On this very special episode of Head 2 Head
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MotorTranscript
00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 What would you do if someone rang and asked
00:07 if Randy Popes could lap their McLaren P1
00:09 around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca?
00:12 You'd probably say yes, and how about a Porsche 918 Spyder
00:15 and Ferrari LaFerrari join as well?
00:17 That's exactly how we arrived at this day
00:19 with two of the fastest, most powerful production cars
00:23 at one of the world's greatest racetracks.
00:26 Yeah, two.
00:27 What happened to the LaFerrari?
00:28 Well, while McLaren was happy to send technical support
00:31 and Porsche a Supplia 918,
00:33 Ferrari refused to grant permission for hot laps
00:36 and data acquisition to the owner
00:37 of the LaFerrari we had lined up,
00:39 a truly unfortunate decision.
00:42 The day is no less special,
00:44 as the P1 and 918 represent the future of the sports car.
00:48 Both are completely carbon fiber from tub to body panels.
00:51 Both have small displacement, high-revving V8s
00:54 packed between their passenger compartments
00:56 and rear axles.
00:57 They both use twin-clutch transmissions,
00:59 carbon ceramic brakes, and active aerodynamics.
01:01 They both have around 900 horsepower.
01:05 But best of all, both are plug-in hybrids
01:07 with real EV modes.
01:09 And now we get to find out what they'll do
01:10 at the same track on the same day
01:13 with the same highly skilled driver.
01:15 (dramatic music)
01:20 Woo-hoo!
01:25 (laughing)
01:28 This is the manliest thing I've ever done in my life.
01:32 (upbeat music)
01:36 In effort to level the playing field,
01:40 we fueled both cars at the same gas pump.
01:43 And Tire-Rack supplied factory-spec rolling stock.
01:47 The P1 got the most aggressive tires
01:49 owners can get from the factory,
01:50 Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R's,
01:52 and they came heat-cycled.
01:54 The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
01:56 is the only tire option for the 918.
01:58 And while these were sourced from Tire-Rack,
02:00 Porsche opted against heat-cycling.
02:03 The production car lap record here
02:05 is one minute 30.97 seconds.
02:08 It will fall today.
02:09 But the question is, by how much?
02:12 Randy set that time last year during Best Driver's Car
02:15 with the pre-production 918.
02:17 And his familiarity with that 918
02:19 means he'll lap this 918 first
02:21 to acclimate to the radical speed these cars generate.
02:24 All right, Randy, you know the 918.
02:35 You have the lap record,
02:37 the production car lap record with the car here,
02:39 and we're gonna see if we can beat it.
02:40 So this compared to the P1,
02:42 they're both carbon fiber tubs,
02:44 they're both V8s.
02:45 This one is naturally aspirated,
02:47 but flat-plane crank like the P1.
02:49 887 horsepower combined.
02:51 - Wow, that's crazy, isn't it?
02:53 - Isn't it nuts?
02:53 - Just saying the number blows my mind.
02:57 - Hybrid on the rear axle, of course.
02:58 But the big thing about this is
02:59 the front axle is electrically powered.
03:02 So there's about 600 horsepower coming from the V8
03:05 and the rest of that's all coming
03:06 from the electric drivetrain.
03:07 Big difference between the P1
03:08 is this has rear steering, too.
03:10 So it's actually gonna help you stabilize the car
03:12 at some of the higher speed corners.
03:14 Now, you probably remember the last car you drove
03:17 here pretty vividly
03:18 because of how fast it was.
03:20 - Yeah, it makes a striking impression, Carlos.
03:23 The thing is an animal on the straights.
03:25 And it actually handled extremely well.
03:27 The wing works, it has some down force.
03:28 - Yeah, the big difference on this one
03:30 is this one has the optional magnesium wheels
03:32 that you'd get on the Viseok package.
03:34 And they should lighten up the car quite a bit.
03:36 - Helping braking, too.
