Top Gear promised us a comparison test between three machines that represent the very finest of the automotive world and we’ve been waiting over a year for this to come together.
But no more because we have decided to review the three breathtakingly good looking and hugely powerful hypercars of the century: LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder and the McLaren P1 because this combination of more than 2700 bhp with the help of two V8 and a V12 attached to electric motors is absolutely phenomenal.
EXCLUSIVITY
| Car | Number of units that is made |
| McLaren P1 | 375 |
| LaFerrari | 499 |
| Porsche 918 spyder | 918 |
Clearly, McLaren P1 is the rarest of all three and Porsche is still taking the orders for the 918 while all the P1s and LaFerraris are already sold out.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Ferrari LaFerrari
| Engine | V12, 6262cc, plus 120kW electric motor |
| Max Power | 950bhp at 9000rpm |
| Max Torque | 715lb ft at 6750rpm |
| 0-60 | 2.6 sec (claimed 0-60) |
| Top Speed | 217 mph plus (claimed) |
Porsche 918 Spyder
| Engine | V8, 4593cc, plus 95kW and 115kW electric motors |
| Max Power | 875bhp @ 8600rpm |
| Max Torque | 940lb ft @ 6600rpm |
| 0-60 | 2.8sec (claimed 0-62) |
| Top Speed | 211 mph-plus (claimed) |
McLaren P1
| Engine | V8, 3799cc, twin-turbo, plus 131kW electric motor |
| Max Power | 903bhp (combined) @ 7500rpm |
| Max Torque | 664lb ft (combined) @ 4000rpm |
| 0-60 | 2.8sec (claimed) |
| Top Speed | 217mph (limited) |
WHAT MAKES LAFERRARI SO SPECIAL?
- Cause Ferrari manufactures it and if that’s not enough then let me just tell you that it is the fastest road legal Ferrari ever built and has clocked the classic Italian Fiorano Circuit in 1 minute 20 seconds driven by Fernando Alonso.
- HY-KERS (Hybrid Kinetic Energy Recovery System) charges the electric motor, the technology that Ferrari uses in their Formula-1 cars.
- Special curves, notches, wings and spoilers in the car enable it to have an amazing drag coefficient of nearly 0.3.
- Four different types of carbon-fibers have been used in making of this exclusive Ferrari to decrease weight and improve torsional rigidity and beam stiffness.
WHAT MAKES MCLAREN P1 SO SPECIAL?
- Everything on the P1 is configurable and changeable. It automatically adjusts its suspension, aerodynamics, and drivetrain to deliver the best possible performance, given the conditions.
- RCC (Race Active Chassis Control) has been integrated that lowers the body by 50% and stiffens the suspension by 300% to reduce drag lowering.
- IPAS (Instant Power Assist System) that integrates electric motor into the power-train to sharpen the overall response of car.
- DRS (Drag Reduction System), the active aerodynamic system that changes angles of wing whenever DRS Button is pressed, reducing drag by 23%.
- Carbon Ceramic Brakes has been installed to absorb the 50 per cent more energy than conventional ceramic rotors.
WHAT MAKES PORSCHE 918 SPYDER SO SPECIAL?
- Usage of multiple composites to make the car including carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic body panels.
- 6L V8 attached to two electric motors in an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) fashion.
- Porsche Active Aerodynamic (PAA) to adjust aerodynamic elements of the car.
- 5 different modes from e-Power to hot lap to suit all your moods.
- Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) to regulate the damping force for each wheel. The leveling and ground clearance can be adjusted with it.
THE FINAL VERDICT
These cars should be put on a piece of road against each other to make the apt opinions about their drivability but with the help of basic level of research, feedbacks and our own computations, we have formed the following perception.
If you crave for raw power and connect to your car then LaFerrari is the car for you. It is the QUICKEST in a straight line closely followed by McLaren, keeping Porsche at the third place. LaFerrari feels smooth and even P1 generates less roll than Ferrari in even its best settings.
If you need a car with amazing high-tech gadgets then go for P1. The car is smoothest during the low efforts and low speed shifts. The car offers a great drive-train sound and blistering torque in middle 4K to 9K rpms.
If you are Richard Hammond then you should go for Porsche 918 Spyder. Period!
