P1

Make
McLaren
Segment
Coupe

It's hard to believe the mighty McLaren P1 is already five years old. Right now, it represents the pinnacle of performance possible in a McLaren road car, but soon it will look decidedly dated against the new generation of hypercars lead by the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG Project One. Not to be left out, McLaren is already plotting the P1's future successor to complete the next hypercar holy trinity. Currently codenamed the BP23 Hyper-GT, the automaker says its next hybrid hypercar will be "the fastest ever McLaren."

Following some early teaser sketches, McLaren has revealed new previews and details about its next Ultimate Series hypercar. Glance at the photos provided by McLaren, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you were looking at a 720S. That's because you are – or at least the exterior of one. Yes, the BP23 Hyper-GT is being developed by McLaren's bespoke Special Operations division using a 720S test mule. One look at the interior in photos posted by Top Gear, and becomes clear that this is no ordinary 720S. It's been converted into a three-seater with a central driving position akin to the legendary McLaren F1.

The interior used for the test mule was only finalized a few months ago, and the final car will have the same 1+2 seating arrangement. While the BP23 is being touted as fastest, most powerful, and most aerodynamic road-going McLaren yet, the automaker is keen to stress that it won't be track-focused. It also won't be chasing lap times as a measure of performance. Surely, then, the only way McLaren can make such a bold claim is based on the BP23's acceleration or top speed? "It's just faster - that's all we're saying at the minute," McLaren's Ultimate Series line director Andy Palmer said in an interview with Autocar.

"The goal of this car is to give customers the ability to have a high level of luxury, bespoke elements on the car, high performance, high speed – a very much road-focused grand tourer." If you're looking for a new track-focused McLaren monster, look no further than the P15 Ultimate Series which will apparently arrive before the BP23 due to the three-seater's complexity. Traditional side mirrors may also not feature on the BP23 and instead be replaced by cameras – though this system isn't legal in some parts of the world yet. Like the P1, the BP23 will be powered by a hybrid powertrain to extract more power from its twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

The P1's hybrid setup produced 902 horsepower allowing the hypercar to accelerate to 62 mph from a standstill in just 2.8 seconds, so it's successor has a tough act to follow. McLaren certainly seem confident it can pull it off. Deliveries of the BP23 are due to start in 2019, but if you want one we're afraid you're too late – all 106 models slated for production have already sold out.