What's the news?

Having spent the past few months drip feeding us details on the forthcoming P1 supercar, McLaren has unleashed an orgy of information on the new model that will be unveiled in production form at Geneva. The big numbers are 0-62mph in less than three seconds, a limited top speed of 217mph, a £866,000 price tag and a production run of just 375 units.

Exterior

McLaren says it consulted extensively with potential P1 buyers in relation to the looks of the car and whether or not it should change from the design study that was first shown in Paris. The answer was an unanimous 'no' meaning that, save for the addition of extra ducting ahead of the front wheels to aid cooling and downforce, the P1 will remain faithful to the car that wowed audiences initially.

Interior

As previously reported the interior of the P1 will be a distraction-free space with trim and decoration kept to a minimum, better allowing the driver to focus on the road ahead. The seats will be custom fitted for each buyer with future adjustments made at the workshop in Woking and, while sound deadening has been omitted to save weight, carpets will be offered as an optional extra.

Mechanicals

An F1-inspired KERS system (or Instant Power Assist System in McLaren-speak) has been employed to extract the maximum performance from the combined 916hp of the 3.8-litre V8 engine and electric motor system. The result is 0 -62mph in less than three seconds, 124mph in under seven seconds and 186mph in around 17 seconds. To put that into perspective the legendary McLaren F1 takes five second longer to hit the 186mph mark. Rather than chasing the Bugatti Veyron's top speed McLaren has chosen to electronically peg the P1's speed at 217mph.

The tyres for the new supercar were specially developed for McLaren by Pirelli while the carbon ceramic brakes come from the same company that supplies components to the F1 team.

Anything else?

To ensure exclusivity and desirability only 375 examples of the P1 will be built, each carrying a £866,000 asking price.