McLaren GT, page #11

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Formula One speeds towards radical thousand-horsepower shakeup

The teams, the drivers, the fans, the circuits... few, if any, were satisfied with how Formula One has shaped up since the current regulations took hold last year. But that doesn't mean they aren't working on it. At a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, the leading parties in the sport outlined a new framework that would radically shake up the cars themselves while keeping costs in check. And the biggest change could see the engines producing around 1,000 horsepower. Although a proposal put forth by Ferrari to ditch the current V6 hybrid engines in favor of new twin-turbocharged units was rejected by Honda and Mercedes, the members of the group approved in principal to increase the fuel flow in the existing engines to dramatically boost output. As it stands, the current 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engines develop around 600 horsepower, with an additional 160 or so kicked in by the electric Energy Recovery System, for a combined output of about 760 hp. What's not clear at the moment is whether the increased fuel flow would necessitate either the return of mid-race refueling (currently banned) or the installation of larger fuel tanks. Red Bull and McLaren also submitted proposals to radically redesign the shape of the cars as well, however a more evolutionary approach was adopted instead. Though far from finalized, the new design would keep the same basic form of the current chassis, but with adjustments to make them more aesthetically pleasing while producing more downforce. Wider tires are also said to be part of the mix. With more power and more grip from the tires and aero, the resulting cars would most certainly end up going much faster than the current ones, which are already starting to nudge the lap records at some of the circuits, many of which were set during the V10 era. The F1 Strategy Group is made up of representatives of the FIA, Formula One Management and six leading teams. The next step will be for the teams' technical directors to iron out how to implement what their bosses have agreed to. If they settle the details fast enough, the revised regulations could be pushed through in time for next season. News Source: AutosportImage Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Motorsports Ferrari Honda Infiniti McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1

McLaren 675LT shows its longer tail in leaked image

The Geneva Motor Show next month is shaping up to be a supercar extravaganza. Not only is Ferrari unveiling the new turbocharged 488 GTB at the Swiss expo, but McLaren will also be on hand with a pair of more extreme versions of its two supercars in the P1 GTR and 675LT. We've seen teasers of the latter, but now the first full image has leaked out, showing the track-focused exotic's new long tail. Based on the existing 650S, the new McLaren 675LT benefits from a revised 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with 666 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, breathing through a new twin-tip exhaust protruding out of an extended tail with a new active rear wing. A fresh set of alloys, mounted to an assuredly retuned suspension, also appear to be part of the mix, along with some more revised aerodynamic elements. We'll have to wait a little longer, though, for McLaren to reveal its latest Super Series model in full to see how the overall shape and details take form. News Source: Autogespot Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Supercars 2015 Geneva Motor Show mclaren 675lt

In case you forgot, the Dubai Police supercar fleet is the coolest

Ever wonder why the Dubai Police have a fleet of vehicles worth millions and millions and millions of dollars? Why it has a Bugatti Veyron and a Bentley Continental and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with sirens and light bars? Well, here's the reason. This video shows the fleet on display on the Emirate's roads and highways, while also reaching out to the people the police are meant to protect. It's an impressive display of machinery, to be sure. Alongside the Bentley, Bugatti and Mercedes, we spy a Ferrari FF, a Brabus G-Wagen, a BMW M6, a Nissan GT-R, an Audi R8 and a McLaren MP4-12C (although the latest Dubai Police car, the Lexus RC F, is absent). The video even has a very cinematic look and feel to it, which works well with the night scenes and the blues-and-twos of the exotics cruisers. News Source: Dubai Police via YouTube Audi Bentley BMW Bugatti Ferrari McLaren Mercedes-Benz Nissan Luxury Performance Videos dubai ferrari ff mclaren 12c

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.

