When it comes to showcasing the ming-bogging contents of the engine bay, McLarens are overly shy. Nevertheless, a tuner that handles Woking monsters has recently allowed us to grasp the complete mechanical beauty that lies underneath the engine cover of the P1. And the purpose of the stunt seems to go deeper that the obvious attention-grabbing effect.
We're talking about Hypercar Development, a Charlotte-based specialist whose extreme McLaren tech packages we've discussed in the past. The developer has delivered a piece of footage that shows the twin-turbo 3.8-liter heart of the hybrid monster coming to life.
Nevertheless, when a YouTube commenter asked the company if it plans to massage the P1, the specialist delivered a pretty surprising reply: "Work in progress, waiting for the owner who is open to letting us do a Tri-Boost build on theirs!"
We're taking the info with a grain of salt and we have plenty of reasons to do so. For one thing, it would be much more cost-effective to choose a McLaren supercar like the 12C or the 650S for such a build.
As for the tri-turbo package the company mentions, this can deliver 1,200 ponies, at least in the trim the developer showcased last year. For the record, the P1 incarnation of the Ricardo-supplied 3.8-liter V8 McLarens use delivers 737 horses.
Some might wonder why anybody would go through the trouble of adding another turbo, when a twin-turbo setup can easily generate outputs of over 3,000 horses, as demonstrated by some of the most extreme street car-based quarter-mile and half-mile drag race heroes out there.
The answer has to do with keeping the drivability close to the one offered by the factory car. And this is where the electric part of the P1's powertrain delivers a boost that goes way beyond its 177 hp output, offering the all-important instant response.
If the tuner does deliver on its promise, we'll be glad to bring you the uber-boosted McLaren P1 details.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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