2019 Mclaren 600lt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

McLaren and Red Bull refused to accept elimination qualifying compromise

Formula 1's failure to change its under-fire elimination qualifying format was sealed when McLaren and Red Bull refused to accept anything other than ditching the shoot-out idea completely, Motorsport.com has learned. In another dramatic twist to the saga surrounding F1's qualifying system, sources have confirmed that the two outfits were unwilling to play ball with an alternative solution that had been put on the table by the FIA this week. And without their support - and the need for unanimous backing for any change to go through - the idea to tweak elimination qualifying was left dead in the water, with no time left to do anything other than keep the system that proved so unpopular in Australia. FIA plan After the shambolic end to Q3 in Australia, teams had unanimously agreed in Melbourne to ditch elimination qualifying and go back to last year's system for the next race in Bahrain. However, a decision was made by the FIA to not go that far and abandon the positive aspects of the change. Instead it wanted to give the shoot-out system another try, albeit in an improved format. This week therefore, teams on the Strategy Group and F1 Commission found themselves only able to vote on a revised format to elimination qualifying proposed by the FIA, where the new-style Q1 and Q2 would be extended, and Q3 would revert to how it was last year. One theory as to why teams were only given this option to vote on was that it would effectively force their hands to accept it, as they would be highly unlikely to reject it and keep the Australian system that was so universally criticised. However, if that was a motivation for not giving teams the option of going back to last year's system, then it failed entirely because McLaren and Red Bull refused to support it and did not vote in favour. Without their support, the vote did not go through, meaning that F1 is heading to Bahrain with the same under-fire elimination qualifying format that was run in Australia – and little prospect of it delivering a better show in Q3 this time. F1 criticism In a week when the GPDA spoke out about F1's 'obsolete' rules structure, and the sport making a bold move away from free-to-air TV in Britain, the inability of F1 to get rid of a hated qualifying format has left it facing further criticism.

Pontiac and McLaren once hooked up, and it was rad

Most of us would bend over backwards to have a chance to own a McLaren car, but few can afford such extravagance. That said, there’s a way you can get behind the wheel of a legitimate McLaren without breaking the bank. For 1989 and 1990, the Pontiac Grand Prix was offered in a limited-edition ASC-McLaren variant that featured tuning and updates from the iconic British automaker. Examples of this rare coupe rarely surface for sale, so itÂ’s surprising to see this low-mile 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix ASC-McLaren on eBay. The car is the result of a partnership between American Specialty Cars-McLaren (ASC-McLaren) and Pontiac. WeÂ’re not talking about the McLaren Formula 1 team or even the iconic McLaren road cars here. The McLaren connection comes from an arm of the automakerÂ’s powertrain engineering department. The Grand PrixÂ’s standard 3,1-liter V6 got a massage and a turbocharger, adding 65 horsepower for a total of 205 ponies and 225 pound-feet of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels. That output is modest by todayÂ’s standards, and it wasnÂ’t outrageous even by 1990 standards, but the car returned a decent 0-60 mph time of around 7 seconds. The $5,000 ASC-McLaren package added a load of cool 1980s tech to the Grand PrixÂ’s interior, some of which is surprisingly advanced for the time. The car got a head-up display and a digital display on the dash. The steering wheel should be delightfully familiar to anyone who remembers a top-end Pontiac of the era, with the entire center of the wheel filled with buttons instead of the airbags we see today. The car had insanely padded bucket seats front and rear(!) with a distinctive pear shape.  Many sources peg production numbers between 2,500 and 3,500 units, so the car is relatively rare compared to its mass-produced Pontiac counterparts. This oneÂ’s got just 17,746 miles on the clock, too, and appears to be in excellent condition. ItÂ’s had just two owners and no reported accidents. The seller notes a little surface rust from the car being in storage so long. This era of GM cars tended to deteriorate quickly, so a bit of surface rust shouldnÂ’t be a huge issue. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

McLaren MSO X is a bespoke 570S GT4 Le Mans car for the road

We like the McLaren 570S a lot. Few vehicles combine sharp looks, raw speed and genuine usability like McLaren's entry-level model. Still, there's always room for some custom changes. That's where McLaren Special Operations steps in. MSO builds bespoke vehicles like the MSO R and MSO HS (both based on the McLaren 675LT) for customers willing to shell out the dough. Usually it's a one or two-car run, but McLaren just announced a run of 10 road-legal cars done up like the 570S GT4 race car and painted like McLaren F1 GTR Le Mans cars from the '90s. One look at the McLaren MSO X and you'll know it means business. If the paint scheme, roof snorkel and pylon-mounted rear wing don't give it away, the stripped-down interior (complete with a fire extinguisher) probably will. This is a race car for the road, and since all the cars were commissioned by McLaren Newport Beach, they're actually legal in the US. McLaren wants the owners to be able to drive their cars to the track, so each MSO X retains parking sensors, rear-view cameras, air conditioning and a lift for speed bumps and driveways. MSO did as much as possible to make the cars look like the 570S GT4, adding a few other touches here and there. The rear wing adds 220 lbs of downforce to the rear. The roof snorkel was inspired by the 1997 F1 GTR Longtail and improves air induction. The hood has intakes that help channel air to the snorkel and rear wing. Dive planes on the front add some stability up front. Other changes include MSO Titanium Super Sports Exhaust and Pirelli PZero Corsa tires. The roof, hood, side skirts, engine cover, front and rear bumpers and rear diffuser are all done in a satin carbon fiber finish. McLaren says the cutouts in the bumper are there to shave weight. The rest of the car is painted in a different race livery. The interior of the standard 570S features carbon fiber on the steering wheel, instrument cluster and center console. The MSO X removes the carpeting and leather, exposing the McLaren's carbon-fiber Monocell 2 on the car's door sills. Each carbon-fiber seat is fitted with a six-point racing harness. The standard seat belts are still there for non-track driving. There's space behind the seats for a helmet. The McLaren Track Telemetry from the 720S adds cameras so you can review your laps. MSO doesn't ever list costs, but if you're ordering a bespoke supercar, money usually isn't an issue. We just want pictures of the other eight cars.