03:38 Because a lot of braking is just stopping
03:39 the momentum of the spinning wheels.
03:42 - Pilot Sport Cup 2s, like on the last one.
03:44 This is--
03:45 - That's a good tire.
03:45 - 3,700 pounds and change.
03:47 So a little bit heavier than the McLaren.
03:49 But that's on account of the powered front axle
03:52 and all the actual assistance. - Battery.
03:53 - Yeah, so this is a little,
03:54 the sophistication in the hybrid system
03:56 is what makes this one so interesting.
03:58 - Well, the all-wheel drive should be a real advantage,
04:00 especially with that kind of power.
04:03 Going on 900.
04:04 - So let's see if you can't beat that record.
04:06 Are you ready?
04:07 - I'm ready, man. - Let's do it.
04:08 (dramatic music)
04:11 (car engine revving)
04:14 - Okay, you're good.
04:19 - Randy's going out on the track.
04:21 Check, hug.
04:21 - I'm heading down pit lane at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
04:27 in a brand new Porsche 918, making 887 horsepower.
04:32 That's more gas horsepower than the Carrera GT had
04:37 and more electric horsepower than the power
04:39 of the original 930 turbo in one car.
04:43 Gotta love that.
04:46 Electric motors driving the front wheels,
04:51 the gas engines driving the rear wheels,
04:53 and we're exiting turn two.
04:55 Yeah, babe!
05:00 9,000 RPM.
05:02 There's instant torque response from the electric drive.
05:07 (car engine revving)
05:09 Listen to the 918's howl.
05:12 The noises are just fabulous.
05:14 Into turn five, all the stability controls are off.
05:20 You know I like it all natural, just me,
05:23 and actually, the 918 for me is faster that way.
05:26 Throwing off the reins, give me all you got.
05:30 Up into turn six, this is a faster corner.
05:36 The all-wheel drive is a big advantage
05:38 for coming off a turn.
05:40 The power is incredible.
05:45 It's more than any race car I've ever driven,
05:47 and I've been racing 30 years, people.
05:50 Way more.
05:51 The wing is working, the car has good aero balance.
05:56 Just dig out of turn 10.
06:02 Turn 11, tight, second gear.
06:06 (car engine revving)
06:08 Just drive off the all-wheel drive.
06:10 I wonder what the P1's gonna be like.
06:16 It's two-wheel drive.
06:18 This is four-wheel drive.
06:20 Could be a real issue trying to get
06:21 that kind of power to the ground.
06:23 I've never driven it, we'll see.
06:25 The P1 also is quite a bit lighter.
06:28 That's gonna be an advantage.
06:30 Lightweight versus all-wheel drive, interesting.
06:33 (car engine revving)
06:36 In the brake zones, the 918 is extremely stable,
06:41 but the braking power, it varies a little bit.
06:45 In other words, you hit the brake hard,
06:47 you don't get your full G immediately.
06:49 Late in the brake zone, the ceramic brakes heat up,
06:53 the regenerative system is working at full max,
06:55 and the braking Gs increase.
06:57 Quick steering response,
07:01 and it's got little entry oversteer.
07:04 See that?
07:04 (car engine revving)
07:08 The 918 gives the driver some options.
07:12 Carving through sixth, the steering is spot on.
07:17 I mean, that Porsche steering we know and love, it's here.
07:21 It's here in the 918.
07:23 And the mid-engine configuration gives it
07:25 a really quick and easy turn in.
07:27 It's low-power moment.
07:29 (car engine revving)
07:31 It's still the surgeon's scalpel to drive.
07:33 (car engine revving)
07:36 Shock dampening is superb.
07:38 It's firm, but not too much.
07:40 (car engine revving)
07:43 Porsche has struck a really fine balance
07:47 between the ride and the handling, even on track.
07:52 Bumps do not disturb the 918.
07:54 Excellent accomplishment.
07:56 (car engine revving)
07:59 Man, I hate this car because I'm spoiled now.
