Productivity took a nosedive on the Goodwood Road & Racing desk yesterday when the sound of a McLaren P1 echoed around the paddock. Most of us scarpered outside for a closer look. It wasn’t an entirely unexpected arrival; Chris Harris had been driving it since early the day before. The Motor Circuit was the ultimate destination of a remarkable road trip (sorry, no spoilers here – you’ll have to wait for the video for more on that).
Thanks to the P1’s ability to run in fully electric mode, it was possible to drive the car onto the circuit for some static shots; given that it was designated silent day, the turbocharged V8 wasn’t allowed to fire up when the car was on track. Then, with light fading and more shooting to be done, Chris drove it into the Boultbee hangar, just below our offices, as darkness fell.
In the spotless environs of the hangar, surrounded by Chipmunks (used for pre-Spitfire training), a Harvard and a Tiger Moth, the McLaren contrasted wonderfully thanks to several hundred miles’ worth of road grime (and a good helping of West Sussex mud). To our eyes, that’s the best look for a hypercar: at the end of an epic trip, with a story to tell.
It’s going to make for a great video… Watch this space.
Photography: Nicole Hains / Adam Wilkins
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