What's all this about?

McLaren has readied the monster P1 GTR track special for its Geneva Motor Show debut by finishing the display car in an iconic Le Mans livery.

Where does the livery come from?

Car #51, the Harrods-sponsored McLaren F1 GTR (chassis #06R) that finished third at the 1995 edition of the endurance event, where five of the seven Maccas entered dominated the race; taking the outright win and securing four of the top five positions. This livery will be available to the lucky so-and-sos who get to buy this track-only hypercar.

Anything else you can tell me about the body?

The P1 GTR has a front track that's 80mm wider than the road-going P1 and it also sits 50mm closer to the tarmac. The aero kit on it, dominated by that huge, fixed rear wing, adds 10 per cent to downforce at 150mph, bringing the total pushing down on the car at that speed to a phenomenal 660kg. The rear wing still has the Drag Reduction System of the road car, while the side glass is now polycarbonate with a sliding 'ticket window' on the driver's side. All told, this 1,000hp brute weighs 50kg less than the road-going P1.

Hold on, 1,000hp?! That's an awful lot...

It is indeed, liberated from the IPAS powertrain thanks to 'significant updates and modifications'. Four-fifths of the power comes from the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, with the other 200hp provided by the electric motor. It's an awesome amount of grunt.

So what's the next stage in the P1 GTR story?

The P1 GTR will debut in production format at the Geneva Motor Show in a few weeks' time, alongside the mysterious 675LT, before the McLaren P1 Driver Programme kicks off with an initial test session at Silverstone followed by proper track time at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

Matt Robinson - 18 Feb 2015