2023 Mclaren Artura on 2040-cars

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McLaren F1 may be resurrected as a three-seat, 700-hp GT car

Nearly 25 years ago, the McLaren F1 was unrivaled on the streets. A screaming BMW V12 pushed that three-seat car to a record-breaking 243 mph. The F1 was faster, more expensive, and more exclusive than any other production car of the era. Even today, few cars have eclipsed it. Now, McLaren is rumored to be working on a successor to what some consider the greatest road car ever built. According to Autocar, McLaren Special Operations, or MSO, is working on building the fastest GT car in the world. The car will draw influence and some cues from the original F1, but it won't be an exact recreation or retro-styled version of that car. The goal is to build the fastest vehicle in the world with three or more seats. It won't be P1 fast, but it also isn't meant to be. The MSO division works on bespoke vehicles for customers. It deals with custom designs, from unique paint colors to one-off models. Autocar reports that a number of customers have requested something a little softer and more luxurious than what McLaren currently offers, and some have asked after a three-setup like the on the original F1. While McLaren's current offerings are fast, they lack some of the more premium touches of some competitors. Since returning to the road-car business, McLaren has been met with both critical and commercial success. All of its vehicles use a shared carbon-fiber crash structure, modified slightly for each vehicle. All are powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8, tuned differently for each vehicle. All of their current cars have traditional a two-seat layout. The new F1 will make use the same 3.8-liter V8, without the hybrid system of the P1, cranking out more than 700 horsepower. That would make it McLaren's second most powerful vehicle. MSO has reportedly been tasked with adapting McLaren's basic carbon-fiber monocage/monocoque for use on a three-seater, with the driver placed directly in the middle. The suspension would be a shared McLaren system, though set a little softer than in other models. The interior, Autocar claims, will be unique to this car. Dihedral doors, bespoke switchgear, and a custom set of luggage will all be present. Every car is expected to be tailored to each owner's preferences. It's not clear when the vehicle would go on sale, though Autocar believes it will be before the end of the decade. Supercars take years to design, and McLaren has an ambitious plan for its future.

McLaren 675LT Spider roofless up top, party in the back

McLaren says "significant customer demand" led it to develop the 675LT Spider, the open-roofed version of the 675LT coupe introduced just this year at the Geneva Motor Show. With coupe production limited to 500 units and wealthy buyers practically buying supercars in bulk, McLaren assured itself of that "significant customer demand." The roadster version is also limited to 500 units worldwide. Although it is 88 pounds heavier than the hardtop version, the weight is solely due to the mechanism that retracts the three-piece roof. Otherwise, the Spider buyers will get a spec sheet almost identical to the closed-roof model: 666 horsepower and 516 pound-feet from the twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V8, and the 0-to-62-mph sprint completed in just 2.9 seconds. You will only begin to lose time on the run to 124 mph, which takes 0.2 seconds longer in the roadster, and the Spider's top speed of 203 mph is two mph slower than the coupe. Miserly purchasers will be happy to know that fuel economy holds steady at an EPA-certified 18 mpg combined. The Spider gets a few treats all to itself like the sun-hued Solis paint, optional 20-spoke lightweight wheels, and Xenon Yellow contrast stitching as one of the By McLaren interior options. If you prefer to go inconspicuous, there's a Club Sport Professional Pack that throws a lot of "stealth detailing" at the exterior along with dark wheels. The price comes in at $372,600, if you have to ask. The press release below has more. McLAREN 675LT SPIDER TAKES THE TOP OFF ITS MOST ENGAGING AND EXHILARATING MODEL- 666 hp and 516 lb-ft provide breathtaking performance, while a retractable roof adds further exhilaration- 220 lbs weight saving delivers a dry weight of 2,800 lbs, delivering a power-to-weight figure of 4.2 lbs per hp- Second model to wear the 675LT badge in direct response to significant customer demand- Exclusive Solis paintwork and 20-spoke Super-Lightweight forged alloy wheels offered for the first time- Priced at $372,600 USD, the most focused, fastest and exhilarating open top McLaren model ever built will be strictly limited to 500 units globallyNEW YORK, NY (December 3, 2015) – McLaren Automotive has revealed the latest chapter in the history of the iconic 'Longtail' name with confirmation of the 675LT Spider. Strictly limited to only 500 examples worldwide, it is only the second model to wear the LT badge, nearly 20 years McLaren resurrected the name, and is in response to significant customer demand.

2012 Seat Exeo is Audi with the old, in with the new-ish

We know what you're thinking: This car looks an awful lot like an Audi A4. But it isn't. And it is.
Regular readers may be aware that Audi's Spanish sister-company Seat inherited the previous-generation A4 some time after it was replaced. They put some new badges on it and presto! A new flagship model for Seat.
Called the Exeo, it has now undergone a minor facelift that did nothing if not make it look even more like an Audi, if that were possible, and we got up close and personal with the new model here in Frankfurt. Check it out in our high-res gallery of live images from the show floor.