McLaren reveals P1 performance stats

This is the moment quite literally some of you have been waiting for. You've seen the camouflage development mules. You've seen the interior. You've learned about its hybrid drivetrain and how much power its packing.

Today, you will learn that the McLaren P1 supercar will accelerate from 0-62mph in "less than three seconds" and on to a limited top speed of 218mph. Fast, no?

That's not all. McLaren has revealed more acceleration details with which you can arm yourself in the inevitable Discussing Which Supercar Is Best In The Pub On Friday Night With Friends game (deluxe edition). The P1 will sprint from 0-124mph (0-200km/h) in less than seven seconds, and go from 0-186mph (0-300km/h) in 17 seconds. McLaren rightly informs us that last benchmark is some nine seconds quicker than the old McLaren F1.

See NEW pics of the McLaren P1

To provide you with some perspective, the Porsche 918 Spyder is estimated to hit 62mph in under three seconds and 124mph in around eight seconds, while a Bugatti Veyron SS - the 1,183bhp orange merchant of speed - hits 124mph from rest in 7.3 seconds and 186mph in 15 seconds dead. So despite McLaren's claims that the P1 was never meant to be the fastest outright, it's clearly no slouch.

Production is limited to 375 models only, combining - as you know - a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 to an electric motor to provide 903bhp. And because it's a hybrid, emissions (combined) sit below 200g/km of CO2. There are also DRS and IPAS technologies on board to ally it closely with the company's Formula One activity. This is Good.

Pirelli has been working with McLaren on the tyres too, and has developed a special compound for the P1, probably something a little bit less rubbish than the F1 tyre TopGear.com made in Turkey. Ahem.

And here's one of the best bits about the P1. We're told the brakes are akin to those on a GT3 racer, developed by Akebono and featuring a new kind of carbon ceramic disc, previously used in space. Space!

Sadly, for us mere mortals, the price is equally cosmic. Because McLaren has confirmed that this limited run, 903bhp rear-wheel-drive hypercar that we estimate will weigh around 1,500kg, will cost £866,000.

That's quite a chunk of change, but then the upcoming Porsche 918 Spyder and new Ferrari Enzo aren't going to be cheap. Which of the trio would you be most inclined towards, readers of the Internet?