2018 Mclaren 570 Spider on 2040-cars

Auto blog

McLaren going all-hybrid within ten years

There's a lot that's ground-breaking in the McLaren P1, not the least of it being its mind-bending performance. But so is its hybrid powertain. Aside from its Formula One racers, the P1 is the first hybrid McLaren ever made. But it won't be the last. Speaking with CEO Mike Flewitt, Edmunds reports that McLaren won't reserve its hybrid technology just for its flagship hypercar, but will integrate electric propulsion into every one of its models within ten years' time. In fact, it may even do a fully electric car as well. Of course that's a long-term vision for a company that's only been in operation (at least in its current form) for about five years. In that time it has launched the 12C, the P1 and the 650S. Soon it will add a new "entry-level" model internally known as P13, tipped to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next March, that will be more accessible in terms of price and performance. And it will – sometime within the next ten years – succeed the P1 with a P15 that will cost about half of the six-figure P1. Just what it has in mind for P14, however, remains a big question mark. Featured Gallery McLaren P1 News Source: Edmunds McLaren Hybrid Performance mclaren p13 mclaren p15

McLaren Ultimate Vision GT | 1,134-hp hybrid with a crazy driving position

As with Gran Turismo 6, Gran Turismo Sport will feature special Vision GT cars, which are concepts designed by real car manufacturers for use in the video-game series. These cars imagine what a company might produce far into the future, as far as 2030 or later in the case of the car McLaren has just revealed as its contribution. It's called the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo, and it's a thoroughly wild hybrid. Starting with performance, the McLaren retains a certain amount of gasoline propulsion thanks to a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. This engine powers the rear wheels, while the fronts are powered by individual electric motors. The combined output is 1,134 horsepower and 940 pound-feet of torque. While there are some hypercars with greater output right now, those numbers become more impressive when you realize this virtual McLaren weighs a little more than 2,200 pounds, less than a current Mazda Miata. The light weight should also make the inboard carbon ceramic brakes highly effective, too. The light weight comes from a body and chassis created using a considerable amount of carbon fiber. That body has unique active aerodynamics that rely on opening and closing holes near air inlets to adjust drag and downforce. According to McLaren, this method is simpler and lighter than mechanical flaps for the same purpose. Aside from the remarkable performance numbers, the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo also has a remarkable cockpit. It has a large glass area for good visibility, but the party piece is the prone seating position that McLaren calls "motorcycle-like." It probably is a cool way to drive, though we do wonder how comfortable that position would be for a length of time. Interestingly, the McLaren isn't the first to imagine a Vision GT car with this sort of seating. The Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo did something similar. Much more of that car was outlandish though, since it was supposedly propelled by lasers. No, really, lasers. That's what Chevy said. Don't expect to see the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo on the road anytime soon, but you can get behind the wheel virtually very soon. It will be featured in Gran Turismo Sport for PlayStation 4, which goes on sale October 17. The car will also join another special sports car, the Fittipaldi EF7, designed by Pininfarina and racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

McLaren GT reveals new track-bound 650S Sprint

McLaren has been keeping itself busy over the summer preparing for Pebble Beach – especially at the Special Operations and GT divisions. The former will roll in to the Concours d'Elegance this month with a pair of specially prepared supercars, but it's McLaren GT that's sure to steal the spotlight. Because it will not only unveil the P1 GTR in Monterey this year, but also the 650S Sprint you see here. As we anticipated back in April, the 650S Sprint will replace the outgoing 12C Sprint as McLaren's new track toy. Slotting in between the road-going 650S and the new 650S GT3 racer, the 650S Sprint is optimized for the race track, but not homologated for any particular racing series. In other words, it's designed as a play thing for wealthy enthusiasts. Presented in an inverse color scheme to the 650S GT3, with black and orange over white bodywork, the new Sprint car features a number of upgrades over the road-going model. For starters, it's got more downforce and better cooling for the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. Though McLaren hasn't specified increased output, it has confirmed that both the engine and gearbox have been recalibrated for track duty. It's also got a competition-spec fuel tank with quick-fill cap, enlarged radiator, retuned suspension, Pirelli racing slicks on 19-inch center-lock wheels, upgraded brakes, on-board air jack system, fire suppression system and a stripped-out cabin with FIA-approved roll cage, HANS-ready racing buckets and six-point harnesses. Given that a large share of these are sure to find homes on tracks along the Persian Gulf, keeping the air conditioning system in place, despite the focus on saving weight, was probably a good idea. McLaren GT is pricing the 650S Sprint in the UK at GBP198,000 (including local taxes). That's negligibly few grand more than the road-going 650S (or, for that matter, the previous 12C Sprint), but since the 650S Sprint is confined to the track, it's a an even more indulgent purchase. TRACK-FOCUSED 650S SPRINT TO MAKE GLOBAL PREMIERE AT 2014 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE McLaren GT has today confirmed that it will premiere its latest model at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, with the wraps set to come off the track-only 650S Sprint. The stripped-out racer will make its global debut alongside a number of other models from McLaren Automotive, and completes the brand's display with four global debuts planned for the Californian event, including the McLaren P1™ GTR.