Top 10 Things You Should Know About the McLaren P1

5. 1,300 Pounds of Down Force

The P1’s body was extensively tuned in a wind tunnel. The heart of its aerodynamics package is a special rear wing that automatically adjusts. During track driving it can extend rearward by up to 300 millimeters (almost a foot) and its pitch can be altered by 29 degrees. This variability enhances down force. Interestingly, just like a Grand Prix car the rear wing can be adjusted to reduce down force in certain situations, resulting in greater straight-line speed.

The car’s underbody was also tuned for performance. There are two automatically adjusting flaps mounded ahead of the front wheels that help tweak its aerodynamic efficiency for different driving conditions. At less than maximum speed the McLaren P1’s body generates 600 kilograms of down force (roughly 1,320 pounds), more than any production road car and about five times more than the MP4-12C.