How The Fastest Fish In The Ocean Inspired The McLaren P1’s Design

The McLaren P1, a 903-horsepower hybrid halo car, was designed by Frank Stephenson, who drew inspiration from nature, specifically the Caribbean sailfish.

The sailfish, capable of swimming up to 68 miles per hour, has a hydrodynamic shape that slices through the water with ease.

Stephenson was impressed by the sailfish’s shape and had one mounted and shipped to McLaren’s aerodynamics department for a full laser scan to study its hydrodynamic intricacies.

The scan revealed that the sailfish’s scales generate vortices of turbulence, reducing hydrodynamic friction, and Stephenson applied a similar scaly texture to the P1’s engine inlet ducts to improve airflow.

The P1’s design was also influenced by the sailfish’s foil-shaped bumps, which smooth out turbulent flow, and were replicated on the support arms for the exterior mirrors to reduce wind noise.

Additionally, the P1’s shape was inspired by a running cheetah, with the goal of creating an organic-looking shape that vacuum seals the bodywork around the car’s components.

The result is a car that is shaped with speed in mind, with every piece designed to optimize performance.