McLaren reveals P1 successor ahead of October 6 unveiling

The car, codenamed P18, will feature advanced aerodynamics and a custom hybrid powertrain

It looks like the much-anticipated successor to the McLaren P1, set to be unveiled on October 6, will have to be something extraordinary in order to live up to its iconic predecessor.

A few days ago, McLaren released a video that looked back at the great F1 and P1 while hinting that something new was in the works. It has since released an even more interesting teaser featuring some of McLaren’s executives and employees talking about the definition of the brand’s “Type 1” car.

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According to McLaren, the number 1 car must be timeless, “all about drama”, and must be the best sounding, best looking and best performing car in its class. It concluded by saying, “It’s time for the world to see what McLaren does next”, before the date of October 6, 13:00 BST, appeared on the screen.

The teaser doesn’t confirm whether the new car will be fully unveiled on October 6, or whether McLaren is simply planning to preview its next supercar that day, perhaps with a few teasers. Regardless, it clearly indicates that a new car is coming.

The name of the car remains a mystery. It’s currently codenamed P18, but it’s not expected to keep that name for the production model. The focus on the “1” in the name in this video strongly suggests that, like the F1 and P1, it has only one letter before the 1. We don’t know what that letter is, and it’s hard to find one that sounds the same as the F1 and P1. McLaren R1 sounds good, but Yamaha uses R1 in one of its motorcycles. Z1 would also fit, but BMW has already used it, albeit decades ago.

Whatever the name, the new supercar is going to be a very special car. It is expected to use a bespoke V8 engine that is unrelated to the one used in the 750S, and will feature a hybrid system that is about 70 percent lighter than McLaren’s current hybrid system. Power should be well over 1,000 horsepower.