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McLaren promotes new chief designer

Though the racing team has been around for decades, McLaren Automotive as a modern carmaker is one of the youngest around, and continues to fine-tune its senior personnel. In the latest announcement, the Woking, UK-based outfit has named Robert Melville to the role of Chief Designer. At just 37 years old, Melville has been with McLaren as a senior designer since 2009, lending his pen to the lines of the P1, 650S and the upcoming entry-level Sports Series that's confirmed to debut "in the second quarter of 2015," with an anticipated reveal expected at the New York Auto Show in April. Though the title of Chief Designer would seem to suggest that Melville will be the top authority in McLaren's design department, he'll still be reporting to Frank Stephenson, whose role as Design Director remains unchanged. News Source: McLaren Design/Style Hirings/Firings/Layoffs McLaren mclaren automotive chief designer

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

McLaren 570S Sprint is both track day weapon and bargain

If you've ever dreamed of getting behind the wheel of a McLaren engineered specifically for the race track, this could be your best shot. It's the new 570S Sprint, and it's set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed tomorrow. Like the P1 GTR and the Sprint versions of the 650S and 12C before it, the new McLaren 570S Sprint is meant to be a track toy for gentlemen racers, without the limitations imposed by any specific racing class regulations. It's based on the 570S coupe at the heart of McLaren's entry-level Sports Series, but takes the opposite approach from the softer 570GT. The team in Woking has installed a new radiator behind a reshaped front bumper. The front splitter and underbody are borrowed from the 570S GT4, and there's a giant rear wing made of carbon fiber to give it more downforce than any other model in the series. Naturally the cockpit is all stripped out, and fitted with an FIA-spec roll cage, racing bucket with six-point harness, and a fire extinguisher. The suspension carries over from the road-going model, but comes mounted here to center-locking mags wearing Pirelli slicks. Though it didn't provide any concrete details, the manufacturer says that "power and torque levels have been optimised to ensure the ultimate levels of driver engagement and the best levels of noise." You can get an idea about the latter in the short video clip below. Deliveries are set to begin next year, with pricing in the UK starting at the equivalent of $218k – which you could easily on a road-going model without running out of boxes to tick on the options list. Sprint buyers, meanwhile, will be able to spec options like an onboard air jacking system, a passenger seat, various livery options from McLaren Special Operations, and even a GT4 compliance package. The one option they won't have, however, is driving it home at the end of the track day. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. McLAREN 570S SPRINT TO MAKE GLOBAL DEBUT AT THE 2016 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 22 Jun 2016 The recently-announced McLaren 570S Sprint will make both static and dynamic global debuts at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of the largest presence by McLaren to date.