08:02 (car engine revving)
08:06 I want everything to run like this.
08:07 (car engine revving)
08:08 (laughing)
08:11 The 918 is an extremely sophisticated,
08:15 extremely powerful hybrid supercar.
08:19 I mean, we used to think hybrids were Toyota Prius,
08:22 50 miles per gallon.
08:24 But guess what?
08:25 Now the hybrids are the fastest cars on earth,
08:28 using the electric motors to augment
08:30 some fantastic race-to-ride power plants.
08:34 And now for the 918's hot lap, presented by Tirex.
08:38 (car engine revving)
08:41 (car engine revving)
08:44 (car engine revving)
08:48 (car engine revving)
08:51 (car engine revving)
08:54 (car engine revving)
08:57 (car engine revving)
09:00 (car engine revving)
09:07 (car engine revving)
09:18 (car engine revving)
09:26 (car engine revving)
09:29 (car engine revving)
09:40 (car engine revving)
09:48 (car engine revving)
09:54 (car engine revving)
09:57 That's a new lap record at Laguna Seca.
10:11 A shockingly fast performance.
10:13 It beats the pre-production 918 from last year
10:16 by 1.07 seconds.
10:19 But combing through the data to find out why
10:21 will have to wait.
10:22 There's another car to lap.
10:24 (dramatic music)
10:26 After the 918, finally the McLaren P1.
10:29 Now you haven't driven this car, right?
10:30 - Yeah, finally, I've heard so much.
10:32 - So like the 918, all carbon fiber,
10:36 also flat plane crank V8,
10:37 small displacement though, 3.8 liters.
10:39 But twin turbo.
10:41 - The great equalizer.
10:42 - Yes, and it makes more power too.
10:43 So total 900 plus horsepower.
10:46 They say 905, 908, who cares, you're over 900.
10:49 Might as well be 1,000, right?
10:50 - That number's amazing.
10:51 - But this is rear drive only.
10:53 - Oh.
10:54 - Yeah, so all that power's going to those two rear tires.
10:56 - Okay, that'll be interesting.
10:58 - Yes, and as you can see just by looking at it here,
11:00 it's quite a bit lower and the wing's quite a bit taller.
11:04 - Looks really aggressive, super low.
11:06 - If the 918 has the really interesting stuff
11:09 going on with the front axle,
11:10 this has a really interesting stuff
11:11 going on with the suspension.
11:13 This doesn't have any roll bars.
11:15 This doesn't have a locking differential.
11:17 It's all controlled hydraulically through computers
11:20 which do all kinds of math and adjust ride height
11:22 to account for all that stuff.
11:23 So this is actually in race mode
11:24 where it's two inches lower than the normal ride height.
11:27 - It's slammed.
11:29 (laughing)
11:30 Shocked at how low it is.
11:31 This is the cruiser mode.
11:32 - This is the hard park mode.
11:34 Oh, you couldn't drive through city streets like this.
11:35 - Well, I guess so.
11:37 - See that wing?
11:38 Giant wing extended back there?
11:39 - It looks like two wings.
11:41 - It is.
11:42 - I think there are two elements in that thing.
11:43 - And it's active.
11:44 So it's gonna adjust to slow you down during braking.
11:46 It's gonna move around.
11:48 You'll see it in the rear view mirror
11:49 to do all kinds of different things.
11:50 And they're claiming like 1,300 pounds of downforce
11:52 at like 150 miles an hour.
11:54 - It looks like a radical piece.
11:55 - It's insane.
11:56 - I'm not surprised.
11:57 - This is 300 pounds or so lighter than the 918.
12:00 And a little bit more powerful.
12:02 So I'm curious to see what you can do with it.
12:05 - The P1's gonna be interesting
12:07 because that's a lot of power through two tires.
12:10 - And an open differential
12:11 that they control through the brakes.
12:14 Yeah, very interesting stuff.
12:15 We'll see what you can do with it.
