2023 Mclaren Artura on 2040-cars

Auto blog

McLaren 650S Sprint is ready to hit the track running in Monterey

McLaren isn't exactly the most plebeian brand to begin with, so it makes sense for the company to take advantage of the lavish parties and wealthy folks descending on California for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. In addition to the insane P1 GTR, McLaren is showing off the track-focused 650S Sprint here in Monterey. This new 650S it takes the place of the 12C Sprint in the brand's lineup, and should be the fastest 650S short of the GT3 racer. The thing is, the Sprint isn't technically a homologated racer, but it makes a great toy to show off at track days. For the Sprint, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 stays put, but McLaren optimizes the 650S' body for more downforce and better engine cooling. It also packs all sorts of track goodies like a competition fuel tank, larger radiator, racing-tuned suspension and 19-inch center-lock wheels. It also has all of the safety necessities for a day of doing laps like a roll cage, fire suppression and racing buckets. Of course, you might have known about all of that already, since the British brand revealed the Sprint just a few days ago, but you can check it live our gallery from Monterey.

Race recap: 2016 Australian F1 Grand Prix a rowdy start to season

The three brief Formula 1 tests ahead of the current season belied how much had gone on since the last race in November: Infiniti subbed out for Tag Heuer, Renault is back, the all new Haas F1 team, a revamped Manor, three brand new drivers and two returning drivers, a raft of regulation changes among the newly tilled soil. The four engine manufacturers spent a combined 67 tokens among the 138 in the kitty, Renault using just seven of their 32. The only conclusive proof to come from the annual intermission was the otherworldly capability of Mercedes-AMG Petronas. The Silver Arrows didn't even try the super- and ultra-soft tires, focusing on reliability instead of speed. The result? They ran more than 19 race distances, obliterating the lap totals of every other team. There are certainly a few people who enjoyed the complicated new rolling-elimination qualifying format fast-tracked to approval just a few weeks ago. They were wildly outnumbered by those who thought it was awful, including the same team heads who voted for it. We'd probably have to go back to the debacle at the 2005 Indianapolis Grand Prix for an equivalent fiasco when Michelin pulled its teams over safety fears, leaving six cars out of 20 to qualify. In Australia, within 24 hours of the conclusion of qualifying, the new format had itself been eliminated. Nevertheless, qualifying also taught us what didn't happen over the winter: any other team progressing enough to outduel Mercedes. After admitting that he dropped off after winning the championship last year, then getting questioned in the press for some dubious off-season activities, Lewis Hamilton proved he can still turn it on when he wants to. The Brit smoked the Albert Park track in 1:23.837, more than three-tenths of a second ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg in second place. Ferrari did make strides during the off-season, but only enough to keep the same gap it had to Mercedes last year: Sebastian Vettel lined up third, a half-second behind Rosberg, teammate Kimi Raikkonen another four-tenths back in fourth place. Max Verstappen said Toro Rosso is the best of the rest, the Dutchman taking fifth place in front of Felipe Massa for Williams in sixth and Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz in sixth. Daniel Ricciardo – who wasn't smiling after qualifying – kept Red Bull and its new "Tag Heuer" engines in the conversation with eighth on the grid.

McLaren teases roaring new 675LT ahead of Geneva debut

McLaren is set to reveal the new 675LT at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but before it does, the F1 team turned exotic automaker has been peppering us with teasers of the new track-focused supercar. The 675LT promises a raft of enhancements over the 650S on which it's based, starting with the engine: McLaren's ubiquitous 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 has been fitted with lightweight components and new turbo spools to drive output up to 666 horsepower (675 in metric terms, hence the first part of the nameplate) and 516 pound-feet of torque. It also gets revised bodywork with a longer tail (hence the LT) that helps produce 40 percent more downforce, and a dual-tip titanium exhaust. We'll have more on the new McLaren 675LT as its debut approaches less than a month from now, when it will form part of the brand's newly aligned Super Series (alongside the 650S and Asian-market 625C) above the upcoming entry-level Sports Series. But in the meantime, you can hear that upgraded engine roar through the new exhaust in the video clip above. AERODYNAMICALLY OPTIMISED, THE McLAREN 675LT STAYS TRUE TO THE ICON - Active 'Longtail' Airbrake contributes to a 40 percent increase in overall downforce - 700 Nm (516 lb ft) produced by a heavily revised 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 featuring lightweight components and new turbos - Bespoke titanium crossover exhaust ensures optimised performance. See, and hear, it at: http://youtu.be/tOl7gZ8bQdY The 675LT, the first McLaren in nearly two decades to wear the LT – or 'Longtail' – name, will stay true to the spirit of its iconic predecessor with aerodynamically optimised, dramatically enhanced styling that results in 40 percent more downforce than the 650S which it will sit alongside in the McLaren Super Series. A total power output of 675PS (666bhp), and torque figure of 700 Nm (516 lb ft) plus a focus on weight saving will ensure an electrifying, engaging and visceral driving experience. These output figures are produced by a heavily revised 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 featuring lightweight components and new turbos. A controlled torque delivery of 600Nm (443 lb ft) ensures optimised acceleration and traction from a standing start in first gear, rising to the full 700Nm available from 5,500-6,500 rpm, through each of the other gears. A redesigned crossover exhaust system, bespoke to the 675LT, is formed from lightweight titanium. Two circular titanium exhaust pipes exit centrally through exposed bodywork below the rear 'Longtail' Airbrake.