McLaren 650S, page #10

Auto blog

McLaren offers a fully electric P1 roadster for $486

Tesla doesn't need to worry that McLaren is suddenly getting into the pure-electric game with the P1 supercar. That's because this electric P1 is a new toy for kids between the ages of three and six. This is not the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe of your childhood. This is a pretty cool toy. It features the "dihedral" butterfly doors featured on all modern McLarens. It also comes with an electric motor coupled to a three-speed transmission that even has reverse. This toy P1 also offers desirable features not available on the full-size model, including a center seating position and an open roof. Drivers will even have access to an on-board MP3 player and speaker system. The car goes on sale at select McLaren stores and toy stores at the end of October, and it can be purchased in any color you want so long as it's Volcano Yellow. Pricing has been set at GBP375, which at current exchange rates is about $486. So if you must have an electric, drop-top P1, there's really only one option. Related Video: Featured Gallery McLaren P1 toy car Image Credit: McLaren Toys/Games McLaren Electric mclaren p1 power wheels toy car

Apple takeover of McLaren makes Project Titan sound a lot more interesting [UPDATE]

UPDATE : A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that these reports are untrue: "We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment." A spokesperson further told Business Insider that the Financial Times' report is completely untrue and that the automaker is not holding any talks with Apple in regard to a takeover or a strategic investment. Apple is considering buying McLaren Technology Group, a British automotive manufacturer, and is currently holding talks with the company, reports the Financial Times. According to three individuals that are currently in on the negotiations, the California-based technology group is thinking about a full takeover of the British automaker or a strategic investment. The anonymous sources claim that talks started several months ago. A collaboration between Apple and McLaren, from the automaker's standpoint at least, is puzzling. Apple has been working on its autonomous, electric vehicle for over two years now, while McLaren hasn't revealed any interest in creating a self-driving car. McLaren, though, isn't posting healthy profits as the Financial Times claims that the automaker reported a revenue of $344 million and pre-tax losses of $29.3 million in 2014. For Apple, a partnership with McLaren could prove to be fruitful as the company would have access to the automaker's high-tech chassis materials and engineering components, kicking the company's automotive project into overdrive. The Financial Times reports that Apple is interested in McLaren's patent portfolio, technology, and engineering prowess, which would surely help the technology company with its automotive project. Earlier this month, Apple reportedly laid off dozens of employees to "reboot" its automotive program. While there's no word on what the "reboot" included, the Financial Times' anonymous sources claim that the deal might not go ahead because of the recent shift in Apple's automotive project. According to the Financial Times' unnamed sources, McLaren Technology owns 80 percent of McLaren Automotive and is valued at between $1.29 and $1.95 billion. If the deal between McLaren and Apple were to go through, that would make it the technology company's largest acquisition since the company bought Beats Electronics for $3 billion in 2014. This isn't the first time Apple invested in a company that focuses on transportation. The technology company recently invested China's main Uber competitor – Didi Chuxing.

