Phraselet No. 138

The P1's full-throttle 2-3 upshift -- celebrated with a gout of propane-blue flame from the centrally mounted exhaust port and a supersonic crack like a rifle shot -- is the most physical rolling acceleration I've ever felt in a car, the most weak in the knees, the most breathless and saucer-eyed. The P1 accelerates like a top-class endurance prototype. The P1's miracle, morph-able aerodynamics makes a Daytona Prototype look like Cugnot's steam engine.

And then, when you do lift off the throttle in the P1, the turbo waste gates erupt in a shimmering crash like orchestra cymbals or the opening of biblical seals. Bwwashhh! Bwawasssh! And verily, God spoke to him saying, in the voice of the Marine drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket: Outstanding!

- Dan Neil, "McLaren: The Greatest Car You'll Never Drive," The Wall Street Journal (March 14, 2014)