Will the McLaren P1 LM be the fastest car up the Goodwood hill?

The car is a McLaren P1 for sure but the name on this model is Lanzante and the badge reads P1 LM. Le Mans is a corner of France that Sussex-based Lanzante knows well – it ran the semi-works McLaren F1 GTR that won on its debut at La Sarthe 21 years ago.

Lanzante has put all its McLaren, road car and racing know-how into turning the track-only GTR version of McLaren’s Ultimate Series road car back into a car registerable for the road. The ultimate Ultimate? Indeed.

And there’s not just one of them either, but a run of six – the first, this dark grey prototype, to be followed by another in dark grey and four in orange. The price is £2.95m plus taxes (the regular P1 GTR, all sold now, was circa £2m), and all are expected to be delivered to their owners in January 2017.

With 1000hp even running on 99 octane fuel from any forecourt, a faintly astonishing 60kg reduction in mass over the racing P1 GTR – itself 50kg lighter than the street P1 – plus a mind-blowing 40 percent more downforce, the P1 LM delivers numbers that are off the dial. It will be the rarest and quickest of all the P1s – something that no less a driver than 1999 Indy 500 winner Kenny Bräck will be out to demonstrate when the the LM makes its global debut at FoS this weekend. 

The LM uses essentially the same hybrid drivetrain as the GTR but with hardware changes that deliver more boost and hybrid power, guaranteeing the 1000hp (986bhp) combined output when running on everyday fuel. Gold-plated heat shielding (like the F1) features in the engine bay while the catalytic convertor pipes and exhaust headers are made from the ‘super-alloy’ Inconel, saving 4.5kg.

Where is the rest of the weight saved? A lot of it comes from ditching the race GTR’s air-jack system, plus the use of Lexan windows and titanium tailpipes and fixings. The seats save more weight: the LM gets those from the McLaren F1 GTR. Wheels and tyres are unique to the P1 LM but the Race Active Chassis Control is retained.

The GTR’s aerodynamics and styling are largely carried over but a modified rear wing and larger front splitter give a predicted increase in downforce of 40 per cent. This in a car that in GTR form was already said to generate 660kg of downforce at 150mph. You’ll spot the LM for its new rear wing but also its fully exposed carbon fibre roof.

Inside the air-conditioned cabin there are five-point seatbelts, orange Alcantara seat inserts, more carbon-fibre (even for the floor mats!) and a rather special steering wheel. It’s a modified version of that used in the championship-winning McLaren MP4/23 driven by Lewis Hamilton.

There are some other nice extras with the car, too. Such as engine diagnostics tablet computer, tailored car cover and battery charging system. Owners will also be treated to a 1:8 scale model of their car and framed picture.

After its demo runs at FoS the final set-up of the cars will be completed by Kenny Brack at the Nürburgring circuit.

Fastest road car at FoS this year? We shall soon know…