McLaren unveiled the P1 back in 2012 and all the 375 units were produced by December 2015. The coupe broke record after record on all continents and enjoyed great success. So is no wonder that now, seven years later Lanzante brings the P1 back into focus. The company teased a Spider version for the hybrid coupe with just a few days before the official debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed. Before you will get too excited, no, this doesn't mean the P1 will go back into production, as the Spider version will be built on existing cars. Yes, it is in fact just a conversion.

How Was the Lanzante P1 Spider Made?

Building the P1 Spider was more than just removing the roof. To make sure that all the process was handled correct, and nothing from the character of the coupe version was lost Lanzante asked for help from the man who was responsible with designing the McLaren P1: Paul Howse. According to him, the coupe version is a "visual story of the airflow" and with the spider version they wanted to "continue and accentuate this theme." The design suffered some subtle tweaks, but the biggest challenge was the removal of the roof section, with the central ‘snorkel’ air intake and glass roof panels. The team made changes to the front wings, doors, and rear ‘clamshell’ engine cover. The air intakes now have a new position and feed air directly into the turbochargers. The lower section of the chassis was also reengineered to ensure no loss in structural rigidity.

Lanzante also updated the cabin to offer the occupants increased levels of luxury. The interior gets newly upholstered seats and will be trimmed in a combination of high-quality leather with satin carbon fiber finished elements. The removable roof cover is made from a combination of leather and durable SuperFabric that ensures the best resistance to weather and UV exposure.

What powers the Lanzante P1 Spider?

Just like the coupe version, the Lanzante P1 Spyder has a hybrid powertrain. It combines a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine that delivers a total of 727 horsepower with an in-house-developed electric motor that adds another 177 horsepower. The system delivers a total of 903 horsepower and 1,100 pound-feet of torque. Lanzante said nothing about the performance figures, but we expect them to be altered when compared to the coupe version which goes from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 217 mph. From the coupe version, the Spider will also retain the RaceActive Chassis Control and the all-out track-focused "Race" mode.

How many units will there be?

Lanzante will unveil the P1 Spider at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. In fact, the company has a tradition of unveiling customized cars at the Goodwood event. In 2016 it unveiled the P1 LM, the P1 GT arrived in 2018 and the P1 GTR-18 in 2020. Last year we saw the unveiling of the P1 HDK. The P1 Spider will be limited to only five units - built from a suitable donor car. The first delivery will be made before the end of 2022.