Currently reading: McLaren P1 XP2R prototype not a special edition

New spy shots reveal revised test mule of standard McLaren P1 undergoing trials at the Nurburgring

McLaren has confirmed to Autocar that the McLaren P1 XP2R spied testing at the Nurburgring earlier this week is not a forthcoming special edition of the P1.

The prototype version of the hybrid hypercar was spotted by spy photographers at the German circuit earlier this week. The car features discreet 'XP2R' badging, prompting speculation in some quarters that McLaren is already fettling a higher-performance variant of its new machine.

However, when contacted by Autocar for verification, a McLaren spokesman explained that XP2R is a test mule of the standard P1.

McLaren uses three types of code on its development vehicles: XP denotes early test cars, VP for later ones and PP for nearly finalised models. Respectively, the tags indicate 'eXperimental', 'Validation' and 'Pre-production'. The '2' indicates that the car is the second test car, while the 'R' discloses that it is a revised prototype.

McLaren's P1, which costs around £866,000, uses a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 and KERS to produce a total of 903bhp and 664lb ft. Official performance figures have yet to be released, but it's thought that the P1 will be capable of 0-62mph in under 3.0sec and reach a top speed of 218mph.

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Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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