If there's any particular vehicle that can define the 2012 Paris Motor Show, it's the new McLaren P1 prototype.
A stunning design that causes a shock factor unlike anything else unveiled at Paris this week, McLaren claims the initial conception of the P1 made it so that both the engineers and designers must work hand in hand in its development from the very beginning. Driven by form following function, the engineers worked to create the best aerodynamic package possible while designers worked to improve the P1's aesthetics within a rather narrow window of artistic freedom.
Presenting the all-new McLaren P1 on the Paris floor was McLaren chairman Ron Dennis and managing director Anthony Sheriff joined by BBC presenter Lee McKenzie to ask the McLaren execs a number of questions regarding their latest and greatest production car yet.
According to Mr. Dennis, the McLaren P1 gets its name from McLaren's strong dedication to motor racing and the organization's constant pursuit for "P1", or first position, on the grid.
As far as what the P1 is meant to achieve for the company, Anthony Sheriff steps in to explain that the P1 is meant to be a vehicle that can function both as a race car and a road car just as exceptionally. An idea that was applied in both the previous McLaren F1 as well as the little brother MP4-12C, Sheriff claims that the P1 will take this philosophy "to its absolute extreme."
As Ron Dennis and Anthony Sheriff walk around the car, the executives indicate the large influences of negative space. Full of holes, vents, and blades to better channel airflow, Ron Dennis stresses that, "There's really nothing here which is for show. Everything is for a purpose, and of course it generates tremendous aerodynamic performance and efficiency."
Sheriff also adds that that P1 is capable of generating 600 kg of downforce, equating to "a teenage elephant as a passenger on the roof."
Check out the rest of Dennis and Sheriff's presentation of the McLaren P1 in the video below. Also be sure to check out what McLaren designer Frank Stephenson has to say about the latest P1 hypercar by McLaren:
