Tale of the tape: McLaren P1 vs. Lamborghini Veneno vs. LaFerrari

Evolution favors the survival of the fittest, but it also can force species to adopt the same techniques for success. Take the trio of supercars unveiled this week at the Geneva Motor Show: the McLaren P1, the Lamborghini Veneno and LaFerrari (not Ferrari LaFerrari, because that would be too illogical even for the Italians.) The three will be rare enough that they may never share the same tarmac, or face off head-to-head. But based on what we now know, despite being similar in most dimensions and technologies, the fastest one may not be the most powerful.

The competition amongst the three isn't that fierce in reality. The Veneno has sold out its three copies before production even began, and McLaren and Ferrari both say they have more interested buyers than cars planned for production. But the rivalries are real, and each firm's future rests on being seen on building the fastest cars possible for their clientele.

On paper, the basic designs of the trio vary little; they're all roughly the same size (although Lamborghini wasn't forthcoming with dimensions on the Veneno) with similar tires, wheels, huge brakes and carbon-fiber chassis. All three do without clutch pedals, using computerized automatic transmissions that can not only engage gears faster than a human foot, but change their behavior based on whether a driver is circling the track or 7-11.