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McLaren preparing 650S extreme track-bound versions

McLaren isn't a company used to standing still. It has 182 grand prix victories under its belt, a dozen Formula One titles and some of the most lust-worthy supercars ever made. So we could hardly blame anyone (ourselves included) for impatiently anticipating what the team at Woking has coming next. Of course, McLaren itself is eager to keep its customers focused on the considerable offerings it already has on hand, but speaking to a few key McLaren personalities has given us some clues. The project known internally as P13 is focusing on a rival to the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8. P14 is still a mystery that no one at Woking is willing to talk about at this stage. And P15 is set to slot in between the 650S and P1 once the latter completes its 375-unit production run. But let's not get too caught up with upcoming products before we're done with the latest 650S. As our own Matt Davis will be bringing you shortly in our First Drive report, McLaren has been demonstrating the new 650S to journalists as a prodigious track weapon at the Ascari Race Resort in Spain. But before all is said and done, there will be even more track-focused versions of the 650S to follow. Speaking one-on-one with Autoblog, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt confirmed that the new 650S is destined for the racetrack, and in multiple guises at that. First up will be the 650S GT Sprint, which could very well get a different name before it hits the circuit. This track-bound version of the 650S will follow in the footsteps of the 12C GT Sprint, a circuit toy of which McLaren has sold about 25 examples to date. Developed by McLaren's GT racing department, the 12C GT Sprint features updated aerodynamics, suspension and safety equipment, along with a set of Pirelli racing slicks to better suit it for roadcourse use. We'd expect the 650S GT Sprint (or whatever it's ultimately called) to carry over most (if not all) of the same features, plus the upgrades which McLaren Automotive applied to the 12C to transform it into the 650S – including the revised front end and upgraded engine. Flewitt tells us to expect the new Sprint track car to launch later this year. McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt tells us to expect the 650S GT Sprint track car to launch later this year. It won't be until next season, however, that McLaren GT will hit the racing circuit with its new 650S GT3.

McLaren Sports Series rumored to produce 'well over' 500 horsepower

McLaren uses a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 in its two current cars, and that engine will feature in its third, entry-level car, too. It registers 727 horsepower in the P1, 641 hp in the 650S, and, while it's only speculation for the moment, Autocar reports that the coming McLaren Sports Series will be tuned to make "well over" 500 horsepower. Company CEO Mike Flewitt told the magazine, "Like our other models, this one will have a higher power-to-weight ratio and better performance figures than any rival." Starting price for the Sports Series – which will almost certainly get a more formal alphanumeric name –could come in around 130,000 pounds in the UK (circa $200k USD including British taxes), making it a 65-thousand-pound discount compared to the 650S. But with its overall size and weight expected to come close to the more expensive coupe, the Sports Series will go without the active aerodynamics and trick suspension of its elder sibling in order to create a performance gap. The report also says that since McLaren expects a much higher instance of use as a daily driver, a different door operation and thinner sill will make ingress and egress easier. To make sure it stands out in a growing field of race-tested competitors, McLaren will launch a GT3 model, but it will go the other way, too, with a turismo version "aimed at long-distance touring." If it does have 550 horsepower, how will the 130,000-pound coupe stack up on paper against its UK competitors? It will be more expensive than all of them, but also more powerful, and unless McLaren loses the plot, it will likely be more surgical around a track than any of them, as well. The 520-hp Porsche 911 Turbo costs 120,598 pounds, the 542-hp Audi R8 V10 Plus costs 114,835 pounds, and the 510-horsepower Mercedes AMG GT costs 109,160 pounds. We'll know where the Sports Series stacks up when its unveiled at the New York Auto Show. News Source: Autocar Rumormill New York Auto Show McLaren Coupe Luxury Performance mclaren sports series mclaren p13

Will this McLaren F1 sell for over $12 million at Pebble Beach?

Decades ago, a dominant Formula One team made a few dozen examples of a sports car that was as devastating on the track as it was on the road, and as such, it has become highly sought-after by collectors willing to pay millions – even tens of millions – for the privilege of ownership. We have to be talking about the Ferrari 250 GTO, right? We very well could be, but in this case, no: we're talking about the McLaren F1 – a legendary supercar whose values seem to be skyrocketing in the footsteps of its arch-rival's most iconic classic. And if this latest pre-auction estimate is anything to go by, it will only continue to climb as quickly as it accelerates. The past couple of McLaren F1s on whose sales we've reported traded hands for over $5 million apiece and we thought that was pretty spectacular, but this latest example consigned to Gooding & Company for its upcoming sale at Pebble Beach has an expected selling price of between $12 million and $14 million. Chassis No. 031, a 1995 model, is a bit of a rarity in that it's one of only a handful of McLaren F1s painted in white, and the only one in this particular shade of Marlboro White, adopting the color of the grand prix team's title sponsor at the time. It's had only three owners who've put barely over 1,000 miles on the odometer, starting in Japan, where it resided with collector Shin Okamoto for 15 years before he sold it to a collector in Chicago, who in turn sold it to its current owner who's putting it up for auction. The 27th example built, it's said to be in "highly original" condition, was extensively serviced at the McLaren factory as recently as 2008, and comes with all its original manuals, tools and fitted luggage. Is all of that enough to make this 1995 McLaren F1 worth more than twice what they've been going for? If someone pays it, we suppose it will. But the McLaren isn't even the most expensive lot consigned for the auction. Little surprise, it'll have to compete with a number of much older Ferrari models for that honor: a 250 GT SWB California Spider is estimated to fetch $13-15 million, the estimate for a similar coupe has not even been released, and a rare three-seater 1966 Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale could go for over $20 million. 1995 McLaren F1 Estimate: $12,000,000 - $14,000,000 Chassis: VIN. SA9AB5AC7S1048031 McLaren Chassis No. 031 *Please see additional note at end of text.