Production of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren ends in May. And after the ultra-exclusive Stirling Moss edition runs through December, the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren will cease as well. Without a couple dozen SLRs taking space in the facility, McLaren will have some free time on its hands. What's a Formula 1-inspired company to do? Build another supercar, of course.
The heavily camouflaged, mid-engine car you see here is not a direct successor to the McLaren F1, but, if the butterfly-doors provide any indication, it will echo many elements of the 1998 icon. Codenamed P11, this new supercar will target the likes of the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo, requiring at least 500 hp, a featherweight design and a 0-to-60 time of less than four seconds.
To this end, expect plenty of lightweight and high-performance goodies trickled down from McLaren's Formula 1 endeavors, including carbon ceramic brakes, an automated transmission, and extensive use of carbon fiber. While no concrete details of the powerplant have emerged, reports peg Mercedes as the car's engine supplier, with the company's 6.2-liter V-8 as a prime choice. Expect as much as 600 horsepower from the engine.
McLaren will likely debut the P11 near the end of this year and start deliveries shortly thereafter with a price expected to be somewhere in the $250,000 range. Also, rumored to follow the P11's introduction are a convertible and high(er) performance GTR variant. Turns out bored supercar makers probably aren't such a bad thing after all.