2015 Geneva Motor Show: McLaren P1 GTR first official pics

THIS is the ultimate toy – a track-only version of the monster $1.55m McLaren P1 that’s officially christened as the McLaren P1 GTR. The answer to the Ferrari La Ferrari in road-going trim, the GTR version is a wound up, lightened, tightened and salvo launched Ferrari’s way and is set to debut at next month’s Geneva motor show.

The GTR looks more menacing thanks to its 50mm lower ride height at 80mm wider front track. Riding in Pirelli slicks, it’s 50kg lighter than the road-going P1 (so that’s a 1400kg mass) thanks to the same 3.2mm super-thing front windscreen from the road car, but also ditching engine components and other mechanical gear for the GTR version that were designed to make the P1 more comfortable as a road car. There’s also a set of huge twin exhaust pipes made of Inconel and titanium that save 6.5kg over the road car’s system.

There’s now 735kW– that’s a neat, round 1000PS or 789bhp in McLaren’s mother tongue – from the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, a healthy 62kW bump over the regular P1. Performance? Well, McLaren hasn’t given away any numbers, but considering its light and more powerful than the regular P1, which blitzes 0-100km/h in 2.8sec, we’re certain it’ll knock your socks off.

There’s more downforce, though, so there’s likely no improvement on the 350km/h top speed (which is limited, anyway). That rear wing sits 400mm above the GTR’s bodywork, 100mm higher than the road car’s wing, and generates 10 percent more downforce – meaning 660kg at 240km/h.

Oh, and that livery? Far from a tribute to the Australian cricket team, it’s yet another tip of the cap to one of the fleet of McLaren F1 GTRs that decimated Le Mans in 1995, the green and gold the colour scheme of the #06 McLaren campaigned by Mach One racing that claimed third in the race – behind both the victorious F1 GTR of Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing and second-placed Porsche-powered Courage C34.