[Mark07]

In the early 90's, McLaren produced their iconic F1 production car. It took nearly 20 years for them to release it's successor the P1, a 903bHP hybrid hyper car.

Well after a decade, it has been confirmed that their latest offering will be announced, Sunday 6th October 2024.

This new hybrid hypercar has some big shoes to fill.

[Drivingforfun]

Sounds quite cool

I wonder what the electric range is?

I was reading of a hybrid Lamborghini which has an EV range of something like 800 yards, and you need to open the bonnet to charge it, but it's technically a hybrid so you can drive it in clean zones

I don't know whether it's good or bad?? I guess it's up to the policymakers to close the loopholes if the company is acting legally

[Mark07]

The McLaren P1 had an EV range of 20-30 miles (i think). My assumption is that it's primarily using the battery for initial acceleration off the line/out of corners.

I don't think anyone could call these green cars, not with a straight face anyway.

[Drivingforfun]

The thing is that you can make them look like semi-respectable green cars using the testing process

Assume a 20-mile test route and say you have a very thirsty hybrid supercar that does 4 miles per gallon, and has an 18 mile EV range, so you only use petrol only for 2 miles - at 4mpg that's half a gallon

They're only required to state the fuel used over the whole route, so they can say they've driven 20 miles and used half a gallon, which isn't a lie, but they're allowed to divide the half gallon used by the full route, so in our example it leaves us with 40mpg, which makes it look like a normal family hatchback

In the USA I believe they make hybrids display their "immediate" MPG while using the engine which I think is a much more useful stat - I think the European method of allowing you to include miles where you weren't even using the engine is actually disingenuous - I mean if you get out of your car and walk the last mile could you include that as well...? 🤔

Hopefully people don't think I'm saying at all that hybrids are bad, they're not, just I think companies shouldn't attempt to mis-sell them

[NMNeil]

But why produce a car with over 900bhp?
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/mot...scape-29907630

[Mark07]

Realistically, a handful of these cars will be produced and bought.

The impact to the average person is that we start to see elements brought into everyday cars. I'm sure that safety and performance features from F1 have eventually trickled down into everyday cars.

Personally, I enjoy seeing what is now possible. How far they've advanced etc. The funny thing is that the McLaren F1 (1990's) and Ferrari F40 (1980's) can probably still hold their own against most supercars.

[Rolebama]

My daughter lives just off the A1. When I leave her place I am expected to merge with 60mph traffic, which is the speed limit, from a standstill, as there is no slip-road, and vision is obscure by trees. You can see maybe 100yds down the road. In busy periods I feel 900bhp would enable me to join said traffic quite comfortably.

NMNeill; I think this is a 'because we can' scenario.

[NMNeil]

@Rolebama But the market is now so limited for high speed cars that it just seems pointless to spend so much in development costs for something that can't be sold in many countries (Australia and the USA will be joining that list)
https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/spe...ters-australia
It was only a matter of time with so many people being killed by cars driving well over the speed limit.

[olduser]

Originally Posted by Mark07

The McLaren P1 had an EV range of 20-30 miles (i think). My assumption is that it's primarily using the battery for initial acceleration off the line/out of corners.

I don't think anyone could call these green cars, not with a straight face anyway.

They will be storing energy from braking in the battery, if they go as far as F1 cars they also use engine overrun to charge the battery.

The odd thing is, they are probably greener than your average hybrid, under certain conditions these use engine power to charge the battery.
A very expensive way of producing electricity in cash terms or greenness (if that is a word).

[Mark07]

@olduser do you think there are any other features from F1 that'll filter down?

Do any production cars use brake by wire?

[olduser]

All electric cars use regeneration and hybrids.

It is where the hybrid's claim to be green comes from, recovering some the energy that would have been dissipated in heat in the brakes into the battery to be used to drive the vehicle.
Electric vehicles do the same thing in varying degrees (usually adjustable) to extend the range.
Nissan's one pedal system is an example of this taken to the maximum possible.

The needs of F1 cars are quite different to road cars but in principle they recover energy from slowing to reuse it to add power to the drive chain.

In all cases, the amount of energy recovered is limited by the rate at which the battery in the system can be charged, and of course the battery must have available capacity, if it's full it cannot take anymore charge, battery overheating can also limit the amount recovered.
(Batteries tend to get hot with high discharge or high charge rates.)

One solution to these problems could be to use a Super Capacitor it absorb the high charging while slowing, with recovered energy being fed more slowly into the battery at a slower rate.
Super capacitor, is basically a large capacitor. (Capacitors' or condensers store electricity)