We all know about the McLaren P1 and if you don’t… WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! For those who have resided in a cave for the past few years, the McLaren P1 is the successor to the legendary F1 supercar. Powered by a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 engine and electric motor of which produces a combined 903BHP. 0-62MPH is banished in just 2.8 seconds. Its F1 predecessor also saw success in racing winning Le Mans outright. The hope was that McLaren might do the same for the P1. McLaren P1 GTR Leaked.
A few months ago we got official conformation of a track only variation of the P1 name the McLaren P1 GTR. The car is only availably to purchase to existing P1 owners, and let us not beat around the bush here, it is a bloody racing car! Some details were released such as its 986BHP output and the £1,980,000 that is requires to purchase one. Thanks to a leaked image sent to prospective buyers we now have a firm idea of what the McLaren P1 GTR will look like.
This rendering shows the hardcore P1 sporting a large fixed rear wing, aggressive diffuser and huge dual exhausts. We can’t wait to see more!
The Bentley Continental revealed an ace from up its sleeve in its latest generation forming a V8 model. Adding a different dynamic to the otherwise W12 powered luxury coupe, this new recipe has gone down a storm. Bentley has reworked this V8 car to produce a new special model inspired by its racing efforts in GT3. Bringing more than just a stripe and a few plaques to the party, this is the Bentley Continental GT3-R.
To officially make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of speed, this special edition car will be limited to just 300 units. Sporting more aggressive bodywork, the GT3-R gains a new front splitter, large fixed rear wing and two huge bonnet grills. Beneath said grills sits a 572BHP 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine that can churn out 516lb ft of torque from as low as 1,700rpm. Sending power to all four wheels via an 8 speed ZF automatic gearbox, the Bentley Continental GT3-R will do 0-60MPH in 3.6 seconds. Weight saving is key to this car as it tips the scales at 100KG lighter than a Continental GT V8 S. An all-new titanium exhaust system also features alongside torque vectoring.
Inside the rear seats have been banished and the fronts much more bolstered. The centre console is trimmed in carbon along with the obligatory smattering of GT3-R branding.
Are you ready to scream like an excited little girl? All in good time… Let us first start with a history lesson. In 1992 the world was introduced to the biblical McLaren F1. This supercar bristled with the latest Formula One technologies and was designed by the legendary Gordon Murrary. This car took the world by storm landing itself the title of world fastest production car and retaining it for a over a decade. Today the F1 is still regarded to be one of the greatest cars of all time. However its fable was further boosted by the introduction of the McLaren F1 GTR, a racing variation that not only won its class on its debut at the Le Mans 24 hour, but also beat off purpose built prototypes to win overall. Today the F1’s successor, the P1, has followed in its forefathers footsteps and become a benchmark in the automotive landscape. Now the McLaren P1 GTR gets its turn!
After a letter to existing McLaren P1 customers was circulated about a possible track-only version of the car, the British company found themselves with a demand for such a machine. The McLaren P1 GTR is designed to be the “the best drivers car in the world on track.” Whist this outline is the only visual tease we have at the moment, it is clear to see the cars more aggressive aerodynamic revisions. Some technical details have been issued. Brace yourselves.
The McLaren P1 GTR will produce 986BHP. The tyres will be racing slicks in each corner of the widened track. It will cost each owner a staggering £1,980,000 and includes access to 6 bespoke racing events, McLaren’s driver fitness team and their simulator.
Will this car enter Le Mans in the hands of a privateer team? My god, we hope so! Production begins after the last of the 375 McLaren P1 road cars has been built.
Today we find ourselves in a unique situation as car fans. Usually, about once every decade, the big guns in performance cars decide the time has come to produce a halo car that embodies the latest technologies. These mythical beasts get us petrol heads all excited with the likes of Porsche Carrera GT and the Ferrari Enzo being pure dreams brought into the world of reality. But before those two, the biblical McLaren F1 was, and in some was remained, king of the hill. Porsche has now introduced the the 918 Spyder as the first of this new breed of hybrid “hyper car.” The Enzo has been succeeded by LaFerrari, quite the machine. Over 20 years after the F1 and McLaren has brought the P1 to the road. Never before have we seen such a royal selection of machines come to the frontline in such close proximity. Today we were lucky enough to explore the McLaren P1.
It is one of the worlds most unique objects to behold as your eyes become transfixed on this alien shape. Sculpted by the wind tunnel, the P1 may well be a case of form follows function but my god it looks great! In the metal, or in the case carbon, it is smaller than it appears in pictures. Every curve, contour and intake serves an aerodynamic or mechanical purpose. This car, number 001, was finished in an imperial white with contrasting black carbon detailing. Narrow headlights form a piercing stair analysing what may lay ahead. Bonnet nostrils prominently surround the black McLaren logo that sits like a jewel on its nose. Bright “McLaren orange” brake callipers hint at the past whilst drawing attention to the cars mirror finished brake discs. Apparently they are more than capable of withstanding the cars entire lifetime. Around the back the change in elevation for body panels is extreme. Its concave rear creates plenty of downforce even with the vast spoiler retracted. A single exhaust exit large enough to be mistaken for an artillery cannon dominates the rear aesthetic.
