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Watch a McLaren P1 get tormented by a BAC Mono at Silverstone

Could there be anything more infuriating than making a million-plus-dollar investment in a vehicle like the McLaren P1, only to take it to a track and find you're unable to outrun a car that costs, without options, about 96,000 pounds ($159,000 at today's rates)? One P1 driver experienced that sort of frustration while running Silverstone, when he tangled with a very persistent BAC Mono driver. Now, the P1 absolutely decimates the single-seat, closed-wheel track toy on the straights, while losing a lot of ground in the bends. Even on a high-speed track like Silverstone, the McLaren doesn't boast enough of an advantage to keep the Mono at bay. As the intelligent YouTube commenters (yes, we're surprised by this too) point out, though, there could be a number of reasons why the Mono is so able to hassle and pass the P1. First, it's quite clear that the BAC driver knows the circuit far better than the McLaren pilot, as evidenced by his lines, particularly through Stowe and the Club/Vale complex (this could be chalked up, as one commenter says, to the lead car driving with his mirrors). The BAC is probably running a more aggressive tire than the P1, which in turn appears to be handicapping itself by not running its most aggressive aero setup. Finally, remember that the McLaren is a fully street-legal vehicle, full of safety gear and crash-worthiness as required by law. Still, the fact that this relatively affordable track toy is able to hound and pass one of the world's premier performance machines is a particularly impressive feat. Take a look at the video to see what we mean. Related Gallery BAC Mono View 15 Photos Related Gallery McLaren P1 News Source: Oliver Webb via YouTube Motorsports McLaren Convertible Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Videos mclaren p1 silverstone bac mono bac

McLaren 600LT gets impounded minutes after new owner drives it off the lot

Canada doesn't mess around with excessive speeding, as a McLaren 600LT owner just found out the hard way. The West Vancouver police department caught the 39-year-old McLaren owner doing 161 km/h (100 mph) in a 90 km/h (56 mph) zone. Unfortunately for the owner, Canada impounds cars for speeding that much, and so police impounded the McLaren. The real kicker? This guy had taken delivery of the brand-new car only 10 minutes prior, according to a police statement and local news reports. Tough luck. Getting up to 100 mph in a 600LT takes only about 6 seconds from a dead stop. Yeah, cars are fast these days — the 600LT and 600LT Spider are especially fun to drive. Though we're guessing any sort of plea along those lines would not have worked on the officers in charge of this decision. West Vancouver police took the liberty of photographing the car, using it as an example to other would-be supercar speeders. They also ticketed the driver $368 Canadian for the infraction. Frankly, the $368 fine can't be much of a deterrent for folks who can afford an over-$240,000 car. It's the weeklong separation from the car and dinged license that probably hurt the most. Under British Columbia law, speeding at 40 km/h over the posted speed limit results in the immediate impoundment of the car. That's equivalent to about 25 mph over the limit. This McLaren was doing 70 km/h over. So, anyone driving through British Columbia not wanting their car to be impounded, make sure to keep your speed in check. Even more so if you happened to just pick up a brand new supercar.

McLaren envisions future of Formula One racing in 2050

We're seeing a lot of change in the car industry with the rise of electric vehicles, autonomous driving features and ever more connectivity, so much so that the car world will probably look pretty different 30 years from now. But what about in motorsports? Well, McLaren expects some pretty radical changes, too, and it put together an elaborate vision of what its bread and butter, Formula One, will look like in 2050. The race cars will still be open-wheel racers with elaborate active aerodynamics. The company describes flexible side pods that can retract for high speeds up to 310 mph, and can then expand for additional drag when braking and cornering. Downforce will come more from diffusers and undercarriage designs than external wings. The cars will be fully electric, and charging will come from induction coils placed in the ground with receiver coils in "self-repairing composite" wheels and tires. McLaren expects the cars to recharge 10 to 50 percent of battery capacity in 10 to 30 seconds. Traditional pit stops may give way to charging lanes or zones that provide different amounts of power depending on your speed, adding more strategy. With faster cars, McLaren suggests that track designs could be reimagined. They would include steeper banking in corners to keep speeds up, allow even tighter turns, and expand the tracks for the higher top speeds. Street circuits could even expand to encompass entire cities for more places to view the cars and more interesting courses. The driver will have some impressive technology at hand, too. To combat the high speeds and g-forces, especially on those hypothetical banked tracks, drivers will need fighter pilot-style suits with inflatable air bladders to keep from blacking out. An AI system will be on-board to help develop racing strategy, and make adjustments to the strategy and car to accommodate the driver's shifting emotions. This technology will have to be supported by drivers working on strength training, and crew mates that race the tracks virtually to develop strategies and racing lines that can be used in the race. It's a wild view of the future. And it's tempting to write some of this off as pure fantasy. But a lot can happen in 30 years. Just look at cars from now compared with those of 1989. We'll certainly be excited to see what does happen and how accurate McLaren's vision is. Related Video: