Mad Mike Whiddett has Turned a McLaren P1 into a 745 kW Drift Car

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Mad Mike Whiddett celebrates a decade of bringing drifting to Goodwood together with his most bold challenge but: MadMac. Inbuilt collaboration with Lanzante and O’Gara Coach, MadMac is a one-of-a-kind 745 kW rotary-powered McLaren drift hypercar.

Mad Mike

The muse for MadMac got here from Dean Lanzante. He offered a closely modified McLaren P1 GTR chassis, full with an FIA-approved roll cage to make sure security throughout sideways manoeuvres. This modified beast was then shipped throughout the globe to Mad Mike Motorsports in New Zealand for the subsequent stage of the transformation.

With a good deadline of 100 days looming earlier than Goodwood, the stress was on. The group made a big departure from the automobile’s unique powertrain. Out went the twin-turbo V8, and in got here a custom-built, three-rotor billet 20B rotary engine – a signature contact for Mad Mike, identified for his love of rotary energy. To deal with the surge in energy, a bespoke switch case was designed to attach the brand new engine with the factory-fit sequential gearbox.

Additional modifications honed MadMac’s drift capabilities. These included {custom} uprights for optimized suspension geometry, a brand new steering rack for elevated steering angle, and bespoke wheels for superior grip. A Haltech ECU and {custom} dashboard had been put in to supply Mad Mike with full management over the beast, whereas a singular gaming-style gear shifter changed the normal GT3-style steering wheel paddles. For max drift management, a hydraulic handbrake was additionally added.

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The last word contact got here from a visit to Japan. There, Mad Mike collaborated with legendary physique package designer Rocket Bunny to create a particular widebody package that accentuated the sculpted strains of the P1 GTR bodywork, giving MadMac an much more aggressive look.

“It’s honest to say that MadMac is the most important problem I’ve set myself by way of builds,” defined Mike. “The reveal of any challenge is at all times essentially the most rewarding half, because it is a chance to step away from the general construct and we get to see what followers and the broader world consider our efforts. Goodwood is the number one occasion for me of the yr, and we have now revealed a few of our greatest builds there through the years, however this one is additional particular. An ideal option to have a good time 10 years of drifting on the Competition of Pace, and a really proud second to honour my fellow New Zealander, Bruce McLaren.”

Mad Mike

The official unveiling of MadMac befell this morning on July eleventh on the Goodwood Competition of Pace, the place it sported a particular bespoke Crimson Bull livery. That is just the start of the story for MadMac. The one-of-a-kind machine will embark on a two-year world tour, pushing the boundaries of drifting and producing new content material for followers across the globe. A devoted documentary crew shall be following MadMac on its travels, capturing each sideways second and fan interplay for posterity.

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