12:16 (dramatic music)
12:20 (car engine revving)
12:23 - Heading out on the track in the McLaren P1.
12:32 (car engine revving)
12:34 Oh, torque.
12:35 Ooh, I love that sound when I pop off the gas
12:39 and I can hear the turbo pop.
12:41 McLaren's got a couple of turbos
12:43 pushing air into a V8 flat plane crank.
12:46 It cooks.
12:49 Ah, that power feels so good.
12:50 It's gonna be hard to go back to a normal car.
12:53 (car engine revving)
12:55 Look at that thing.
12:57 Okay, that run was from 90 to 130, just like that.
13:01 Time it.
13:01 Ha ha!
13:03 Amazing car.
13:04 The acceleration rates are just mind blowing.
13:09 It's a whole 'nother category of car.
13:13 And it climbs this hill up on the way to the corkscrew
13:16 like no other car I've ever driven here.
13:18 It doesn't feel like a hill, it's amazing.
13:21 It's like a rocket launch, straight up.
13:23 Acceleration of the P1 feels stronger than in the 918.
13:29 (car engine revving)
13:30 But not coming off a corner.
13:32 See the two wheel drive, that can knock you sideways
13:35 with this kind of power.
13:37 That 918 digs off with all wheel drive.
13:40 (car engine revving)
13:42 This McLaren is a wilder car than the Porsche 918.
13:47 It takes everything those Pirellis have to give.
13:50 But sometimes, it's just too much for two wheels to handle.
13:56 And you know what?
13:57 That makes this P1 a real driver's car.
14:00 You gotta be careful with that gas pedal.
14:02 Like Spider-Man, with great power
14:04 comes great responsibility.
14:06 You gotta roll it in.
14:07 (car engine revving)
14:09 There you go, keep it hooked up.
14:12 Braking is strong, but there's a lot of ABS intervention.
14:16 The Porsche has smoother braking.
14:19 Down in turn two, takes a lot of steering.
14:22 The McLaren is stable on the way in.
14:24 (car engine revving)
14:25 And it is very firm.
14:27 I can feel the front end bouncing a little bit.
14:30 Even on a racetrack like Mossel Raceway,
14:32 that is very smooth.
14:34 It is stiff.
14:36 Very race car like.
14:38 (car engine revving)
14:39 McLaren feels light at the wheel.
14:41 Steering is accurate, of course,
14:43 but you need a lot of it.
14:44 You need a lot of steering input to get the car
14:46 into a corner.
14:47 (car engine revving)
14:50 (laughs)
14:51 And it's well damped.
14:53 The reflexes are quick, cat-like, like a race car.
14:57 (car engine revving)
15:00 Yeah, buddy!
15:02 (car engine revving)
15:04 Like I said, this McLaren is a driver's car.
15:06 (car engine revving)
15:08 Ripping the gears, I hit the DRS button,
15:11 drops the wing down for top speed on the straights.
15:14 That's a pretty cool feature.
15:16 It's reminiscent of Formula One.
15:17 (car engine revving)
15:19 McLaren feels quicker on the straights, I'll tell you that.
15:22 (car engine revving)
15:24 In race mode, it is on the ground.
15:28 Lo, ho, ho!
15:30 Good aerodynamics for a street car.
15:32 Strong rear wing.
15:33 Very powerful.
15:36 (car engine revving)
15:38 On a corkscrew here, Porsche has a big advantage
15:41 coming off the jump because of its all-wheel drive.
15:44 The McLaren is more stable on the way into the corner
15:50 than the 918.
15:51 The 918 is more stable on the way out of a corner
15:54 than the McLaren.
15:55 (car engine revving)
15:57 The McLaren has a very racy feel
16:00 that is incredibly satisfying.
16:03 Porsche is a little bit more refined.
16:04 It's more of a all-around car.
16:08 (car engine revving)
16:09 Listen to that wheel spin.
16:10 We're digging for traction.
16:12 In the 918, you just drive off the corners.