Watch a young Elon Musk take delivery of his McLaren F1

Years before Elon Musk was launching rockets into space or trying to revolutionize the auto business with Tesla, he was just another Silicon Valley geek, albeit already a very successful one. This vintage video catches Musk in 1999 celebrating some of that triumph, as he takes delivery of none other than a McLaren F1. As the million-dollar supercar is lowered from the transporter Musk intones, "It is the moment of my life." We also get a snapshot of an interesting time in Musk's life. According to the clip, he had already sold the company Zip2 for $400 million in cash and had started at the online banking business X. After a merger, it eventually became PayPal, and the entrepreneur later walked away from the website with another massive check. Watch this brief moment of happiness as Musk takes delivery of the McLaren, because by the end of the video, his focus already seemed to have turned to his next business venture. News Source: EveryElonMusk Video via YouTube, Car and Driver Auto News Green McLaren Tesla Car Buying Green Culture Coupe Performance Supercars Videos paypal

McLaren MP4-30 marks Honda's hotly anticipated F1 return

McLaren's Formula One fortunes have drastically dropped in performance over the past couple of seasons. The Formula One team with a dozen Drivers' Championships, eight Constructors' Titles and 182 grand prix victories to its name hasn't won a race since 2012, and finished the past two seasons down in fifth place. But now it begins a new era – or rather, restarts one. And this is the machine that's kicking it all off. After a 23-year parting of ways, McLaren has brought Honda back onto the grid for this season, and will be the only team running the Japanese automaker's brand-new RA615H turbocharged hybrid power unit. Both parties are undoubtedly hoping the rekindled partnership will bring them back to the winning days of the late Eighties when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost memorably drove their equipment to four consecutive World Championships. Largely an evolution of last season's Mercedes-powered MP4-29, the new chassis features a new front-end design to comply with the latest adjustment to the regulations from the FIA, and also incorporates a slimmer rear end built around the new Honda engine and gearbox. It also features a revised livery that adds more black to the red and silver color scheme, and does without a title partner for the time being, but includes the logos of sponsors Mobil1, SAP, TAG Heuer, Johnnie Walker, Hilton, CNN and KPMG, as well as that of Honda. Though this season will likely be more of a transition and development year for McLaren and Honda, all eyes will surely be fixed on the team to see how the new MP4-30 will fare. Fortunately, they've lined up a compelling roster of drivers, lead by former World Champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. McLAREN-HONDA BEGINS NEW ERA WITH MP4-30 #McLarenHonda #MakeHistory McLaren-Honda – the name evokes stirring memories of the past; of Ayrton Senna battling Alain Prost for supremacy; of classic red and white machines dominating for season upon season; of an iconic team writing one of the defining chapters in the motor racing history books. Reuniting such an illustrious partnership brings with it the heavy weight of expectation, but all at McLaren and Honda are working to write a fresh chapter in Formula 1, one that respectfully nods to the past, but boldly looks to the horizon. Today's reveal of the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 – McLaren's first Honda-powered car for 23 years – speaks volumes about the progressive nature of both companies.

McLaren debuting lighter, more powerful 675LT in Geneva

McLaren has quite an event in store for the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The British sports car maker already confirmed the debut of the production-intent version of the P1 GTR track-only supercar, and now the brand has added the 675LT to that list of unveilings with a brief teaser video. Two of the biggest details about the latest McLaren come right in its name. The 675 is a reference to its power in PS, which equals 666 horsepower in our system. That's a healthy 25-hp boost over the standard 650S. The LT suffix stands for longtail, and is an allusion to the famous F1 GTR Longtail with its much more aggressive bodywork later in the F1's racing career. McLaren already teased the more potent version's look (pictured below), but it's not easy to spot all the performance add-ons. Still, the brand is promising the 675LT to be the "the lightest, the quickest, and the purest version in the range." The coupe-only model benefits from tweaked aerodynamics for increased downforce, a lower weight and claims on enhanced driver engagement. Deliveries begin later this year. At the same time, McLaren is tweaking its naming scheme, yet again. The brand now refers to the 650S, 675LT, Asia-only 625C and their variants as the Super Sport Series. The moniker differentiates this family from the company's upcoming smaller models that are called simply the Sport Series. A SECOND GENEVA DEBUT AND A NEW NAME: THE McLAREN 675LT 28/01/15 LT model designation – standing for 'Longtail' – to join exisitng C and S range hierarchy LT to be the lightest, the quickest, and the purest version in the range Introduced by the 675LT which joins 650S and Asia-only 625C in the newly named McLaren Super Series Global premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015 alongside the production-intent McLaren P1™ GTR Modern day interpretation of the McLaren F1 GTR 'Longtail'– the evolution of a true world-beater McLaren will look to its heritage when it revives the legendary 'Longtail' name given to one of the purest GT sportscars of all time, the McLaren F1 GTR 'Longtail', for the launch of the new McLaren 675LT at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. This road legal supercar will embody the 'Longtail' ethos with a focus on performance optimised aerodynamics, increased downforce, driver engagement, power and reduced weight.