2016 Singapore Grand Prix Race Recap | Setting the stage for the final rounds

The Singapore Grand Prix always features a safety car. This year the nation-state got caution out of the way early: seconds after the lights went out, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz collided with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, sending Hulk into the wall minus a wheel and some bodywork. The safety car led the field for three laps, then ducked into the pits so abruptly that a track marshal was still retrieving debris as race leader Nico Rosberg hit the throttle down the front straight. Rosberg avoided the pedestrian on his way to a two-second lead over Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes-AMG Petronas, and Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen. On Lap 8 of the 61-lap race Mercedes engineers warned Rosberg and Hamilton about brake management. Rosberg had no trouble until the waning laps of the race, his teammate inadvertently the cause. Raikkonen got ahead of Hamilton on Lap 33 while Hamilton nursed his car. Trying to get Hamilton back in front of the Ferrari, Mercedes pitted Hamilton on Lap 46 and also ordered him to turn his engine up. Ferrari debated for a lap about whether to bring Raikkonen in, finally issuing a last-second order to pit. The Finn emerged behind Hamilton, but executing the trick to get Hamilton back into third gave Ricciardo breathing room in second place. Red Bull brought Ricciardo in on Lap 48 for a set of super soft Pirellis. Returning to the track 25 seconds behind Rosberg, Ricciardo cut from one to four seconds out of that gap on every lap. By Lap 59 the Aussie was little more than a second behind the German. Had the race gone three more laps, Ricciardo might have pulled off the upset. This time Rosberg stayed in front to win his third race in a row and his first victory in Singapore, all in his 200th grand prix. Ricciardo and Hamilton completed the podium; Raikkonen claimed fourth. Sebastian Vettel wrangled an incredible fifth place after starting last; the German set the worst time on the grid when his suspension broke in Q1. Max Verstappen, having lost places at the start due to wheelspin again, recovered for sixth. Fernando Alonso made the most of his McLaren with seventh, ahead of Sergio Perez in the lone remaining Force India, a resurgent Daniil Kvyat in the Toro Rosso, and Kevin Magnussen scoring Renault's second points finish of the season. Hamilton has not had a good time of it since the end of the summer break – engine troubles in Belgium, a botched start in Italy, and zero rhythm in Singapore.

A McLaren MP4-12C Spider fails to fit through this French hotel's doors

Making a proper entrance at Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez, an upscale hotel on the southern coast of France, is important. You can't simply arrive like every other commoner. How will others know how much better and important you are than them? No, your entrance must be spectacular. Something that people won't soon forget. Like crashing your $270,000 McLaren MP4-12C through the revolving front door. People will surely notice when you plow your 618 horsepower supercar through the too-narrow front entrance. Sure, according to France's Nice-Matin it's been done before, but it hasn't happened for a few years. There's been plenty of time for people to forget. Plus, the hotel manager Alessandro Cresta seems surprisingly calm about the situation, saying "It is common for the customer to confuse the forward and reverse gears in an automatic transmission." True enough. Once the deed is done, let the hotel deal with it. You're too important and too busy to deal with towing, insurance, or a replacement. No one is hurt and the hotel seems to have a contingency for such a situation. They've already started to board off the revolving door. Rental? Not for the likes of you. Simply go down the street and buy another. The new Ferrari 488 Spider looks like it may scoot through the entrance slightly better than the McLaren. You may even make it all the way the front desk. Now that would be an entrance. Related Video: News Source: Nice-MatinImage Credit: Nice-Matin Humor McLaren Convertible Supercars

McLaren 650S replacement spotted at LAX and in Spain

With the McLaren 650S quickly approaching its fourth birthday, the British automaker is hard at work on putting its successor on the road by 2018. The replacement to McLaren's entry in its Super Series lineup wasn't expected to arrive until 2017 with a debut slated for the Geneva Motor Show. The latest spy shots of the new model, which is codenamed P14, testing in Spain reveals that the supercar is well underway. The undisguised prototype displays a radical design change from the rest of McLaren's lineup, which has been criticized for its ubiquity. The front of the spied prototype features McLaren's iconic rounded nose, but has numerous aerodynamic touches. The hood, which is similar to the one found on the McLaren 570S, has two triangular scoops, while slender LED headlights mimic the ones found on the P1. There are two large vents at the bottom of the front end, which will surely aid the supercar in creating a massive amount of downforce. Along the side, the P14 prototype features angular lines with a duct at the front of the door, which is a change from the rest of its supercars that have a large duct towards the rear of the vehicle. The prototype is wearing similar wheels to ones found on the McLaren P1, as well. At the back, the P14 still features centrally-positioned exhaust tips, but are round instead of the square-like ones on the 650S. The engine cover has been redesigned and looks similar to that of the P1's, while the entire rear ditches the 650S' square-like rear end for a more curvy design. The taillights share a similar design to single LED units found on the 570S and P1. The large panel gaps towards the top of the rear end also have us thinking that the supercar will have some sort of active aero. Autoblog reader Nicholas Haggard also sent in a couple of photos of the prototype at Los Angeles International Airport. That prototype, which was heavily camouflaged wore a different set of rims that matched the ones found on the 650S. The sleek front end and profile of the prototype has us believing that it's identical to the one that was testing in Spain. While the P14's design is supposed to be a large deviation from McLaren's lineup, it looks like a lovechild of the 570S, 650S, and P1, which isn't a bad thing. The supercar is expected to utilize the same carbon monocoque architecture and the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that's found throughout McLaren's lineup.

Gordon Murray's flat-pack truck is a long way from the McLaren F1

A team of crack British automotive engineers went out to the shed and put together a new vehicle that promises to be the envy of IKEA store managers the world over – a flat-pack truck. According to The Telegraph, two prototypes of a plucky little truck called The Ox were unveiled at an event at the Roundhouse, a performing arts and concert venue in London's Chalk Farm neighborhood on September 6. The event was organized by the Global Vehicle Trust, a charity founded by Sir Torquil Norman to address transportation-related issues in the developing world. Designed by a distinguished team of British automotive engineers, including famed engineer and father of the McLaren F1 Gordon Murray, the Ox is a barebones transporter with a simple, three-position cab, a sturdy chassis, and a surprisingly spacious cargo area. Powered by a small diesel mill out of a Ford Transit, the Ox can carry just over two tons of cargo or up to thirteen passengers in its versatile covered cargo bay. While it is only rear-wheel drive, the Ox was designed to tackle the kinds of rough terrain found in the developing world. It is also, as claimed by the design team, rugged, easy to maintain, and built to thrive in areas where parts and dealer support are a rarity. The Ox's biggest selling point is that it can be packaged and shipped in a crate and assembled at its destination without a workshop. An entire truck can be assembled by three people in just under 12 hours. All the tools necessary for its construction, about forty different wrenches and a single Allen key, are included in the kit. It remains to be seen whether the Ox can make inroads in places like rural Africa or Southeast Asia where second-hand Toyotas and Chinese vehicles currently rule. The designers have high hopes for it however, and with its ease of use and rugged, versatile design The Ox may very well find some success carting people and cargo throughout the world's developing rural areas. Related Video: News Source: The Telegraph Auto News Design/Style Weird Car News McLaren Truck Videos Gordon Murray ikea

2016 Italian Grand Prix race recap

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is called the Temple of Power. Furthermore, the winning driver in Italy started on pole in 13 of the last 16 years, and only one driver in that time has won the Italian GP from behind the front row of the grid: Rubens Barrichello in 2002 and 2009. By this point in the current Formula 1 season (era?) we know what it means when a track emphasizes both power and pole position: Mercedes-AMG Petronas. The Silver Arrows locked out the front row with Lewis Hamilton on pole. A poor start prevented the Briton from capitalizing on the advantage, so teammate Nico Rosberg and four other drivers swept by him before the end of the second turn. Mercedes would later say a clutch issue caused Hamilton's botched start, but that didn't help the man who'd just fallen to sixth place. Rosberg got about two laps of television coverage on his way to an unbothered victory ahead of Hamilton. Ferrari made Hamilton's second-place finish easier by sticking to a two-stop strategy; both Mercedes drivers pitted once. We aren't sure why Ferrari didn't at least attempt a one-stopper once Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had been gifted second and third on track. A pit stop took about 23 seconds from entry to exit and Vettel finished third, six seconds behind Hamilton. Raikkonen finished fourth, another seven seconds behind Vettel. Perhaps the Scuderia's tire usage wouldn't allow longer stints, but we'll never know. Daniel Ricciardo wielded his Red Bull like a scalpel to make an impeccable pass on Valtteri Bottas in the Williams and take fifth place. Ricciardo, trailing another Italian province behind, somehow closed the gap on Bottas in just the braking zone of Turn 1, pulling alongside near the apex without locking a wheel on entry nor running wide on exit. Bottas claimed sixth ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez in the Force India, Felipe Massa in the second Williams, and Nico Hulkenberg in the second Force India sealing the top ten. Monza did spring a few on-track surprises. Esteban Gutierrez drove Haas F1 into Q3 for the first time this season, the Mexican setting the sixth-best time in Q2. Manor Racing planned for Monza all season, Pascal Wehrlein repaying the effort by qualifying 13th. Fernando Alonso pitted his McLaren on Lap 50 of the 53-lap race for a set of super soft Pirellis, then set the fastest lap. It's Honda's first fastest lap since 1992. The biggest moments happened off the track.

