Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa March 2013 | Page 74

MOTOR TALK

BY RUSSELL BENNETT

Year of the Hybrid Hypercar

I

n the ultra-rarefied world of the true-blue
hypercar, the breed that emerged when the
trad supercar started becoming a bit too tame
and just a little passé, new launches don’t come
around all that often. What they do tend to
do, however, is roll around in groups, as each
manufacturer likes to steal some of the thunder
of the others since it’s all basically a big game of
one-upmanship anyway.
This year is going to be one of those
tumultuous periods. It’s even more momentous
than usual, as most of the new ultra machines
also incorporate all-new ideas about personal
propulsion. Yes, we’re talking hybrid tech. And
it’s in all of them. Here, then, is a brief rundown
of the three most monumental of the lot.

McLaren P1
When McLaren released the gob-smackingly
rapid MP4-12C, they made it clear from the
start that it was to be their middle ground in a
product lineup consisting of three tiers. The P1,
which will be shown to the world complete for
the first time in late February, is the pinnacle.

The F1 replacement.
The hypercar
It packs a combined power output of over
700kW, the majority of that coming from a
development of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 from
the 12C and the remainder from an F1-style
KERS (Kinetic Energy Regeneration System)
setup. The company has managed to keep further
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March 2013 SA Real Estate INVESTOR

details very close to their hearts since they’re the
first to be showing a full-production model, but
0-100km/h of sub-3s is the new standard, and
McLaren are sure to have over-engineered the
thing to be as light as possible, and as advanced
as today’s tech can make it.
Which basically means active aero, torque
vectoring distributing power to the driven
wheels, and a dual-clutch transmission. RWD?
We can only hope, but given the background of
the company, quite possibly. Finally, to ensure
exclusivity, McLaren has already committed to
making just 500 P1s. Ever.

Ferrari F70
Yes, the mighty Enzo is finally going to be
replaced by an all-new Ferrari f lagship. The
F70 has been spotted, heavily disguised, testing
all over European race tracks, and Ferrari have
released a few teaser images to fuel the hype,
but once again details remain sparse.
W hat we do k now however pitches it
remarkably close to the McLaren P1, which
will be unveiled just one month earlier. Well
over 700kW from a V12 boosted by KERS,
as both camps move to maximise their F1
technology transferral, in a lightweight allcarbon tub and body. The only question is, will
the Italian Stallion use some variation of the
unique AWD setup applied to the hideous FF
in this thoroughbred, or stick with a good old
RWD layout?

Even the pricing of both cars is close, at
approximately GBP800 000. Which won’t
leave you change from R20 million in SA, at
least. With the F50 having been limited to 349
units, and the Enzo to 399 (plus one extra built
exclusively for a Vatican charity), it could be
even more exclusive than the P1.

Porsche 918 Spyder
Without the F1 linkup, Porsche was free to
go in a slightly different direction, and the
918 is fitted with electric motors on each axle
orchestrated along with the petrol output
through an advanced torque-vectoring system.
All-in the system delivers a combined 614kW,
not as much as the other two but still good
enough for that sub-3s sprint.
More importantly however, is the petrol motor
itself. Porsche has gone for a screaming 4.6-litre
development of a V8 race motor, which ought
to be absolutely awesome. And yet the company
claims an average combined fuel consumption
of just 3l/100km!
As if all of this wasn’t enough, purchasers
of the circa R18 million Spyder will have the
option of shelling out another few million
for a limited-edition 911 Turbo S “Edition
918 Spyder” to complement their new hybrid
monster. W hich will also be a limitedproduction model like the one it’s named after,
with only, yep, 918 units being built.

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