McLaren has been on a major offensive recently. After closing 2016 by driving a 570S on a frozen lake and revealing the first of 15 new models set to appear before 2022 at March’s Geneva Motor Show, the brand has stepped up its revitalisation by teasing its fastest car yet.
Codenamed ‘BP23’ for now, the forthcoming hybrid supercar will be the quickest car from the Surrey-based brand since it was set up in 1963 and these are the first images of the car to be released.
To become McLaren’s most potent model ever, it’ll need to be nippier than the £866,000 P1 [pictured below], which could do 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 217mph.
Only 106 BP23s will ever be produced and they’ve already been sold to specially invited buyers at £1.65 million each, even though development of the car hasn’t even been completed yet.
That development process is being overseen by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) – the brand’s bespoke division tasked with designing and crafting the luxurious new addition to the McLaren Ultimate Series product family – so you can bet your house on the fact that the BP23, or whatever it ends up being called, will be something special.
The reasons behind the numbers
What about that name though? Bit random, isn’t it? Yes, but each character is telling of an aspect of the car’s background – it is MSO’s second bespoke project and it has three seats. Pretty straightforward really.
But why only 106 units?
Another peculiarly specific number and again, one that bears major relevance.
Rather than a nod to Peugeot’s boxy and basic runaround, this number is an homage to how many 1992 McLaren F1 cars [pictured below] were produced in total.
Not much has been revealed about the BP23’s powertrain, but if it is to outpace the 903bhp P1, it may need to tip into a four-figure power output.
McLaren is keeping the BP23’s top speed close to its chest too, because the bosses at the brand know that as soon as they confirm it, Hennessey (the guys responsible for the Venom GT) “will go out and build something faster”.
After the Bugatti Chiron’s 288mph, how much faster can we really go? We’re keen to find out…
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