Jay Leno’s McLaren P1 is the best car he’s ever driven

Tonight Show host Jay Leno was among the very few lucky people to get delivery of their McLaren P1. McLaren has committed itself to make just 375 units of the P1 hybrid hypercar which replaces the legendary McLaren F1. Gone is the naturally aspirated V-12 engine and the ridiculously cool central driving position. Instead, the McLaren P1 uses a twin-turbocharged V-8 and a hybrid power delivery system. Earlier, Jay Leno went to England to try the P1 on the Top Gear test track where it was developed. We could see how chuffed he was when he first drove the car. Jay was also the first person outside of McLaren to drive the new P1.

A few weeks back, pictures of Jay’s McLaren P1 emerged on the internet where it was spotted being delivered to the local McLaren dealership. Since then, we hadn’t heard from Jay about his new McLaren, until now. Thanks to NBC, we can share the very first exclusive look at Jay Leno’s McLaren P1. In the following episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the famous talk show host is accompanied by McLaren CEO as they chat about the brand’s technological achievements followed by a quick drive to the hills.

From the onset, McLaren wanted to create a pure driver’s car and the team faced an uphill task right from the get go. The P1 is based around a carbon fiber monocoque tub sprung on all four ends via a unique hydraulically connected suspension system, first seen on the MP4-12C. At its heart is a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 and a hybrid system that provides “torque fill” which completely negates turbo-lag from the equation. Jay talks about the instant acceleration of the P1 thanks to torque-fill and compares the drive with old F1 and the supercharged SLR. According to him, the P1 is both comfortable around town and can turn itself into a track-focused race can at the touch of a button. The P1 can also be driven in complete silent on electric power for a short distance, if required.

Finally, McLaren P1 on Jay Leno’s Garage:

Video source: NBC