Race recap: 2016 Belgian Grand Prix is a dozen angry laps

The calm of the Formula One summer break ended with the tumult of the Belgian Grand Prix. The first two days included unusual tire pressures and grid penalties; Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Lewis Hamilton started 21st because of a 55-place grid penalty for engine and gearbox changes, McLaren's Fernando Alonso started 22nd due to a 60-place penalty for the same offenses. The bedlam rolled right into what was effectively an 11-or 12-lap race. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg took off from pole and the cameras barely bothered with him until he took the checkered flag 44 laps later. Red Bull's Max Verstappen bogged from second on the grid, got swallowed by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on the way to Turn 1, then attempted to recover by sticking his Red Bull's nose between Raikkonen's sidepod and the apex at the first corner. Vettel, who didn't see Verstappen, turned into La Source leaving only enough room for Raikkonen. Three cars don't fit in a space for two cars. Vettel spun, Raikkonen and Verstappen clobbered one another and all three drivers had to pit for repairs. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg zig-zagged his way into second ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, Williams' Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez in the second Force India. On Lap 6 Kevin Magnussen lost his Renault at Raidillon at the top of Eau Rouge and flew backward into an enormous crash. Magnussen escaped with just a cut ankle. The Safety Car paraded the field for four laps before officials red flagged the race to repair the barriers. When racing resumed on Lap 10, Rosberg led Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Hamilton. Ricciardo stayed ahead of Hamilton to keep second place at the end of the race, Hamilton easily got around Alonso and Hulkenberg to lock up third. Hulkenberg – who'd given up second to Ricciardo by pitting during the Safety Car period – earned another career-best fourth position ahead of teammate Perez in fifth, followed by Vettel and Alonso on recovery drives, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Felipe Massa taking 10th in the second Williams. Rosberg reignited his Driver's Championship charge with the victory, closing to nine points of leader Hamilton. We could argue that Hamilton had an equally good day by driving from 21st to third, limiting his loss to only 10 points. About that Verstappen, though... We've seen far more experienced drivers attempt the same move Verstappen made into Turn 1 – Raikkonen on Bottas in Russia in 2015, for instance.

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

All the crazy stuff we saw at McCall's Motorworks Revival

Every year, Gordon McCall puts on a lavish event packed with rare cars and planes (and the type of people that can afford rare cars and planes). And every year, more ridiculous stuff shows up. It's the good kind of machine overload. It's likely the only place in the world where you'll see a line of BMW 3.0s next to some Paganis next to a Porsche 911 by Singer Design next to a Ferrari salt racer next to a custom Olds Riviera next to the latest from Koenigsegg next to he coolest stuff Shelby ever made next to a hangar filled with McLarens, including a few P1 GTRs. And then all of that is surrounded by private jets, fighters, and planes that could have flown in directly from WWII. In a word, it's insane. Walk through the gallery above to get a taste for what was there this year for the event's 25th anniversary. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 McCall's Motorworks Revival View 29 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Motorsports Misc. Auto Shows BMW Ferrari McLaren Porsche Koenigsegg