2024 Mclaren Artura Techlux on 2040-cars

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BMW M boss denies supercar collaboration with McLaren

The first time there was a McLaren Honda Formula 1 team, McLaren did some moonlighting with BMW on a supercar for all time, the F1. It just so happens that McLaren Honda is a thing again, and Car magazine recently ran a piece saying McLaren and BMW would get back together on another hopped-up coupe with roughly the same working agreement as before: BMW supplies a screaming V8, McLaren builds the body to go around it. Only this time the car would be a BMW model, not a McLaren, and be BMW's version of the next-generation McLaren 650S. The Car piece said that BMW head of R&D Klaus Frolich first got in touch with McLaren nine months ago, however, the head of BMW's M division, Frank van Meel, said he doesn't know anything about it. Mentioning every BMW exec referred to in the story, van Meel told Australia's Motoring, "I haven't had a phone call, [CEO] Harald Kruger hasn't had a phone call, and Klaus Frohlich hasn't had a phone call." The Car story said the reason BMW hasn't done a conventionally powered exotic recently is that former CEO Norbert Reithofer didn't want anything to eclipse the i8, the i brand, and the eco credentials the brand is charged with promoting. Changes in the executive suite – new CEO, new M boss, new R&D chief – were thought to meant changes in approach. Not according to van Meel, who gave those same i brand reasons to Motoring as then reasons BMW has no interest in a 750-horsepower, quad-turbo coupe. On top of that, after spending billions to move the game forward with in-house carbon fiber technology, van Meel asked, "I don't understand why we would need to work with McLaren for a supercar anyway. All of the technologies the story suggested are technologies that are core competences here at BMW and at M. Nobody in the world is more advanced with carbon-fibre than we are." The extent of the denial is so detailed that we're inclined to believe BMW on this one; cover stories usually stop at curt phrases like "We have no knowledge of that" or "We don't comment on future product." So you can put away your dreams of a McLaren F1 Part Two. For now. Related Video:

McLaren opening four new dealerships in America

McLaren is opening four new dealerships in the United States. The addition of the new locations bring the company's North American presence up to 22 showrooms, and its global dealer network up to 80. And they're opening just in time for the arrival of the manufacturer's new and (relatively) more accessible Sports Series. The new dealerships are located in Boston, Houston, Palm Beach, and Bergen County, NJ. McLaren Boston will open as part of the Village Automotive Group, adjacent to its existing Audi and Porsche showrooms on Pond Street in Norwell, MA. McLaren Houston will be a stand-alone showroom being opened by Park Place, a network principally centered around the Dallas area with dealerships selling exotic machinery from the likes of Bentley, Bugatti, Lotus, Maserati, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce. McLaren Palm Beach will join the Myers Auto Group alongside its Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin franchises on South Dixie Highway. And finally McLaren Bergen County will form part of the Prestige Family of Fine Cars, with its Lamborghini, Jaguar, and other brands currently located in Paramus while the new showroom is built in Ramsey, NJ. These join the existing locations in Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Calabasas (LA), Chicago, Dallas, Long Island, Miami, Newport Beach, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay, as well as Rancho Mirage, CA, Scottsdale, AZ, Greenwich, CT, and Washington, DC. Vancouver and Toronto have McLaren dealers as well, as does Mexico City (though that's counted together with the showroom in Chile in the Latin America region). By comparison, Aston Martin has 37 dealers in the United States (and five in Canada). Lamborghini has 31 in the US (plus four in Canada) out of its 130+ worldwide. And Ferrari has 38 in the US (and five in Canada) out of its approximately 200 locations around the world. The expansion of McLaren's dealer network coincides with the arrival of the new Sports Series - represented here by the 570S – which promises to open a whole new market segment for the British automaker. Priced below anything Ferrari or Lamborghini can offer, the 570S takes aim at the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 Turbo. Its launch stands to increase McLaren's sales drastically in the coming years: last year the company delivered a record 1,654, but with the introduction of the Sports Series, it aims to increase that number to 4,000 annually by the end of next year.

McLaren discontinues 12C, offers owners free upgrade

When McLaren revealed the new 650S last month at the Geneva Motor Show, it was adamant that it was not a replacement for the 12C on which it was based, but rather a supplement to it within the company's growing lineup of supercars. Production was suspended on the 12C while the McLaren Technology Center in Woking geared up to begin assembling the 650S, but was slated to begin again in the near future – depending on demand. That all changes with today's announcement, however. In a letter sent to existing owners of the 12C and shared with Autoblog, McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt announces that, "we have decided to cease [production of the 12C] in light of the success of the 650S." Thus ends the life-span of the model that put McLaren Automotive back on the map three years ago. But that's not quite the end of the story for the 12C. Lest current owners feel left out of the action, McLaren is offering them a free Technology Upgrade program. The package incorporates some (but not all) of the advancements made to the 650S, including revised Active Aero software that deploys the rear wing as an Airbrake under heavy braking and as a Drag Reduction System for straight-line speed. The package also updates the Android-based IRIS infotainment system, as well as a back-up camera and DAB radio (in Europe) or Sirius satellite radio (in North America). The upgrades will be applicable to every one of the approximately 3,500 examples of the 12C coupe and Spider built, including those that were bought new from the factory, those purchased second-hand through McLaren's Qualified Program and the handful left in dealer hands around the world. All of which strikes us a rather admirable approach on McLaren's behalf towards its customers, instead of pressing them to trade in for the newer model. View the full details in the letter we've included below. Last month we were proud to present the latest addition to our range: the McLaren 650S. Utilising advancements made during the development of the groundbreaking McLaren P1™, the 650S provides an unparalleled combination of performance and refinement. True to the McLaren ethos, the benefits of such progress are not limited to our new models. As a McLaren owner, we want to be able to share these developments with you with the offer of a free Technology Upgrade available from June.