Opening the A-pillar hinged doors is reminiscent of a swan taking flight as this proud creature spreads its wings. Step over the high carbon fibre sill and feel the carbon race seats hug you tightly. For a car of this caliber visibility is excellent. Not only does the fighter jet-like canopy let plenty of light in, but it also allows for fantastic vision. Naked carbon fibre makes up the cockpit and McLaren signature centre console. A perfectly proportioned steering wheel plays home to the IPAS power boost and DRS drag reduction buttons. The seating position is spot on with the wheel aimed squarely at your chest whilst you sit low in the car.
Over your right shoulder, all McLaren P1’s are left hand drive, lives a twin-turbocharged 3.8 litre V8 engine. Paired with its electric motors the total output for the McLaren P1 is 903BHP and 722lb ft of torque. Actions speak louder than words and so this British masterpiece goes to work with a 0-62MPH time of 2.8 seconds, 0-124MPH in just 6.8 seconds and 0-186MPH in an almost unbelievable 16.5 seconds. Why did McLaren go hybrid? As Formula One has proven, there is indeed a performance gain to be had with an electric power boost. The immediate torque of an electric motor can fill the gap until the V8 comes into play. Turbo lag is nonexistent in this car. With battery power onboard the P1 can also run in an emissions free mode. Combined this car can achieve 34MPG.
The McLaren P1 has three modes; normal, sport and race. In normal the cars suspension is at its most compliant for everyday road use. Sport turns the wick up by lowing the ride hight and increasing throttle response. However, it is this cars race mode that separates it from not only its competitors, but also any other road car that has gone before it. Toggle race and the whole car drops by 50mm, the suspension is set to its most aggressive setting, the rear spoiler deploys and the whole engine is set to maximum attack. There is a race car rivalling 600KG of downforce on offer whilst the P1 is in this state. This mode transforms the car so dramatically that it is no longer road legal whilst in race.
This car is not only one of the greatest pieces of engineering in the automotive world, but a staggering achievement in what the human spirit is capable of when presented with a challenge. Its is a celebration, a blood sweat and tears achievement of overcoming the binds of physics. I am running out of words to describe this Earth shattering McLaren. It is a milestone moment in the automotive landscape and guess what… It’s built in Britain.
We all celebrate landmark Birthdays. 10, 18, your 21st, but after 21 it all goes a bit quiet until the big 3-0. The BMW M5 hitting 30 years old and the super saloon is still going strong. Its latest turbocharged incarnation is the fastest generation yet, but the Germans want to mark its 30th anniversary by making it even faster! BMW M5 30 Jahre is a 592BHP Birthday Present.
The BMW M5 30 Jahre, meaning 30 years, uses the new M5 Competition Pack as its starting value. From there its 4.4 litre V8 twin-turbocharged engine is given an additional 25BHP for a total of 592BHP. That is very nearly 600BHP from a car that you can take kids to school in! Torque is also up to 516lb ft. These gains have been achieved though increasing boost pressure form the turbos and enhancing the cars computer systems. Power goes to the rear wheels through a revised 7 speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. Other changes include Matt silver paintwork, new alloy wheels and 30th anniversary badging.
If you buy an expensive car to stand out, the last thing you want to see is the very same machine parked next to you after emerging from a casino in Monaco. Many prestige car brands have opened new customisation divisions that will create a car bespoke to you, for the right price of course. McLaren Special Operations has been around for a few years now and has created some impressive pieces of kit, but now with the McLaren 650S at their disposal they have built one of the worlds most evil look cars. McLaren Special Operations 650S Will Eat Your Children.
Designed to be an expression of what McLaren Special Operations can do for any new 650S owner, this unique supercar features paintwork that changes colour dependant what angle you view it from. The rear end receives a new carbon fibre diffuser inspired by the 12C’s GT3 efforts as well as new carbon detailing on the wing and side blades. Inside, this McLaren Special Operations 650S possesses a set of carbon racing seats similar to those found in its bigger brother, the P1.
Performance remains unchanged and so that means 641BHP from a twin-turbo 3.8 litre V8 engine. The 650S is good for a 0-60MPH sprint in 3 seconds flat. McLaren Special Operations will be happy to tailor either your 650S coupe or convertible.
Are you intending to make your next-door neighbours Rolls-Royce look like a Matchbox toy? Are you a dictator who does not tolerate being dictated to? Do you wish to induce the fear of God in the unfortunate soul who happens to glance upon their rear view mirror when you are behind them? If your answer is yes to one, or even all of those three, then Mercedes-Benz likely produce the only car that will completely satisfy your inner child. And by “car” I mean road legal monster… The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6.
