It is amazing to think that just over a decade ago, the sun was rising on a new era of hypercars. The automotive industry was quickly moving into the future, and with that came electrification and hybrid powertrains to not only improve efficiency but also push the envelope of performance. Leading the charge were McLaren, Ferrari, and Porsche, each with a slightly different take on how best to extract the greatest performance from the marriage of combustion engine and electric motor. The result was three of the most spectacular hypercars of the modern era: the P1, LaFerrari, and 918 Spyder.

Not only were these three cars important performance benchmarks for their respective manufacturers, but they would also serve as testbeds for cutting-edge technologies which were to eventually trickle down to their mass-production offerings.

For McLaren, the P1 was a watershed moment in the history of the company. Having just returned to road-car production with their spectacular MP4-12C sports car, McLaren was poised to produce a “new F1”—a car that would proudly reaffirm the company’s place in the upper echelon of ultra-exclusive, high-performance marques. Staying true to its roots, McLaren sought to keep weight to an absolute minimum, which resulted in the development of a carbon monocoque chassis that tipped the scales at only 200 pounds. The P1’s external bodywork and major cabin structures are made from a stunning, lightweight assemblage of carbon fiber panels.

The unique carbon-ceramic disc brakes, developed in conjunction with Akebono, are infused with silicon-carbide to help dissipate heat and are capable of absorbing 50 percent more energy than those on the MP4-12C. Adding to the effectiveness of the brakes, the McLaren P1 utilizes Brake Steer, a technology originally developed by McLaren for the 1997 Formula One season before it was banned. This system applies the brakes to the car’s inside-rear wheel when cornering above a certain threshold, which brings the P1’s nose closer to the apex.

While the combustion engine superficially appears nearly identical to that seen in the earlier MP4-12C, there is in fact nothing further from the truth. The block is a completely different unit from an entirely new casting and boasts dry-sump lubrication with a low-sited flat-plane crankshaft. The mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 itself produces 717 horsepower at 7,300 rpm and 531 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm.

In most hybrids, the electric motor is intended to provide an alternate source of power for greater fuel efficiency. However, the McLaren P1 is certainly not “most hybrids.” The electric motor in the P1 serves to “torque-fill,” supplementing the normal gaps where the conventional engine would fail to produce peak performance—such as during gearshifts or at low rpms while the turbochargers are spooling up—to always provide the driver with maximum power. The electric motor produces 176 horsepower, bringing total output to an incredible 893 horsepower and combined maximum torque of 664 pound-feet.

The P1 also benefits from an intentional focus on providing exceptional aerodynamic efficiency, which was achieved via adjustable front and rear spoilers that offer as much as 1,300 pounds of downforce at speeds well below the P1’s peak. But it is the P1’s hybrid powertrain that really defines the model, and which lies at the heart of the model’s magnificent performance potential.

McLaren unveiled the P1 in March 2013, and all 375 customer slots were filled within eight months. Rarer than the LaFerrari and 918 Spyder, each P1 is uniquely specified with an unbounded volume of special equipment available from McLaren Special Operations. The lion’s share of P1s—approximately 128 cars—were reportedly delivered new to the United States.

P1 number 170 is a tastefully specified, US-market specimen which was delivered new to its original owner via McLaren of Newport Beach, California in October 2014. It is clad in the appealing shade of MSO Flintgrau Metallic; this elegant color traces its roots back to McLaren’s Formula One involvement with Mercedes-Benz during the 1990s, the SLR McLaren road car, and perhaps most famously, the Sultan of Brunei’s CLK GTR Roadster (chassis 32).

An accompanying McLaren order document illustrates nearly $60,000 of bespoke tailoring and optional equipment procured from MSO, including a remarkable suite of blue gloss carbon fiber exterior accents which feature prominently on the car’s front and rear spoilers, mirrors, door panels, and roof. The blue hues present in the car’s MSO Flintgrau Metallic paintwork and carbon accents create a visage which varies quite dramatically, depending upon lighting conditions. Additionally, this P1’s set of staggered ultralight alloy wheels have been specified in the much-appreciated satin “Stealth” gray finish, while the sizable Akebono brake calipers have been rendered in McLaren’s signature Papaya Orange.

The interior of P1 number 170 is equally impressive, with rich MSO Oxblood leather upholstery fitted upon the dashboard, doors, sun visors, steering wheel, and seats providing a substantive contrast to the acres of exposed satin carbon fiber. Customer-specified tailoring reveals a sharp focus on the finer details; though the steering wheel and custom embroidered headrests feature black stitching, the remaining areas of the cabin were finished with a red contrast stitch.

Within the past 40 miles of use, the car was treated to its requisite “seven-year service” regimen by The Collection, an official McLaren dealer in Coral Gables, Florida. Now offered with fewer than 390 miles since new at time of cataloguing, this sparingly used and tastefully specified McLaren P1 presents a fantastic chance to own one of the greatest, and most significant, modern hypercars.