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Supercar 'Holy Trinity' raced at the track, drag strip, and to 186 mph

There was a time when we weren't sure if we'd ever get the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder on the track together. Now, we've have a multi-part series dissecting how each supercar approaches all kinds of go-fast tasks. Supercar Driver (SCD) looks at their performances around the track, on the drag strip, and on a runway. SCD didn't get any help from the automakers, it used three cars all owned by one British gentleman, Paul Bailey. The first video has British Touring Car Championship driver Mat Jackson running all three around Silverstone. The second video takes the coupes to Santa Pod Raceway to run the quarter-mile. The third video runs them out to Bruntingthorpe Airfield for a drag race to 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph). We found that latter video especially interesting because SCD shows a graph of how fast each car hit speed marks, and it's interesting to see where the winner made up all of its time and the where the third-place getter lost its time. Nota bene, the McLaren is using its fly-paper sticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires. You'll find the first video in the series above, the second two videos below. If you still haven't had enough, then check out the Hyper 5 three-part series by Alejandro Solomon filmed at California's Thermal Raceway, starting with the Holy Trinity and adding the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and Pagani Huayra. Chris Harris also did fantastic work around Portimao with the help of Marino Franchitti and Tiff Needell, with assistance from the factories. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Ferrari McLaren Porsche Convertible Coupe Hybrid Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder mclaren p1 ferrari laferrari

McLaren P1 GTR Design Concept previews super exotic track stormer

McLaren says the P1 GTR has one goal: "to be the best driver's car in the world on track." And with no intentions of making the thing road-legal, McLaren was able to freely put together this design concept, showing a car that, to our eyes, looks absolutely capable of delivering the best in track-focused dynamics. Under the hood, the P1's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 has been enhanced to deliver 986 horsepower, an increase of 83 hp versus the engine's already ludicrous tune in the standard car. McLaren paid extra close attention to improving aerodynamics, with the sole intent of allowing the GTR to offer "more extreme performance," according to the company's press release. The front track is wider, with a larger, GT-style splitter. Cooling for the engine and brakes has been improved. The ride height has been lowered. The car's mirrors are now repositioned on the A-pillar to reduce drag and allow for better visibility. What's more, the racer rides on a unique set of 19-inch lightweight motorsport alloy wheels, and tire changes are easier managed thanks to an onboard air jacking system derived from the setup used on the 650S GT3 racecar. Active aerodynamics are found out back, too, with a fixed-height wing that uses a hydraulically operated drag reduction system, working in tandem with the active aero flaps placed ahead of the front wheels. Alongside the P1 GTR launch, McLaren offered up a few details about its new driver program, an exclusive ownership experience that includes specialized driver training, access to a racing simulator and more, all of which is "designed to prepare each driver mentally and physically to fully exploit the abilities of the McLaren P1 GTR." It sounds pretty intense, with each experience being individually tailored for each specific driver. Read more details about the driver program, as well as the P1 GTR in the press release below, and have a look at the gallery above to see live photos of the car direct from its debut here in Monterey.

F1 champ Fernando Alonso geared up for rookie run at Indy

NEW YORK - Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso surprised himself with his qualifying success for Sunday's Indianapolis 500, but the Spaniard knows his biggest challenge will come on race day. Alonso, racing on an oval for the first time, averaged more than 230 miles per hour (370 kph) to qualify fifth fastest for a place in the second row in the 33-car field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "I was a bit surprised," Alonso, 35, told Reuters on Tuesday. "When we announced to come here one month ago, we did it without knowing how competitive we could be, if I was able to adapt to oval racing, to these cars." "I still lack experience in important moments of the race. I will try to compensate with the speed, with motivation and we will see what happens." A lack of experience may cost him on the biggest day of US racing when a champion will be crowned after 200 laps of the massive 2.5-mile oval, but Alonso is geared up for the chance. "You respect the place, respect the speed. You respect your colleagues out there, but at the end of the day, when you are in your car and close the visor, you would like to have one mile per hour more. It's never enough," he said. While Alonso passed the entrance exam with flying colors in qualifying, he knows the hardest test is to come. "The biggest challenge I will face is in the race when you are running in traffic, those groups of cars that form in the race. It changes completely the behavior of the car. "You feel the car very loose... we've been practicing that with the team, trying to create our own groups because we are six cars," Alonso said. "I still lack experience in important moments of the race. I will try to compensate with the speed, with motivation and we will see what happens." GUESSING GAMES Alonso said timing his moves may be a guessing game. "Taking the opportunity to overtake and to pass will be a difficult decision to make," he said. "There are many factors you need to address while you are driving 230 miles per hour. "You have to stay calm, be ready for the last one-third of the race. That is where it comes." Alonso said the race demands a balance between pushing the limit and not crossing the line into recklessness. "With no experience, for me you're not sure sometimes where you are with that line - if you are over the limits of the car, or over the limits of running with the traffic.