Dominating your screen right now is a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6. Words are hardly sufficient to describe this biblical behemoth produced by the German’s slightly nutty AMG division. Let us start with numbers because we can all understand something quantifiable. It weighs 3,775KG. That is more than an adult female African elephant! It is powered by a 5.5 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 536BHP and 560lb-ft of torque. It has 6 wheels, 5 locking differentials, 4 side exiting exhaust pipes, costs 3 times as much as a standard G63 AMG (at £380,000), has two turbos and if you took out the huge spare wheel from its loading bay… Will easily fit a partridge in a pear tree.
Thanks to the ever helpful staff at Mercedes-Benz World Brooklands, we were given access to a car of which there is only one in the UK, at this moment in time, and just 32 in the world. The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 began as a military vehicle designed for the Australians. The highly capable off-roader in Army guise has a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine, but then AMG decided that Wednesday afternoons should be more exciting and so plonked one of their engines into it. Prototypes impressed and once a buyer or two was found, Mercedes decided to produce the 6×6 AMG by order.
Obviously this military grade Goliath sports all of the creature comforts a wealthy man or woman could desire. Hiring a small crane to lift you into the exceedingly high driving position, you find yourself bathed in the usual Mercedes-Benz luxury. Seating four with plenty of space, the interior is beautifully upholstered to the same levels as all AMG cars. Above the driver sits a series of gauges used to inflate and deflate all six tyres dependant on what the terrain demands. A 7 speed automatic gearbox is at your fingertips transferring power to all six wheels. The 6×6’s top speed is 100MPH, not that you would want to go any faster in something this vast, but its limitation isn’t electronic. The 37 inch wheels are the cars limiting factor in terms of terminal velocity.
The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 is an astonishing thing to look at with its flared carbon fibre wheel arches, 6 wheels and sheer size. It has some sort of gravity about it as everyone who looked at it struggled to detach their eyes from this beast. Another typically mad moment from AMG? Maybe, but the world is a much more exciting place thanks to Mercedes putting the 6×6 on the road.
Everything has its time and with the world changing as rapidly as it does these days it never takes too long for something to become obsolete. The current trend in the automotive industry is one of turbocharging, not just for performance, but also emissions. Strict European laws that come into force soon will see the majority of naturally aspirated engines as too polluting. However, sometimes with change comes good things and that is certainly the case for the Mercedes-Benz SL 400. New Twin-Turbo V6 for Mercedes-Benz SL.
The Mercedes-Benz SL 400 replaces the 3.5 litre naturally aspirated V6 SL 350 model. Underneath this revised cars long bonnet now sits a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 unit. Although it is down on overall capacity, the new engine produces 328BHP and 354lb ft of torque. That is enough to get the new SL from 0-62MPH in 5.3 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than the outgoing SL 350. Fuel economy is stated at 39MPG combined emitting 172g/km CO2 making this car faster, cleaner and more fuel efficient than option it replaces. Top speed is electronically limited to 155MPH.
In 2011 McLaren launched their first full production road car, the MP4-12C. With their first limited run McLaren F1 being such a legend of the automotive world, the pressure was on for this mid-engined V8 supercar to deliver. This machine would also have to compete with the spectacular Ferrari 458 Italia brining the McLaren VS Ferrari rivalry to the road. Later renamed the 12C, in order to sound less like a model of typewriter, the car saw huge success. However, it is now the end of the road for the British car. McLaren 12C discontinued.
Packing 616BHP from its twin-turbocharged V8 engine the McLaren 12C has succeeded in putting McLaren Automotive on the map, yet its demise was somewhat foreseeable. After the launch of the more powerful, driver focused 650S, McLaren paused production of the 12C whilst they attempted to facilitate the demand for the new car. Orders have continued to flood in and McLaren have decided to discontinue the 12C and completely replace it with the 650S coupe and spider. Whilst the 650S is based upon the 12C, it is a notably different car and marks the end of the Woking based firms baptism into this highly competitive market.
With 3,500 12C’s sold, it goes down in McLaren history as a complete success. Now it is up to the 641BHP 650S to continue the fight with Ferrari.
The latest car on offer from Legendary British company McLaren is the 650S. This more driver focused machine is their answer to the Ferrari 458 Speciale, a car that is no slouch. With a mid-mounted 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged engine producing 641BHP, this 650S is capable of 0-62MPH in 3 seconds flat and 0-100MPH in just 7.7 seconds. Carbon brakes and a 7 speed dual clutch gearbox comes as standard on this car that is based upon the successful 12C. Available as a coupe and Spider, competitors should be worried. Chris Harris Drives McLaren 650S Sensibly… Nah, He Drifts It!
It was only a matter of time before sensationally sideways Chris Harris got his hands on the new metal. Whilst proving that the rain in Spain doesn’t always fall on the plain, McLaren’s latest supercar finds itself going sideways for the camera. A technical walkthrough of the car also provides an insight into the mechanical changes and just what McLaren have learnt from the P1 project. Although not as easily as Harris would have liked… Check out the video below of the bright orange Spider bellowing its V8 chorus and burning rubber. Volume up ladies and gents!
