McLaren talks P13 Porsche 911 fighter

McLaren will take a stab at Porsche and Ferrari’s bread and butter segment in the upcoming years. Autocar reports -- after talking with chief executive Mike Flewitt -- that the company is building the a car, codenamed P13, which could be revealed in time for next year’s Geneva Motor Show. Autocar says it will sit below the 12C and well below the freshly driven P1.

The P13 will reportedly use a carbon fiber monocoque like that in the 12C and a version of McLaren’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, making between 450 and 500 hp. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will disperse power, leading to a 0-60 time of less than four seconds and a top speed of 185 mph.

Flewitt told Autocar that the P13 will be smaller and lighter than the 12C; it will be positioned as a pure driver’s car. The production model will also wear a different name, possibly eschewing the alphanumeric code.

The P13 could cost around $200,000, converted from British pounds.

Autocar believed the styling will be heavily influenced by the P1, as 12C design is set to move that way as well.

McLaren says its annual production target is between 2,000 and 2,500 units to start. Eventually it will include several variants like a Spider and a lighter, stripped-down version. By then McLaren says it could be producing as many as 4,000 units annually.

Head over to Autocar to check out the renderings of the P13.

By Jake Lingeman