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McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray no fan of hybrid supercars

You'd think that the extreme performance, engineering and technology of hybrid hypercars like the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder would appeal to a guy like Gordon Murray. After all, the man behind the McLaren F1, the original hypercar, knows a thing or six about pushing the edge of the performance envelope with a new vehicle. The F1 came out over 20 years ago, but even then, it was exploring the limits of automotive technology. But if Murray were in the driver's seat today, he'd pass on all the F1-inspired trickery that's infiltrating the modern breed of supercars. Instead, as he tells Goodwood Road & Racing, he'd focus on building a "great driver's car" with "pure engineering." We aren't sure how Murray's engineering differs, or is purer, than the work done in Woking, Maranello and Zuffenhausen, but we suppose he's entitled to his opinions. Overall, the interview with GRR and Murray is a fascinating read into a man that has a very unique take on what a driver's car should be. Hop over and have a read. Featured Gallery 2015 McLaren P1: First Drive View 39 Photos Related Gallery McLaren F1 LM: Geneva 2013 View 14 Photos News Source: Goodwood Road & RacingImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL, Copyright 2014 Matt Davis / AOL Read This McLaren Coupe Performance mclaren p1 Gordon Murray

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

McLaren P1 prototype still sliding hard after 40,000 miles

Even if you're the manufacturer responsible for producing them, you don't just hand the keys over to a seven-figure supercar to just anyone. You hand-pick just the right man for the job. But even then, you still don't want to give him a brand-new car. Which could be why when McLaren invited Chris Harris and his crew from Drive down to Abu Dhabi to capture the new P1, they put him in XP7 – a pre-production prototype that's undergone 40,000 hard miles of testing in extreme climates around the world. Not that its well-worn nature would keep Monkey from enjoying himself, and from that shining through on film. So after a brief chat with chief test driver Chris Goodwin and a cruise around town to measure its manners, it was straight onto the Yas Marina circuit to wring its neck. So what did Harris think of the McLaren P1? "I haven't driven a car like this before. I really haven't. Because there isn't another car like this. It's a different league even to a [Porsche] 918." Then he turns the traction control off. See what happens next in the video below. It's nearly a half hour long, but it's worth every second. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Gallery McLaren P1 Hot Weather Testing View 10 Photos News Source: Drive via YouTube McLaren Coupe Hybrid Performance Videos chris harris mclaren p1 drive abu dhabi