McLaren previews 650S track special

Earlier this month, McLaren promised it would bring the production-ready P1 GTR track special to the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, and within days we started hearing rumors that it was preparing to give the 650S a similar treatment. Now Woking has released this teaser image that appears to show just such a creation. Based on the existing 650S (which itself is a further evolution of the MP4-12C that put McLaren Automotive back on the map) the new track version is tipped to be called either the 650 GTR (like its big brother) or the 675 LT – the number indicating a 25-horsepower spike in output and the letters standing for Long Tail in reference to the similarly extended F1 GTR that conquered Le Mans in the 1990s. Look closely at the camo in the second teaser shot and that racer is exactly what you'll see is making up the pattern – specifically the #41 Gulf/Davidoff example, if our eyes do not deceive us. The previous 12C bred a track version called the Can-Am edition as well as the less extreme 12C GT Sprint. The latter has already been replaced by the 650S Sprint, but as we projected back in April, the Can-Am was ripe for a successor as well. Just what name and form it takes – and whether it will be bound exclusively to the circuit or certified for the road – we'll be finding out within the next month or two, so watch this space. Featured Gallery McLaren 650S track special teasers News Source: McLaren Spy Photos Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Supercars mclaren 650s mclaren 675lt

Top Gear brings together LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918

Earlier this month, Top Gear released a brief video of the comparison test between three hybrid hypercars we'd all been waiting for: the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. The story was done by the print magazine and not by the television show, and the video they released was barely over half a minute long, reserving the full version for subscribers of the iPad edition. Now the British mag has put the full video on YouTube, and while it's still only a minute and a half long – three times the length of the previous teaser – it's packed with electrified exotic goodness. The test surely took some serious wrangling to put together, and though the metal (or carbon fiber, as the case may be) was apparently furnished mostly by private owners, to hear Top Gear tell it, the manufacturers – Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche – were eager and helpful in putting the showdown together. For the final conclusions, we're afraid you'll still have to buy the magazine, but for a rare chance to watch all these three world-beaters on the same road at the same time, you'll want to scope out this latest video clip. Related Video: News Source: Top Gear via YouTube Ferrari McLaren Porsche Hybrid Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder mclaren p1 ferrari laferrari

Rowan Atkinson selling his McLaren F1 for $12M

Likely most associated in the US with his portrayal as the bumbling Mr. Bean, British comedian Rowan Atkinson has been quite an auto fanatic for years, making several appearances and at least one crash at the Goodwood Revival. When not racing or acting, he's known for driving a dark purple McLaren F1, but the supercar is now up for sale. Atkinson isn't just giving it away, though, with an asking price of 8 million pounds ($12 million). Atkinson bought the iconic McLaren new in 1997 but has crashed it at least twice since then. The first was a low-speed hit with an Austin Metro in 1999, but a shunt in 2011 did much more harm. McLaren Special Operations reportedly estimated the cost to rebuild the F1 at 910,000 pounds, and Atkinson's insurance company paid to have it done, according to the Western Daily Press in the UK. Now, the McLaren is up for sale by broker Taylor and Crawley with 41,000 miles on it, though it's not pictured on the company's website, as of this writing. "Apart from the accidents, I think Rowan has enjoyed every minute with the F1 and I think he will have withdrawal when it is gone," said David Clark, owner of Taylor and Crawley, to the Western Daily Press. The price of Atkinson's F1 is certainly eye watering. One sold in the UK for about $5.6 million in 2012 and a GTR version went for $5.28 million in 2014. Gooding and Company even estimated one at $12-$14 million during the Monterey Car Week.