Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Design/Style, Luxury, McLaren
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/mclaren-p1-opt.jpg
Press days for the [2012 Paris Motor Show](http://www.autoblog.com/paris-motor-show/) have yet to get underway, but Autoblog's European Editor, Matt Davis, has already gotten a good look at what is sure to be one of the exhibition's brightest stars, the [McLaren P1](http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mclaren/).
While Davis was not permitted to take photographs of the new design study until its formal unveiling, our man received a walkaround with designer Frank Stephenson, and what he found was so compelling that he called us right from the show floor to file some notes. According to Davis, "The car is impressively compact - barely bigger than the [MP4-12C](http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mp4-12c/), but all the comments that were negative about the 12C's design being somewhat basic and derivative should go away with this car." In contrast to most modern supercars that are surprisingly large (e.g. [Bugatti Veyron](http://www.autoblog.com/bugatti/veyron+eb+16.4/), [Lamborghini Aventador](http://www.autoblog.com/lamborghini/aventador)), the P1 follows in the footsteps of the legendary [McLaren F1](http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mclaren+f1), which was a lot smaller than most people realized. The P1 is about the size of a [Porsche 911 GT3](http://www.autoblog.com/tag/porsche+911+gt3/), suggesting weight should be held in check.
Designer Stephenson calls the P1's form "shrink wrapped," yet there's still much more surface interest than with the company's MP4-12C. Davis notes that the design is "very organic in that almost all of the aero elements you see are designed into the body." Among the car's aero tricks, when the rear wing air brake rises to its 32-degree angle maximum, there are also hidden underbody Gurney flaps that open to level out the car.
Power estimates are still under wraps, and while the car seen here is still technically a concept, it is widely expected to spawn a near-identical production series sometime late next year.
We're looking forward to sharing more with you shortly, but for now, feast your eyes on the gallery.
Early thoughts from our McLaren P1 supercar walkaround originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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