs: 903 hp, F1-Style IPAS and DRS Systems, Plug-In Hybrid Powertrain [2013 Geneva Auto Show]

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By Alexander Stoklosa

2013 Geneva auto show full coverage

McLaren has been releasing teasing previews of nearly every aspect of the 2014 P1 supercar in the run-up to the 2013 Geneva auto show, but now it has dropped the motherload: The car’s until-now unknown powertrain specs. As expected, the F1 successor’s details are impressive, including 903 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque from a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V-8 engine—and an electric motor. Yes, the P1 has an electric motor powered by a medium-sized battery pack. In fact, the P1 is technically a plug-in hybrid. 

The mid-mounted gas engine is a heavily worked-over iteration of the same twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 that powers McLaren’s less-extreme MP4-12C sports car, and the electric motor was designed in-house by the company’s electronics division. The engine produces a healthy 727 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque on its own, while the electric motor is rated for 177 ponies and 192 lb-ft. McLaren reworked the V-8′s engine-block casting to enable the electric motor to nuzzle up to its lower left side, and the duo’s might is funneled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. McLaren even fiddled with the electric motor such that it provides drag torque on the engine during upshifts to lower revs more quickly, which allows the transmission to shift faster.

As mentioned, combined output is 903 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, with max twist arriving at 4000 rpm. An E-Mode enables electric-only motoring for just over six miles on a full battery; the cells are replenished via motor-based regeneration on deceleration or by using a plug-in charger that fits in the luggage area. The 212-pound, liquid cooled battery pack lives above the fuel tank and just ahead of the mid-mounted engine, and is directly connected to the P1′s carbon-fiber monocoque. McLaren has yet to reveal the battery’s chemical make-up or capacity, but claims greater power density than any other production automotive battery.

2014 McLaren P1 steering wheel

Performance-wise, the P1 should be properly epic. But everything is made better by go-faster buttons, and McLaren put two of them on the P1′s F1-inspired steering wheel. The buttons control F1-style boost functions: IPAS (Instant Power Assist System) and DRS (Drag Reduction System). When activated, IPAS instantly unleashes full electric power—so all 177 horses. Push the DRS button, and the P1′s rear wing drops to a lower angle, reducing drag by 23 percent. The wing returns to its original, draggy position when the button is released or if the driver hits the brakes.

At the rate it’s going, McLaren won’t even need to reveal the P1 in Geneva—we can practically gather up all the individual details and put the puzzle together ourselves. You can bet it’s a puzzle the boys at Ferrari are scrambling to solve, too, given …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

McLaren P1′s Twin Power System To Deliver 903 Horsepower

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By Kurt Ernst

McLaren's P1 supercar - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar – image: McLaren

So far, McLaren has been tight-lipped about the potential output of its new P1 supercar. Until now, all we’ve known for certain is that it will benefit from a supplemental Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), meant to boost horsepower under acceleration. Technically, speaking, that makes the P1 a hybrid automobile, though that’s where the similarities between it and a Prius end.

McLaren's P1 supercar - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar – image: McLaren

The P1’s twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 (borrowed from the McLaren MP4-12C) will make 727 horsepower on its own, with peak torque (531 pound-feet) available from 4,000 rpm. Boosting output is a McLaren Electronics-designed electric motor, rated at an additional 176 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Since electric motors make peak torque from 0 rpm, that’s power that can be used to get the P1 moving, quickly, from a standstill, and if you’re keeping score at home that produces a total output of 903 horsepower and 723 pound-feet of torque.

McLaren's P1 supercar - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar – image: McLaren

Feeding the electric motor is a high-density battery pack that adds just 211 pounds to the car’s weight. To ensure maximum efficiency and cell life, the pack is liquid cooled, and it can be completely recharged (with a supplied plug-in charger) in only two hours. Once full, the pack supplies enough power in full electric mode for up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of driving.

McLaren's P1 supercar - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar – image: McLaren

The real purpose of the hybrid system, however, is supplemental power. There’s an IPAS (Instant Power Assist System) button on the steering wheel, and pressing it instantly serves up the extra 176 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque the electric motor delivers. KERS isn’t the only Formula One technology employed by the P1, either; opposite the IPAS button on the P1’s steering wheel is a button labeled DRS, for Drag Reduction System.

McLaren's P1 supercar - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar – image: McLaren

Like an F1 car, the P1 uses a movable rear wing to adjust downforce. While downforce adds grip in a corner, it also takes away speed in a straight line. Thumbing the DRS button will change the rear wing’s angle of attack, decreasing drag by as much as 23-percent. Release the button, or hit the brakes, and the rear wing takes a steeper angle, increasing drag and rear downforce.

Look for further details on the McLaren P1 to be revealed when the car breaks cover at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts