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McLaren wants to revolutionize engine efficiency with an all-star partnership
Tue, Jan 31 2017McLaren Automotive is reporting strong growth, as its sales volume almost doubled during the previous year; from 1,654 sold cars in 2015 to 3,286 cars in 2016. To keep that upward trajectory a reality, the company is aiming to overhaul its powertrain technology with help from BMW Group along with other strategic partners. In a statement of intent published today, McLaren is announcing a project to develop "new combustion technology that will produce a higher output per capacity than currently possible", while still achieving reduced CO2 output. A McLaren spokesperson told Autoblog that reduced emissions is also a goal of the combustion improvements. We expect to see the results of this effort sometime around 2020. The McLaren-led project is backed and partially funded by the UK Government, through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. The APC is a think tank formed in 2013, itself standing as a 10-year joint effort between the UK Government and the automotive industry. There are five other partners in addition to McLaren, including McLaren's engine-manufacturing partner Ricardo. BMW Group and casting experts Grainger & Worrall, which also produce parts for Aston Martin DB11 engines, are also in the list. Then there is Lentus Composites with their material know-how, and the University of Bath, who will be utilized for their advanced R&D capabilities. The project is sure to boost the existing credibility of the middle of England as an advanced automotive technology powerhouse, and it will be interesting to see which kind of power figures the end products will churn out – and in what kind of bodies the high-tech engines will be mounted. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: McLaren Automotive McLaren Technology Emerging Technologies Supercars
The McLaren 720S leaks out on Instagram before Geneva debut
Fri, Jan 27 2017The McLaren 650S is an excellent vehicle, but it's time for a replacement. We've seen spy shots of said replacement before, codenamed P14 and expected to be called the 720S, but not the finalized car fully uncovered. Thanks to an Instagram user known as Lamborghiniks, that changes today. Take a look: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Like all modern McLarens short of the P1, the name is significant. It's a sure indicator that the 720S will make 720 metric horsepower (PS), or roughly 710 horsepower on the SAE scale. That's within the realm of possibility, since the 675LT makes 666 hp just fine thanks to a tweaked version of the standard, Ricardo-developed 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. The 720S might have to stuff another couple of radiators in its underoos somewhere, but it shouldn't have much trouble producing more than 700 hp. You'll notice quite a divergence between the 650S (and its predecessor, the MP4-12C) and this car. For one, it ditches trademark boomerang-shaped headlights for ovoid units stuffed inside a deep triangular vent that also appears to house the turn signals or marker lights. And there's the roofline – it's not body colored, for one, and it also dives into the rear bodywork more sharply. It gives it a bit of a fighter jet bubble canopy look, or perhaps its reminiscent of a Pagani's roofline. Either way, it's different. And unlike the 650S, there's no ductwork behind the door. Instead, the door is accentuated by a blade of sorts protruding from the fender just behind the front wheels. It recalls the three-dimensionality of the 570-series cars' door ductwork without necessarily echoing its shape. The bottom line is that the 720S represents a big external styling departure and may set the tone for all McLarens moving forward. The car will officially be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, so we can expect more details and better photos then. Stay tuned! Related Video: News Source: Instagram via Jalopnik Spy Photos Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Future Vehicles Performance Supercars mclaren 720s
Watch the McLaren F1's original record-setting top-speed run
Fri, Jan 27 2017When it was released in the early 1990s, the McLaren F1 was a car so full of superlatives that, even today, few cars come close to matching it. The F1 is arguably the greatest car that was or ever will be built, and it's unlikely we'll ever see another road-going car with as much raw and unfettered power and presence as the F1. The most famous metric of all, the car's official top speed of 240.1 mph, was achieved in 1998, deep in the forests of Germany with a former McLaren driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner behind the wheel. McLaren just released previously unseen footage of the run, which took place at the Ehra-Lessien proving ground. Aside from watching a digital speedometer slowly creep up to 391 km/h, the best part is the commentary from driver Andy Wallace. You'll have to watch the video for yourself, but it's wonderful hearing Wallace's mixture of excitement and fear as the car creeps ever fast. Pay particularly close attention to his hands, as even the mighty McLaren can't stay cool and calm at 220-plus mph. The car actually hits 242.9 mph in one run, but records take the average of two runs in opposite directions. The team's excitement can be felt through the screen, but the video leaves you with a twinge of sadness knowing that something so pure, so focused, and so wholly and completely uncompromised will likely never be seen again. Related Video: News Source: YouTube via The DriveImage Credit: McLaren McLaren Coupe Performance Supercars Videos top speed
