McLaren has announced an all-electric P1, which speeds from 0 to top speed in a mere two seconds. Admittedly, the feat is a little less impressive when you realize that top speed is 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the open-top roadster is aimed at children six and under. But in some ways, the mini P1 is even more of an enthusiast's car than the full-sized model thanks to its McLaren F1-like central driving position.
Part of McLaren's Track 22 business plan is to one day offer a true all-electric hypercar within its Ultimate Series. In fact, when it revealed some of that business plan at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, it said that it already had a fully electric powertrain in the prototype stages.
In the meantime, it's having some fun with the officially licensed McLaren Ride On electric kids' car designed for children between the ages of 3 and 6, which it describes as, "most compact car yet to wear the McLaren badge."
The young driver accesses the central-seat cockpit through authentic dihedral doors and a push-button start system fires up the motor and automatically turns on the lights. A transmission with three speeds and a reverse gear directs that motor power. While driving, the standard MP3 player-based audio system fills the air with the classic nursery rhymes that come preloaded.
In place of the usual list of color and trim options, McLaren is keeping it simple for the "busy six-year-old," offering the car exclusively in Volcano Yellow. The Ride On P1 will launch globally at select McLaren dealers in late October for a price of £375 (approx. US$490). It will later roll into global toy retailers.
Source: McLaren
