The Professor is a McLaren P1 that teaches you the meaning of speed

Will there ever be another trio of supercars as impressive as the “Holy Trinity” – consisting of the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 – that debuted in the 2000s? The “white collection” worth more than $3.8 million suggests that is not the case. So, now might be the perfect time to add a McLaren hybrid concept car to your collection. As it stands, RM Sotheby’s awaits its New York sales on December 8th with one of the most beautiful examples of the McLaren P1 we’ve ever seen, complete with a stunning nickname: “The Professor.”

The name refers to the attractive paint process, a unique color called “Professor 2 Blue,” which along with the distinctive red stripes contributed to the MSO options costing around $140,000. Plus a makeup mirror for the passenger, with the inscription “You’re beautiful!” Even by today’s standards, the P1 has 916 horsepower from its twin-turbo hybrid V8 and an electronically locked top speed. 350 km/h is a real missile. This example, freshly delivered to McLaren Philadelphia in 2015, has just 4,300km on the clock and has just been broken into.

After driving the P1 for two years, its original owner sold it in 2017 to his alma mater, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was acquired by its current owner, who already owned an exclusive collection of high-performance sports cars from all eras. Since then, another $87,000 has been allocated to the upkeep and care of “The Professor,” which was hand-signed by Ron Dennis and chief designer Frank Stevenson before its delivery in Woking.

While Porsche produced 918 examples of the 918, McLaren produced just 375 P1s from 2013 to 2015. This makes it much rarer than its Stuttgart-based rival, and only a few P1s have as many specific upgrades as this example, found in RM auction listing with estimate $2.0-$2.5 million. So, if you’ve been a good boy (or girl) this year, why not give yourself the perfect Christmas gift?

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