What’s it like to apply 916 hybrid horses to the road? Especially when that road is nothing more than a man-made track around a frozen lake?

Judging by McLaren’s latest video, it’s a remarkably civilised experience. Even though the P1 is fitted with Pirelli winter tyres, and there’s an abundance of room on the ice track with nothing to hit, McLaren’s hypercar still looks remarkably docile for one so well endowed.

There’s just a few months to go before the first customer deliveries begin, and development continues to make sure the P1 is every bit as impressive as Ron Dennis suggests.

McLaren-P1-Arctic_G1

McLaren has promised it will be “the best driver’s car in the world on road and track”, and as impressive as it is on ice, we still remember that ‘other’ promise, namely “it will lap the Nürburgring in less than 7 minutes.”

As part of its durability testing, the development team travelled with the XP prototype to the dramatic frozen landscapes of the Arctic Circle in Northern Sweden. Not that they expect customers to do the same, but McLaren set out to develop the world’s fastest road car and they’d like to ensure customers are able to enjoy their P1, wherever they live.

McLaren-P1-Arctic_G2

The P1 will make its final production appearance at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where McLaren say they will “..publicly demonstrate the power available from the mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol hybrid powerplant.”

Just remember. Nürburgring. It’s on the list of development targets to complete..

* * *