Jay Leno drives the McLaren P1 [Video]

Jay Leno has become the first person outside of McLaren to drive the automaker’s all-new P1 supercar. Luckily for us, Leno brought along his Jay Leno’s Garage video crew to document the entire experience.

It’s no secret that Leno is an avid McLaren enthusiast – the late night host owns an original F1 as well as a modern MP4-12C – making him the perfect candidate to be the first to drive the new P1. Leno’s test drive took place on familiar ground – the same test track Top Gear uses for its high-speed runs.

Leno was able to sample the P1 in all drive modes – including Standard and Race – but the most interesting was the car’s EV mode. Capable of transitioning from the gas engine to pure EV mode on the fly, the P1 can travel at speeds in excess of 100mph under battery power alone. The P1 even shifts through the gears when operating as an electric vehicle.

Although we doubt many P1 owners will keep the car in EV mode for long, Leno notes that the P1′s zero emissions mode could prove valuable as more European cities consider stricter emissions rules for city centers.

Overall Leno came away impressed with the P1, particularly with the amount of grip on tap. At the end of the video Leno even goes as far to say that the P1 is twice as good as his MP4-12C. Impressive praise, for sure.

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