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Driving McLaren's Sports Car and 'The Best Corvette' at the M1 Concourse | AutoblogVR

There's nothing better than a track day. Great cars on a great track are always great fun. Recently, we had the opportunity to check out the new M1 Concourse in Pontiac, MI, with two of the coolest cars in the game; a McLaren 570S and a Corvette Grand Sport. Driving the 570S was Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore, and he didn't hold back. Getting behind the wheel of the McLaren, Greg explains that although this is McLaren's idea of a sports car, "it's all relative." Topping out at 204 miles per hour with 562 horsepower, there's no two ways about it: this thing is a monster. While the 570S was fantastic, we had another sports car we wanted to drive and editor-in-chief Mike Austin was just the man for the job. Enter the Corvette Grand Sport. Mike pushed all 460 horses of the 'Vette to the limit and came away impressed with the car, even calling it "the best Corvette." Comparing it to its more powerful sibling, the Z06, Mike goes so far as to say the Z06 has too much power, while the Grand Sport seems to be the third bear's bowl of porridge in the Corvette family... It's just right. We captured all the action of the day with 360° cameras so you can feel like you're right there in the car sitting shotgun with us! You can check out the McLaren and Corvette laps above, but the best way to view them is through the AutoblogVR app, where you can watch the videos on your VR headset or in a nice swivel-y office chair so you can take in the sights all around you. Each month, new episodes will launch on the AutoblogVR App. We'll be posting them here on Autoblog, but for the best experience, head over to the app, which you can download for free from the App store and Google Play. Be sure to try it with a cardboard viewer, too!

Meet Alex Archer, the engineer behind GM's power-sliding center console

In 2009, a GM manager complained to a 59-year-old GM technician about the hassle of retrieving items from a pickup truck bed after driving shifted the cargo. In two days, the tech had come up with the ideas that, ten years later, would debut as the MultiPro tailgate. The engineering teams kept the tailgate secret in part by hiding mock-ups in a locked storage closet in GM's Vehicle Engineering Center in Warren Michigan for two years. A piece in the Detroit Free Press reveals that another storage closet in Warren would play the same role in a different cloak-and-dagger operation, this time for the power-sliding center console in GM's new full-sized SUVs. During a meeting in early 2017, bosses gave the job of the console's creation to 24-year-old design release engineer Alex Archer, just two years out of Stanford University with a degree in engineering and product design.  This time, the catalyst for the feature was an internal GM think tank called co:lab, where employees suggest ideas. Execs gave Archer the task because "They needed someone willing to ask a lot of questions," her 36-month mandate to produce a six-way console that could be a standard cubby or a gaping maw able to swallow four gallon jugs or hide a secret compartment. Clearly, she succeeded. It took Archer and the team nine months to devise a prototype, another six months to get the green light for production. As with the tailgate, the team working on the console grew to include designers, production engineers, and suppliers. Archer, now 26, shepherded the process, and her name is on the patent. "It took a ton of people, I'm just somebody who stuck with it the whole time," she said. GM like her work well enough to produce the "Day in the Life" segment above, five months before the world would hear about the console. Archer's path to engineering was as unlikely as getting the job for the console. She had entered Stanford with plans to be a doctor. But an innovation class during her freshman year, and a sophomore summer spent helping her grandfather rebuild a 1937 MG engine recharted her course. Her grandfather told her, "You know, you could be an engineer for a car company." Consumer reaction to Archer's work won't be far off, the SUVs slated to hit dealerships soon. Meanwhile, she's busy on something that could be just as intense as the console: Restoring a 1955 Packard Clipper in her garage. Head to Freep to check out the story of Archer and the console. Related Video:

Win an SUV 2022 | The best giveaways of the week

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. SUVs and crossovers are a hugely popular segment in the United States, making up nearly half of total vehicles sold last year. Here are our favorite SUV giveaways we’ve found online this week. Win a Himalaya Land Rover Defender 110 Crew Cab - Enter at Omaze The Land Rover Defender is an icon. An intense, luxurious off-roader that turns heads and can crawl up nearly anything. The problem? For the past 20+ years it hasn't been available in the United States. But this Defender is different. ItÂ’s vintage, restored by Himalaya, and itÂ’s powered by a Corvette engine. Plus Omaze is giving it away.  Here are the specs of the Defender in question, according to Omaze: Maximum Seating: 4 Engine: 6.2-liter Corvette LS3 crate engine Transmission: 6-speed automatic  Drivetrain: 4WD  Exterior Color: Satin Grey Interior Color: Jet Black Maximum Horsepower: 430 hp Maximum Torque: 425 lb-ft Approximate Retail Value: $210,000  Cash Alt: $157,500  Special Features: Black exterior roll bars and trim; Black 18” Sawtooth wheels with 35” tires; Wilwood™ brakes; 3" lift; Black diamond-stitched leather sport seats; MOMO Millenium steering wheel; front and rear matching consoles; Himalaya gauge cluster; Himalaya front and rear bumpers, bed-mounted tire carrier, and extended fender flares; Puma hood; LED lighting YouÂ’re probably asking yourself, what does it take to win? First of all, according to Omaze, "no donation or payment is necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes." $10 will get you 100 entries in this sweepstakes, while $50 will get you 1,000 entries and $100 will get you 2,000 entries. The best part? Each paid entry raises money for a worthy cause. See more about these causes at Omaze. Other Omaze sweepstakes: Win an Airstream Interstate 24X Win a 1958 Porsche 356 A - Enter at Omaze Win a Restored 1969 Pontiac GTO - Enter at Omaze Win a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 - Enter at Omaze For these and more vehicle sweepstakes, check out Omaze.com. Enter quickly, they won't last forever. Bentley Chevrolet Ford Land Rover Commerce SUV