2015 Mclaren 650s Front Lift Super Light Wheels Carbon Fiber Meridia on 2040-cars

Auto blog

'Top Gear' episode 1 recap | A new beginning, again

Season 27 of "Top Gear" kicked off Sunday night, and we were there on our couches for the premiere to see everything Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness had to offer. With only five episodes in this season, this new group of characters doesn’t have much time to get it right. They started with a bang, on a massive road trip through Ethiopia in cars identical to their first vehicle purchases. Before that, though, the hosts recognized the rebirths and numerous changes "Top Gear" has gone through since Clarkson, Hammond and May left the premises. Good on "Top Gear" for not brushing over any sort of controversy and unrest, then getting on with the show as itÂ’s meant to be. As is typical for "Top Gear," the adventure/story portion of the show was definitely the most entertaining. We wholeheartedly approve of all the vehicles these guys bought as their first transportation — watching Chris Harris toss his little Mini around the sand and rocks was especially joyful. The boys get on rather well together for just starting off, and while the interludes for challenges didnÂ’t feel totally natural, the challenges themselves were still fun to watch. Being in Ethiopia with such a vast array of alien-to-us shooting locations definitely helped keep us entertained from a visual standpoint. We werenÂ’t surprised to see Chris Harris handling the “serious car review” portion of the show where he pitted a Ferrari 488 Pista against a McLaren 600LT — the others aren't traditional automotive journalists. We wonÂ’t give away who won, but the Ferrari did manage to surprise us in one particular area. Perhaps the most important aspect of the whole episode is how the three hosts got on with each other (Sabine Schmitz was nowhere to be seen). ThereÂ’s no Captain Slow or American car maniac amongst the group, but a comedian (Paddy) and cricketer (Freddie) certainly do bring fresh voices and perspectives. WeÂ’ll give them time to warm up to each other as the season goes on, with a new episode this coming Sunday. One thing we know for sure after this first go: Chris Harris really does not like the hot desert as much as he loves hot, burning rubber.

McLaren Senna GTR spied testing at the track

The McLaren Senna really moves. With its 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 789 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, it's a fitting tribute for the legendary driver it's named after. While it's a road-legal car, it does have a race mode. But if that weren't racy enough for you, McLaren has a gnarlier version on the way, as you can see from these spy photos. That car, the McLaren Senna GTR, will be too hot for public roads, though, and will be a track-only version of the car. McLaren first envisioned the Senna GTR as a concept car, which it trotted out at the Geneva Motor Show last spring. The British automaker has said it only intends to build 75 examples, and each will cost around $1.4 million. That'll buy the lucky owners at least 813 horsepower and 2,200 pounds of downforce. A lot of dramatic carbon fiber bodywork helps it perform that aerodynamic feat. As McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt has said, the GTR will offer "more power, more grip and more downforce ... than the McLaren Senna and post even faster lap times." The prototype we see in the spy shots above looks incomplete, so expect to see more aero bits as development continues. It has a more aggressive stance, with wider fenders to match its wider track. We'll be curious to hear more details from McLaren closer to the car's production launch late next year, but seeing the Senna GTR hit the track is certainly a thing to behold. Related Video:

The McLaren MSO HS is a full-custom, 679-hp menace inspired by the P1 GTR

There's no end in sight for McLaren Special Operations and its attempts at making McLarens even more, well, special. While we found the McLaren 675LT to be an incredibly competent supercar when we drove it, someone at MSO decided the thing needed more power and aerodynamic goodies. We're okay with that. This project was previously leaked as the McLaren 688HS. Now McLaren has released details on the 679-horsepower MSO HS (for High Sport) and it's ridiculous. Based on the McLaren 650S, the MSO HS is limited to just 25 units, which have already been spoken for and will be entirely customized for their owners. Output from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine is up to 679 horsepower (an increase of 13 over the 675LT), while torque stays the same at 516 pound-feet. To accompany the increase in power, this particular MSO HS features a hilarious amount of carbon fiber. The roof, hood, front bumper, and wing – which is inspired by the McLaren P1 GTR – are all made out of the lightweight material. Not that we doubted it, but the aero package is functional – McLaren claims the MSO HS makes 485 pounds of downforce at 150 mph. And yes, that's a giant scoop on the roof. McLaren didn't release any performance figures for the MSO HS, but the supercar will surely be just as fast, if not faster, around a track as the 675LT. To help the brave and daring owners that plan to take the car to the track, the MSO HS comes with McLaren Track Telemetry. The feature, which is also found on the 675LT, includes a host of sensors and three cameras to provide data to help the driver go even quicker. Since MSO will customize each of the supercars to an owner's specifications, pricing hasn't been released, and it's kind of irrelevant since you can't buy one anymore. Given its extremely limited run, more powerful engine, and customizable body, you can be sure the MSO HS's price will surely dwarf that of the 675LT at $350,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery McLaren MSO HS News Source: McLarenImage Credit: McLaren McLaren Coupe Lightweight Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Supercars mclaren special operations