Mad Mike’s Rotary-Powered ‘McLaren P1’ Drift Car Is As Bonkers As You’d Hope

Somehow, ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett keeps managing to top the ridiculous cars he uses to generate copious amounts of tyre smoke. Following up cars like his five-rotor '787D' and a 1200bhp Wankel-powered Mazda MX-5, Whiddett’s latest ride involves dumping a rotary engine in a McLaren P1, and the finished project has been revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Well, it’s a kind of McLaren P1. Dubbed ‘MadMac’, the part-Lanzante-developed car uses a 650S GT3 car as a starting point. To that, Lanzante’s bespoke P1 GTR and P1 LM bodywork was added and “stretched in all directions, giving a much more aggressive rear stance”.

It’s a whole lot wider at the front, too, as it needs extreme, drift-spec steering for when Mike is grabbing handfuls of high-angle opposite lock. The result is a car which looks rather angry.

After Lanzante sorted the structure and bodywork, MadMac made its way from the UK to New Zealand via air freight, where the ‘MadLab’ had a mere 100 days to complete the powertrain side of the equation and have the car airlifted back for FoS. In place of the original, 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8, Mike and his team - inevitably - chucked in a rotary engine.

Specifically, it’s a three-rotor billet 20B turbo Mazda engine kicking out 1,000bhp, powering the rear wheels via the original X-Trac six-speed sequential gearbox and a bespoke transfer case.

Proper drift cars have very different dynamic priorities to GT3 racers, so the MadLab also added custom uprights, a new steering rack to provide additional lock, Rotiform wheels wrapped in Toyo tyres, and a hydraulic handbrake. Involving another nation in the mix, Japan’s Rocket Bunny was drafted in to further tweak the styling.

Speaking about his new whip, Mike said: 

“It is fair to say that MadMac is the biggest challenge I have set myself in terms of builds, and it has been a huge effort by the whole team to get a project of this magnitude complete in just 100 days. 

“The reveal of any project is always the most rewarding part, as it is an opportunity to step away from the overall build, and we get to see what fans and the wider world think of our efforts.

“Goodwood is the number 1 event for me of the year, and we have revealed some of our best builds there over the years, but this one is extra special. A perfect way to celebrate 10 years of drifting at the Festival of Speed, and a very proud moment to honour my fellow New Zealander, Bruce McLaren.”