This year promises to be a very special one for hyper car enthusiasts. The big three names in the industry, McLaren, Porsche and Ferrari, will be announcing their limited edition models. Fuelled by intense rivalries, each attempt to construct these fine motoring machines results in technical boundaries being pushed and new standards in performance being set in the supercar industry.
The Trend began in the 1980s when Porsche launched the limited edition 959, the fastest and most sophisticated road car of the time. A few years later, Ferrari responded with the F40, creating a motoring experience of a powerful engine and light body minus all the bells and whistles. In 1993, McLaren introduced the legendary F1. With the first cars to break the 200 mph barrier, the super car rat race had begun.
With the F1 as its ancestor, the new McLaren P1 has big shoes to fill. Production is capped at 500 units and the car is rumoured to be powered by a turbocharged V8 engine aided by a Formula 1 KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) electric motor. Expected to churn out over 900 hp, McLaren says the car will aim to break the record for the fastest track performance in the road car category.
Biting at its heels will be the Porsche 918, packed with a 4.6 liters V6 engine in addition to two electric motors powering the front and rear wheels independently. The results will be an all-wheel drive hybrid vehicle with a combined output of just under 800 hp.
Last, but certainly not the least, is the eagerly awaited Ferrari F-150. Few details are available on the specifications, but Ferrari has confirmed that the F-150 will be powered by a hybrid V12 engine and an electric motor; company representative claims that performance figures will be close to that of Formula 1 cars!
For car enthusiasts, the wait couldn’t be longer. But with launch dates all but announced, it is anybody’s guess how the cars will stack up against each other.
By Adeel Jawaid