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McLaren Elva M1A Theme by MSO channels Bruce McLaren's 1964 race car

McLaren Special Operations hit up Twitter to show a version of its new Ultimate Series speedster, christened with the full name of Elva M1A Theme by MSO. The Elva takes its design cues from the M1A race car that Bruce McLaren developed for sports car racing in the 1960s. McLaren first entered his black #4 racer in the 1964 Canadian Grand Prix and put everyone on notice; the M1A equaled the lap record at Mosport Park four times and broke the record seven times. As buyers lined up, McLaren commissioned English firm Elva to build replicas for privateers. Although the historic M1A was an advance on the McLaren's "Jolly Green Giant" Cooper-Oldsmobile, the M1A inaugurated the McLaren lineage that would soon dominate sports car racing. This modern Elva M1A goes about as far as it can to channel its inspiration, adopting the black exterior and red seats of the original — but not the 4.5-liter Oldsmobile engine. Instead of painting the speedster black, MSO took the much better option of coating the carbon fiber bodywork in clearcoat. The only touches of paint are the silver slash and red pinstripe running front to back, splitting into a low runner along the sills, and the white roundel with the race number. We're not sure what's going on with the wheels, though — they're the same design as those on the Elva that launched in November, but in mirror image. The other big splash of color appears on the seats, topped with crimson Alcantara.  MSO didn't mention any limitations on this theme, so it's possible there could be more than one among the 399-unit Elva production run; Bruce McLaren built three works versions of the original M1A, and Elva produced 24 customer cars. And yes, the historic car was powered by an all-aluminum 3.5-liter Oldsmobile V8 that Traco bored out to 4.5 liters, producing 310 horsepower breathing through four Weber carbs. Oldsmobile not being an option anymore, the Elva homage goes with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 804 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, which helps ensure buyers get their $1.69 million worth. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Fernando Alonso airlifted to hospital after F1 test crash

Fernando Alonso was medevac'd on Sunday to a hospital in his home country of Spain after crashing his McLaren-Honda into the wall during a Formula One test session. The two-time world champion skidded off Catalunya track near Barcelona at Turn 3, hitting the inside wall, during the fourth day of the second official pre-season test session of the season. He was reportedly conscious and talking after the incident, but after being examined at the trackside medical center, was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital for further testing. The incident caps a difficult pre-season so far for the McLaren team, which has grappled with mechanical glitches related to the new Honda engine it will be running this year. The British team was stuck at or near the bottom of the time sheets on each of the four days of the first test session in Jerez, and has been relegated towards the bottom of the board throughout the first three days of this second session in Barcelona. This of course wasn't the first time Alonso has endured a severe crash over the course of his decade and a half on the grid. One of his most notorious incidents included a crash at 180 miles per hour during the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. His crash while practicing for the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix prevented him from taking part in the qualifying session, relegating him to the back of the starting grid, but didn't keep him from finishing a solid sixth in the race at which it's notoriously difficult to pass. But arguably the most famous crash surrounding the Spaniard didn't even directly involve him: it was the infamous Crashgate scandal of 2008, when his team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr was instructed to crash his car in order to help Alonso win the race. Needless to say, Alonso has bounced back from them all, just as we hope and trust he will from this one. We'll be sure to keep you posted on his progress, so watch this space. News Source: McLarenImage Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Celebrities Motorsports McLaren F1 hospital airlift

2018 McLaren 570GT Sport Pack Drivers' Notes Review | Best of both worlds

The 2018 McLaren 570GT is the "entry-level" McLaren, representing the British automaker's Sport Series and slotting under the Super Series models like the 720S. The 570GT, like all McLarens, uses a twin-turbo V8 and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. In the 570GT, the engine displaces 3.8 liters and makes 562 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The GT is the twin to the 570S, though for 2018 you can get the GT with the Sport Pack, giving the GT the best of both cars. The $5,950 Sport Pack changes the car's dampers and steering rack, pulling them closer in line with the 570S. The adaptive damping and stability control are tuned the same as on the S model. Our car also comes with carbon-ceramic brakes, Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires, 10-spoke wheels ($6,200), carbon-fiber trim ($3,090) and a 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system ($2,280). All in, the car came out to $236,220. Editor-in-chief Greg Migliore: The McLaren 570GT is a brilliant car. It's powerful, has standout design and is one of the reasons McLaren is carving a niche against other European exotics. When the company relaunched its automotive business a decade ago, there were legitimate questions as to why an enthusiast would buy one. Driving this machine on a gorgeous Friday morning with the windows vented, I couldn't help but think that uncertainty has been largely put to rest. Zero to 60 in 3.3 seconds? That feels slow. I pulled up to a stoplight, goosed the throttle and effortlessly hit 60 as I blitzed by dawdling traffic. The brakes are instantaneous and direct. The steering is connected and quick. Tuned for the track, it was more than confidence-inspiring when I had to pull a hard left as another stoplight turned yellow. Oh, and you're so low to the ground. That really hit home when I found myself looking up at a GTI. That's low. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I like but don't love the 570GT. Yes, it's astoundingly quick. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 packs plenty of power. It handles well, with communicative steering and a firm suspension that doesn't punish you over rough pavement. It's relatively practical, too. The interior has a number of small bins, and the luggage shelf above the engine provides an extra bit of storage. Still, it's not enough to win me over. There are a number of little things that bug me.