McLaren P1 And Porsche 918 Spyder
We are not talking about some secret project coming from Area 51; we are talking about the newest supercars developed and conceived in the minds of the best engineering geniuses of Porsche and McLaren. Ladies and gentleman, here we go again, the British vs. Introduced as a concept back in 2010 on the Geneva Motor show, the Porsche 918 Spyder showed us a glimpse of the future. Porsche used the opportunity to present a car that will replace the mighty Porsche Carrera GT. However, this new car was a hybrid, and petrol-heads usually do not like hybrids. At the same time, a few hundred kilometres from Geneva in Woking, Surrey, chaps called Martin Whitmarsh and Ron Dennis were thinking about the same concept. How can they produce a supercar that will utilize Formula 1 technology such as KERS the best way? Their solution was a car so powerful and so mesmerizing that it would overshadow even the best of the previous lot, such as the Ferrari Enzo or the McLaren F1. Nevertheless, Porsche introduced their supercar in 2013 - almost at the same time that McLaren presented their latest creation.
Everybody realised that the battle for the throne had begun, and two of the best car-manufacturers in the entire world met head-to-head. The development of these cars was heavily influenced by technical breakthroughs achieved on Formula 1 cars. All of a sudden, Formula 1 had some kind of hybrid system, and electricity started to play a more important role in the business. Happily, McLaren was in the business, and they actually developed a car called MP4-12C, whose base architecture was used for building this new monster. With a lightweight monocoque carbon-fiber chassis, a retuned 3.8-litre turbo-charged V8 and a newly developed suspension, McLaren wanted to create the best-performing sports car in the world. But, how does it perform! Well, there is only one place in the world where test-drivers can put the McLaren through its paces and compare it with anything else - the Nurburgring. Although McLaren visited the track with the P1, they have not disclosed any official data about the time the McLaren P1 achieved.
However, sources from the McLaren and from the track are saying that the British have created a monster that lapped the 鈥楻ing in less than 6.50 seconds. Actually, an unofficial statement coming from an unknown source from Germany said the McLaren P1 lapped the 鈥楻ing in 6.30 seconds. Nevertheless, McLaren P1 really is a technical masterpiece, and the driver will surely appreciate its power, brutal acceleration to 62 in 2.8 seconds and electronically limited maximum speed of 217 mph. However, IPAS and DRS buttons on the dash will be appreciated even more. This is kids鈥?stuff. The act of hard acceleration while exiting the corner and pressing IPAS and DRS buttons will grant the maximum amount of pulling power and catapult the car to speed. IPAS activates the maximum power of the e-motor (176 HP), and DRS lowers the rear spoiler, retracts down-force wings and basically makes the car more slippery.
Remember when everyone wanted NO2 systems in their cars? Well, this is it, only better. The Porsche 918 Spyder, on the other hand, lacks just that. 500,000 cheaper than the McLaren P1. Unlike the McLaren P1, which is aimed at brutal drivers who will use the car mostly on the track, Porsche made the 918 Spyder much more usable and practical on normal roads. Let us now forget about E-Power and Hybrid driving modes, and try to figure out what is hidden behind Race Hybrid or even Hot Lap driving modes. In short, the throttle response is ferocious, PDK transmission changes gears faster and more brutally than ever, and all three engines are at their maximum, working to provide the driver with full power at all times. The basic performance figures remain the same, but the feel, sheer driving drama and the sound are increased. What鈥檚 more, the suspension becomes more rigid, providing much more grip, and, as a result, lap times go down considerably.