Best of 2016 | The List
Thu, Jan 5 2017The List hosts Jessi and Patrick spent all of 2016 checking awesome adventures off their automotive bucket list, from escaping a car dangling off a cliff, to taking part in The Great Race road rally. In total, our hosts checked 12 challenges off Autoblog's list of "1,001 car things to do before you die," taking them on travels across the United States and the United Kingdom. Check out some highlights from the season as our hosts drive everything from the super modern to the refreshingly classic, and even take their lives into their own hands all for the sake of completing the ultimate car enthusiast's bucket list. As we look ahead to 2017, be sure to send us your automotive bucket list items. Who knows, maybe your submission will inspire Jessi and Patrick's next escapade. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Aston Martin Bentley Land Rover McLaren The List Videos
Here's the chassis for McLaren's 650S replacement, full car coming soon
Wed, Jan 4 2017McLaren announced today that the replacement for its 650S supercar will make its debut on March 7 at the Geneva auto show. It also unveiled the underpinnings of the new car, which it calls the Monocage II. The chassis is clearly something the company is proud of – it will offer an option called "Visible Monocage" that will leave the interior side of the A-pillars exposed. McLaren does have reason to be proud of the new chassis, as it brings a number of improvements. The company says the door openings are wider, and the sills have been lowered, which should make it much easier to climb into the new car. The company also claims a lower center of gravity, and a lighter dry weight than a comparable 650S. Specifically, the new car will have a dry weight of 2829 pounds, which McLaren says is 40 pounds less than that comparable 650S. That's a pretty sizable reduction. This new Super Series McLaren is also the first of what will be 15 new models the company will release by 2022. Since the Monocage chassis is shared among today's McLarens, expect Monocage II to be used in most if not all of those new vehicles. McLaren hasn't provided many details on what the other 14 models will be, but expect a number of convertible and ultra high-performance variants, many of which will replace current offerings in the Sports, Super, and Ultimate Series. Hybrids will be a big part of the product rollout, too. McLaren has said that its next hybrid will appear sometime closer to 2022, with half of the lineup using hybrid tech by that date. (Currently, only the range-topping P1 features a gas-electric powertrain.) In the meantime, though, we'll be looking forward to seeing the complete 650S replacement this March. Related Video:
Autoblog's top 50 car photos of 2016
Fri, Dec 30 2016This one shouldn't need much explanation. We like cars a whole lot, and that includes not just driving them but taking great pictures of them. We've collected our 50 favorite images from this year in the mega-gallery above. It's a mix of old and new, with a healthy dose of vintage and modern race cars mixed in, and not one single shot under the harsh lights of an auto show. So click through and enjoy. Featured Gallery Autoblog's Top 50 Photos of 2016 View 50 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Autoblog.com Audi BMW Chevrolet Dodge Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Volvo Convertible Coupe Motorcycle Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics
McLaren's 10,000th car shows how close it is to catching up with Ferrari and Lamborghini
Thu, Dec 15 2016The move from Formula One to road-worthy production cars isn't an easy one. Just over five years since production on the MP4-12C began, McLaren completed production of its 10,000th car. Even more noteworthy, it took 42 months to build the first 5,000 cars but only 22 months to make it to 10,000. The automaker, which until 2011 had only built a single line of road-going cars, appears to be on a roll with more volume and more models hitting the streets every year. McLaren is set to nearly double its year-over year sales in 2016. The automaker sold 1,654 cars in 2015 and expects to hit 3,000 sales in 2016. While those are good sales number for a relatively new full-line supercar manufacturer, they're still short of the competition. Lamborghini had its best year ever in 2015 with 3,245 cars sold. Ferrari plans to expand production to 9,000 cars annually by 2019. McLaren may be able to compete with the big boys on the track, but it still has a ways to go before it can match their sales. The 10,000th car to roll off the line was a 570S wrapped in Ceramic Grey, a color from McLaren Special Operations. MSO is the division behind awesome cars like the 679-horsepower McLaren MSO HS. The car will be held by the company for its Heritage Collection. The McLaren Sport Series (540C, 570S, and 570GT) were a big boon toward boosting the company's output. An additional production line was built, doubling output from 10 to 20 cars per day. We hope McLaren can continue this growth, and we're looking forward to more new products like the upcoming three-seat F1 successor. We just wish they could come up with some better names. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.
New Tesla, McLaren, and Ferrari models added to Takata recall list
Tue, Dec 13 2016UPDATE: A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that "a number" of McLaren models in the US, Japan, and South Korea will be recalled to fix non-dessicated airbag inflators. However, the recall only affects passenger airbags, as all driver's-side inflators use a different technology and are not affected. The timeline is still being determined. It's been more than two and a half years since the Takata airbag recall first made waves. Despite knowing which airbags were at fault and the exact cause of the failure, manufacturers like Audi, Ferrari, McLaren, and Tesla have been building and selling cars with defective airbags. Although it takes several years for the airbag to degrade to the point of failure, all of these new cars will eventually have to be recalled for replacements. It appears that time has come, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now issued a recall on some of these new models. Models from Tesla and McLaren have been added to NHTSA's recall list for the first time. Tesla is recalling every 2012 - 2016 Model S while McLaren is bringing back every model it's made since relaunching its road-car business in 2012. Not even the P1 is free from failure. Other automakers have expanded their affected-vehicle list. All of Ferrari's 2016 - 2017 lineup now falls under the recall and joins a number of previously recalled models, while Audi is recalling the 2017 R8. Since the recall started, dozens of automakers have recalled millions of affected cars to replace potentially fatal and highly flawed airbags that can deploy bits of metal at occupants. Eleven deaths in the United States are directly related to the faulty airbags. Before the recall, Takata held a sizable share of the airbag market. When the failures began to occur, some automakers were left with no alternative suppliers. As it takes a few years for the airbags to fail, automakers without other options faced a choice: they could either build cars that would be recalled in the future or stop building cars altogether until a secondary supplier could be found. These recalls seem to be happening so frequently that owners may not know what to do or where to check to see if their car is potentially affected. NHTSA is keeping a comprehensive list of all affected models. Their website can help owners determine if they have a potentially problematic airbag installed and the steps to take to replace it.
Drive a McLaren | The List #650
Thu, Dec 8 2016Race cars are meant for the track, not the road. As you might expect, you can't just buy a Formula One car and drive it around town. But what if one of the most decorated brands in F1 took all of that past experience and intelligence and put it toward making a street car? Well lucky for us, we don't have to ask "what if," because McLaren does that on a daily basis. On this episode of The List, our hosts Jessi and Patrick get to learn about the founder of the brand, Bruce McLaren, and the legacy he's left behind. Bruce started racing and building cars when he was only 15 years old, so it's not surprising that he went on to create one of the most iconic automotive companies of all time. According to Patrick, driving a McLaren, "makes you feel like a racecar driver" which was no doubt the intent of Bruce all those years ago. After discussing the fascinating history of the brand, our hosts hit the streets in a McLaren 650S. "We've been in some fun cars and this car is going to blow your mind," Patrick said as he navigated a winding English road. Get ready to experience the race-bred performance of McLaren on this episode of The List. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick McLaren Coupe Performance Supercars The List Videos Original Video mclaren p1 mclaren 650s spider bruce mclaren mclaren technology centre
McLaren matches Ferrari with an extended warranty of up to 12 years
Fri, Dec 2 2016If you're an owner of a McLaren and want some assurance that if something goes wrong with your pricey sports car it'll be covered, McLaren has some good news for you. The company announced that it will now offer an extended warranty that will protect your McLaren for up to 12 years from the date of manufacture. Previously, McLaren owners were only given the option to extend the factory three-year and unlimited mileage warranty to seven years. Extending the warranty does cost extra (though McLaren didn't announce how much), and can be purchased in increments of 12 to 24 months. If you happen to have a McLaren P1, we're afraid this warranty isn't available to you. It only covers Sports Series and Super Series cars, which includes vehicles such as the 570S, MP4-12C, 650S, and variations on those models. For people looking to purchase a McLaren with this warranty, it is only available for new, and certified pre-owned McLarens that are under 10 years old and have driven fewer than 100,000 miles. The warranty also only covers problems that are not considered general wear and tear, misuse, or abuse. Aftermarket parts and upgrades also aren't covered. McLaren isn't the only supercar company to offer lengthy warranty coverage. According to Business Insider, Ferrari announced two years ago that it would offer extra-charge extensions to the standard three-year warranty for up to 12 years as well. Ferrari also sweetens the deal on new models with a seven-year service program. Related Video: