The best halo car is one that loses money for the parent company I reckon. That means the company is really making the best car there is, as oppose to making the most money they can.

The P1 is making a shit load of money for McLaren, estimated cost of the P1 ranged from 300k to around 600k. The number 'could' be even lower than 300k as most of the development cost can be amortized with the 12C and the P13 as the carbon tub technology, the basic chassis are shared and so is the engine. 

if we apply Porsche's profit margin per car, ~18% to a 12C, that means a 12C cost around 240k to make. But that figure includes the start up cost of developing the carbon tub, the engine, gearbox, trick suspension, etc. All those are adapted and refined for the P1 so the cost per car using those technology are lower. The most unique and 'expensive' item on the P1 is the trick aero bodywork which eats up a ton of expensive wind tunnel time, but since McLaren already have a wind tunnel in-house for the F1 program but are restricted by FIA on the amount of wind tunnel testing they can use for the F1 program, the wind tunnel is just sitting idle most of the time, so those 'expensive' wind tunnel time are free. 

Figuring the tacked on hybrid system on the P1 cost a few million in development and material cost, say a nice round 10 mil. That's about 27k per car. Most of the software programming are done by their existing employees so no real additional costs.

Applying some reasonable guesses puts the cost of each P1 at around 300k. The 600k number was from people who disregard the common stuff between the 12C and P1 and start from scratch.

There are people who thinks the P1 is even cheaper to make. McLaren spent around 250mil to develop the 12C. McLaren sold around 3500+ 12C to date, that's more than enough to cover the 250mil development cost. With the P1 based on the 12C, all the extras are mostly incremental cost, at most McLaren spent around 50mil developing the P1.

If one based the selling price of each P1 at it's cheapest location, 1.3mil in the USA, that means McLaren is making close to a mil a car. 

Is McLaren really putting out the best car they can make or are they putting out the best money grab there is?


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