A car’s interior tells a lot about what a car will be like. Take the funky interior of a Fiat 500 or a Rolls Royce’s which is full of leather, wood, and chrome. The inside is definitely as important as the outside and in some cases its more a case of it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Luxury cars don’t have to be pretty to work, just as long as they have lush interiors. Take the Maybach as a prime example of this. Far from being the prettiest sedan in the world, it still managed to attract buyers thanks to an interior that was better appointed than a room at the Burj Al Arab.
McLaren has revealed the interior of its P1 GTR and it goes without saying it is pretty extreme. More extreme than sky diving, bungee jumping, and going on a Contiki tour to West Africa. Design-wise it looks the same as the road car but with more carbon and less… stuff. The road-going P1 is already one of the lightest and most stripped out road cars ever made but the GTR version takes that to a whole new level. Making a McLaren lighter and more hardcore is a bit like adding more bounce to a kangaroo or making the sea wetter. It’s not something one can do without bending the laws of nature.
But my god those boffins at Mclaren have done it. The standout feature is that steering wheel, which is pretty much taken straight off Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 F1 racer. It comes with many buttons and as any male knows, the more buttons the better. If said buttons have a function then that’s a bonus. Luckily in the P1 they do.
On the carbon-clad steering wheel are all the main controls such as the the starter button, gear selector buttons, paddle shifters, E-Mode, and launch control. But there are other goodies too such as a ‘Boost’ button and my two favourites; DRS (Drag Reduction System) and IPAS (Instant Power Assisting Steering). Literally have no idea what they do but how cool would it be to push a button to turn on your IPAS?!
Moving on from that awesome steering wheel you get an instrument display that’s about as high-tech this side of a proper racecar. Oh and note the air vents. Unlike other stripped out track cars, the P1 GTR actually has a full functioning air condition system to make those track days just that bit more comfortable. Speaking of comfortable, the seats are made from carbon-fibre and are similar to the ones used in DTM cars – six point harnesses and all.
The exterior looks just as badass, as if it could be a baddie in a sci-fi movie. There’s exposed carbon, a deeper and wide splitter, sticky out aero bits on every corner, a re-designed rear diffuser, and of course that fantastically massive wing. To say it looks menacing would be an understatement. To say that it looks like the motoring equivalent of a lovechild of Hades and Cruela De Ville would be more correct. It’s hard to believe this is a hybrid. Shove that in your Prius and smoke it.
To recap the P1 GTR looks terrorific, it has the steering wheel from an F1 car, seats from a DTM car, and air con to keep you feeling fresh while looking cool. You must be asking yourself what’s the price for all this? Well people say money can’t buy happiness but with a price tag of £2 million or around NZ$4 million, this could be the exception.
While a steering wheel with buttons and carbon-fibre seats seems a lot for that kind of cash you also get a pretty epic car too. Let’s not forget this interior is also attached to an actual car. Only 20 P1 GTRs will be made available and only the 375 P1 owners will be offered the chance to purchase one. Included in the hefty price tag (presumably the heaviest thing about the P1 GTR) is P1 GTR Programme.
The programme gives 20 fortunate buyers with great fortunes the ultimate McLaren VIP experience including one-on-one coaching, the chance to partake in six race events held on actual F1 tracks around the world complete with your very own race team, and access to McLaren’s Technology Centre and racing simulator. All of which makes the $4 million price tag seem almost reasonable. Almost.
