P1 Question

[carbuilder2002]

I am pretty sure all of the P1's were built in Left Hand Drive but would love to be proved wrong.
My question is does anyone know the definitive answer to why there were no Right Hand Drive ones?
My guess as to the reason is that due to the limited number produced it may not have been worth the additional tooling to produce opposite hand Steering Racks, Pedal Boxes, Dash Layouts etc.
Having driven LHD cars on UK roads in the past it is very disconcerting trying to overtake and even make right turns so I am sure it is just as big a disadvantage in a P1 despite it's colossal overtaking power.
Mr MSO may have the true story but will he disclose it?

[Peloton25]

I can say you are correct about them all being LHD except for one test mule which now features the driver's seat somewhere else.

Don't have the definitive answer you seek on why producing RHD examples was not considered, but I'd expect cost was a major factor.

The UK saw deliveries of maybe two dozen or so P1s, and some of those even went off to other parts of the world where it was not posing any problem.

In a country like Japan there is a perception of status with having a LHD car - the 10 units of Ferrari's FJ50 special project car will all be built that way - so no real need for them there despite them also driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

McLaren would have missed some sales in Australia and Singapore where I believe LHD cars are basically forbidden, but they managed to sell out the planned production run without any great concern over this.

>8^)
ER

[carbuilder2002]

Guessing said test mule has the seat where it should have been to begin with.

[rusty_99]

Or it could be a mule for an upcoming tribute to the F1 car. It's been speculated on/announced a while ago that Mclaren was planning something with a middle seat. Would love to get a better idea of what they're working on. I also seem to recall someone saying that to place a driver in the middle and have two passengers on the side would be a nightmare for side impact crash tests which is why no one's tried it since the F1. Hopefully Erik has some more he's able to share .

[Peloton25]

Yes, the one car I was referring to is apparently the 'BP23' mule.

Not much more to say about the project that hasn't already been published online. According to boss Mike Flewitt, it's neither a replacement for nor a successor to the F1 - he has clarified that the P1 filled that role of F1 successor. A number of publications haven't been paying attention and seem to believe otherwise - or at least think the suggestion of something to the contrary will get their article more attention perhaps?

McLaren are calling it a Hyper GT and suggesting it will be the most powerful and fastest McLaren they have ever produced, and indeed it will feature the 3-seat layout they introduced with the F1. The project is still in the design phase, with customers getting their first look early next year. All are pre-sold with hefty deposits required and 106 will be made with no Spider or Racing-style variants.

The primary limiting factor for making more cars this way is US crash testing standards that have mandates for testing unbelted occupants - a very silly and outdated requirement. The 'BP23's will not be designed to satisfy this requirement and will therefore not be US-legal from the outset, necessitating the use of the DOT's "Show or Display" provision for import here. Despite that caveat, there are still a good number reserved by US customers.

>8^)
ER