When the McLaren P1 was launched in 2013, it stole a technological march on rivals such as Ferrari’s LaFerrari and Porsche’s 918 Spyder by being the world’s first hybrid supercar.

With its already outrageously powerful 3.8-litre V-8 engine boosted by a 131 kilowatt electric motor, the P1 produced a combined 903 brake horsepower, and an equally prodigious 664 pound-feet of torque.

The hybrid powertrain provided other benefits, too, smoothing power delivery as the engine’s twin turbochargers spooled up, while gifting the P1 with a small electric-only driving range.

It also made it one of the world’s quickest-accelerating production cars, with 0 to 100 km/h arriving in 2.8 seconds, and 0 to 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds, on the way to a maximum speed of 350 km/h.

Designed by McLaren’s Frank Stephenson (whose name appears on the front boot’s slam panel), the P1’s body incorporated active aerodynamics, including an airbrake spoiler, and the ability to be lowered by 50 millimetres in its race ...