This New Toy Advert Is The First Sign Of McLaren's Electric Plans Becoming Real

It may be short and sweet, but McLaren's neat new promotional video hints at a change of powertrain in the near future

08 Nov 2017

McLaren looks to be paving the way for more electric models with a cute new short video that, unless we’re very much mistaken, is barely even trying to hide the message that it doesn’t matter whether the car is petrol-powered or not.

The single-shot scene filmed in the pit lane at Goodwood starts with a message that reads: ‘The new McLaren P1: Embracing alternative fuels.’ Of course, the P1 isn’t actually built any more, so you could forgive our double- and triple-checking the upload date on the video.

This New Toy Advert Is The First Sign Of McLaren's Electric Plans Becoming Real

Then the P1 roars off out of the way to reveal a child-sized, battery-powered mini-P1, which whines away out of the tightening shot to reveal a small kiddy on a push-along version. Its driver/rider/pusher scoots off, at which point we see the last and smallest: a small-scale metal model that a man pushes away while making engine noises.

The full advert text reads:

“The new McLaren P1: Embracing alternative fuels. Fuelled by petrol, or electricity, or biscuits… or bacon and eggs.”

Are we reading too much into this, or is this the first step of a fresh marketing push towards the electrification we know is coming? It’s subtle, sure, but it’s there.

Maybe we are, because the actual purpose of the ad is to showcase the new McLaren P1 ‘foot-to-floor’ edition, so named because your feet touch the floor. It’s the ride-on plastic self-propelled car you see in the video, and its 0-200 metres per hour time is, McLaren says, ‘entirely biscuit dependant.’

Yep, we’ve officially started the Christmas present season. Brace yourselves: winter is coming. The push-along P1 is £35.99. Also available is the electric Tecnomodel powered version for slightly older kids, along with a host of die-cast models, Scalextric slot cars, remote control cars and Hot Wheels racers.

Comments

Lemme buy one

Lol the one I can drive is cheaper than the one I can’t drive

Wait a second where is the pricing for the really big one? Mclaren where can I buy the really big P1 and for how much? Lol

CT be like:

I now want to make a company where the most fuel efficient engine you can buy is a 383 striker V8.

Still faster than a McLaren Honda :D.

On another note, I’d like to see an internal-combustion engine that actually burns bacon and eggs. Dunno how effective it’d be (not to mention the eggy exhaust fumes), but it’d be hilarious.

You should change your name to TheMindOnShrooms lol

You could probably make a engine that runs on bacon grease…. imagine how good that would smell….

I wish I was living 1950s or 1960s, back when cars had character and non of this electric and hybrid car crap existed. But instead I live in the era of electric cars and I absolutely hate it.

“ I was born in the wrong generation, bleh bleh”. If you lived back then you would complain about electronics, better handling, and enhanced safety being integrated in cars, still preaching about the “end of the analogue car” as we know it. You can walk into a dealership today and buy a manual 650 hp rwd sports car, or something more affordable that still has a stick with 400+ hp. Porsche is still making great analogue cars with just enough tech to improve the driving experience, and so are many other sports car manufacturers. Electric cars are good for cummuting. You don’t need to buy one, but it’s the latest tech that sells.

Back then in the ‘50s, electric cars do exist. In fact, electric cars do exist even in the early 1900s. Also, before the invention of the electric starter, more people prefer to buy electric cars because they are easier to start, unlike petrol cars of that time which it needed to be hand cranked for starting.