Lanzante returned to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year to showcase its McLaren P1 Spider in the hill climb. The P1 Spider officially debuted last year, causing quite a stir when it was displayed during the event. This year it seemed genuinely happy to be back, even waving its door during its run up the hill.
The Lanzante McLaren P1 Spider is a modified version of the P1 McLaren produced from 2013 to 2015. In total, McLaren made approximately 400 cars, all coupes. Lanzante says it’s making a total of five Spiders, with the one shown at Goodwood as the first example.
The Spider conversion is more than just chopping the top off an existing car. Even though the P1 uses a mono-cell carbon fiber chassis which provides the necessary rigidity, the conversion required Lanzante to redesign the rear deck, engineer new buttresses, and develop a fabric top with rails for easy storage.
In addition to exterior modifications, Lanzante updated the interior by recovering the seats in new leather. It uses SuperFabric, a material more resistant to weather and UV rays. Finally, carbon fiber accents with a satin finish and gloss black switchgear were added to spruce up the dashboard and console.
Customers will be able to specify their changes to the McLaren P1’s interior and choose to upgrade the powertrain. Stock, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 and hybrid powertrain produces 903 horsepower and connects to the rear wheels by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That setup is good for 0 to 60 mph in under 2.8 seconds and allows the McLaren P1 to reach a top speed of 217 mph. If that’s not fast enough, Lanzante will have Cosworth go through the engine, increasing its displacement to 4.0 liters and bumping up the power.
On the Hill at Goodwood, it’s the V8 that stands out. Compared to the Ferrari V8 of the KC23 or the V12 of the Lamborghini Revuelto, it rumbles in bass clef, whereas the other two snarl in a higher octave. About a third of the way up the course, the P1’s passenger door opens during a left-hand bend before closing again, almost as if acknowledging the crowd.