McLaren P1: nouvelle Mclaren F1 (codenamed P12)

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Nouveau publi-reportage ? A vous de le dire ... essai par revue Américaine, oubliez le chauvinisme.

What's it like to drive?

"Astonishing," is the simple answer. Forget the Ferrari 458 or F12, or the Enzo. Forget, also, the marvelous old McLaren F1, although you can sense similar genes. The new P1 is way faster, way more agile and much more composed at high speed. The brakes, too -- carbon-ceramic discs specially developed by McLaren's Grand Prix partner Akebono -- are outstanding, the best road car brakes we've sampled.

The Porsche 918 Spyder is the closest you'll get to a McLaren P1, but it's less powerful, it's heavier, and with its four-wheel drive and greater reliance on electronic controls, feels more like the digital experience rather than the raw driver's car; more secure but less thrilling.

The P1 is astonishingly fast on the track. The handling balance, especially in "race" mode, is superb. It's predictable and controllable, but the high speed and enormous power mean the P1 is a car demanding great respect. Even with the traction control engaged, it's easy to get rear wheel spin, so vast is the power and torque.

The surprise flipside is the P1's tractability and ease of driving on the road. In default "Normal" setting -- for powertrain and handling -- it can happily scoot around town, comfortably and with decent visibility, its transmission in smooth-shifting "auto" mode. It's only when you stab the right pedal you realize the McLaren's other-worldly capabilities.

Do I want one?

You bet! The McLaren P1 is the nearest thing there's ever been to a road-legal Grand Prix car, developed by one of the most successful F1 teams. Here, surely, is the ultimate automotive experience. At least until the daftly named LaFerrari -- promising more power but fewer aerodynamic tricks -- is available.

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Je serais curieux de connaitre le prix de la gâterie, peinture mate grise, vaut mieux peut-être pas ... perso, trouve superbe et je ne suis pas un fan d'habitude.

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Petit tour du propriétaire ...

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Essai Top Gear by Jeremy Clarkson (Commence après l'interview - segment 5). A vrai dire, sans intérêt, si ce n'est une belle vidéo sous la pluie. Pour les chronos, ce sera plus tard, face à la 918. Il semblerait que Porsche et Mclaren aient donné leur aval pour la confrontation sur leur circuit fétiche de Dunsfold.

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Le souffle ....

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L'arrivée en piste

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Race Mode ...