16:15 In the McLaren, you're on the edge of traction all the time.
16:19 (car engine revving)
16:22 The McLaren feels quicker in faster corners.
16:25 It's got a ton of downforce.
16:26 The 918 feels quicker in the slower corners
16:30 where the all-wheel drive is a big advantage.
16:32 And I am frankly not sure which one is gonna turn
16:35 the quicker time in Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
16:38 (car engine revving)
16:41 And now, the P1's hot lap, presented by Tire Rack.
16:44 (car engine revving)
16:48 (car engine revving)
16:51 (car engine revving)
16:54 (car engine revving)
16:57 (car engine revving)
17:00 (car engine revving)
17:12 (car engine revving)
17:25 (car engine revving)
17:28 (car engine revving)
17:47 (car engine revving)
17:55 (car engine revving)
17:59 (car engine revving)
18:11 The P1 is radically fast.
18:18 We hear wheel spin every single time
18:20 Randy flies over turn one.
18:22 He loves the car, but it isn't faster
18:24 than the 918.
18:26 The McLaren people are surprised.
18:27 The Porsche people are surprised.
18:29 Everyone's surprised.
18:31 The McLaren people change tire pressures.
18:33 An engineer says the Pirellis take four
18:35 or five adjustments before they settle.
18:38 The P1 goes out for more laps
18:39 and comes in for more adjustments.
18:42 We install another set of Trofeo R's.
18:44 After that, more laps, more pressure changes.
18:48 The P1 goes no faster than its 130.71 lap
18:53 set on the first set of tires.
18:54 The P1's incredible power to weight ratio
18:58 showed up on all the streets.
19:00 It did 155.5 miles an hour over turn one,
19:04 which has to be a record for a car on street tires.
19:08 The 918 gained an advantage in major braking zones,
19:11 especially into turn two, the corkscrew,
19:15 and turn 11.
19:16 The data shows the 918 entering brake zones
19:20 consistently later and harder than the P1,
19:23 which is something Randy noticed from the seat of his pants.
19:26 What aided the 918 most was its ability
19:29 to power out of the low-speed corners harder.
19:32 While the 918 accelerated out,
19:34 Randy had to work the P1 hard for traction.
19:37 Despite the work, he loved the experience.
19:40 - Holy mackerel.
19:42 Wow, now that's a really different personality
19:46 from that 918.
19:47 Love it.
19:48 But man, it's just, you gotta be on it.
19:51 You know, you're just right here in there
19:52 and the rears are right on the edge of their grip
19:55 and pulling gears.
19:57 It's a driver's car.
19:58 - Yeah.
19:59 (car engine roaring)
20:02 - This hot lap battle was always going to end with a winner,
20:11 and that car is the Porsche 918.
20:13 Its clever electric-assisted all-wheel drive system
20:16 and low-speed cornering proficiency
20:18 gave it the advantage.
20:20 It's an incredible performance from an incredible car.
20:23 While there's undoubtedly some disappointment in Woking,
20:26 this McLaren remains just as wonderful.
20:28 It's still the quickest accelerating car we've ever tested
20:31 and faster than any other production car
20:33 we've ever lapped here.
20:35 Randy enjoyed driving it more, too.
20:38 There may be an 8/10 of a second gap
20:40 between the 918 and the P1,
20:42 but there's a three-second gap
20:44 to the next fastest car at this track.
20:47 And focusing too much on the small amount of time
20:49 that separates the 918 and the P1
20:51 almost does the disservice to their accomplishments.
20:54 Here we have two plug-in hybrid street cars
20:57 with EV modes on street tires,
20:59 posting lap times that would qualify the mid-pack
21:03 at most sports car races here.
21:05 They've jumped far ahead of other normal fast cars
21:08 at this track, seemingly leapfrogging
21:11 a few years of car development and technological improvements.
21:14 McLaren and Porsche have leaped far ahead into the future,
21:18 blazing a trail for everyone else to follow.
21:21 (upbeat music)
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