A new McLaren F1 in the pipeline

[B1NZ]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/motor ... -successor

There isn't a dealer in New Zealand - you'll have to apply to Sydney if you want one - but McLaren's famous name is about to expand to a second production car to accompany the MP4-12C which has been on the market for less than a year.

This is a necessary move from McLaren as it has been felt by industry pundits that a single model cannot gain the turnover needed to establish the marque as a serious maker of sports cars rather than a racing team that makes the odd road car.

According to several sources in Europe, including the weekly automotive press and newspaper business pages, McLaren is to create a spiritual successor to the famous F1, the high-tech V12 mid- engined supercar of the early 90s that has been beaten for speed since its inception only by the multimillion-dollar Bugatti Veyron.

British publication Autocar even has it that the 21st century F1 will be revealed next year, so that it accords with the 20th anniversary of the original. The F1 of course wasn't McLaren's first street car, as two years before his untimely death, Bruce McLaren created a road-going version of his all conquering Can Am car design, known as the M6GT which could be used for events like Le Mans while providing the ultimate in street cred for those with the need and the cash. Just three examples are believed to have been built.

It is expected that much of the chassis development for the new supercar is already in train as it will use the carbon fibre chassis tub of the MP4-12C.

To be labelled during its development as the P12, the new car is expected to employ a modular 12-cylinder derivative of the V8, created for the MP4-12C, and investment figures being bandied about at the moment for the new car and other models likely to be added to the McLaren line-up are in the region of $NZ1.9 billion.

The P12 has something a reputation to live up to. Its Gordon Murray-designed predecessor used exotic materials and design parameters to established weight and performance standards not matched until Bugatti's Veyron beat its top speed record many years later. But that's not the market for the P12, as McLaren will probably want to move a few more than the 72 examples it managed to sell of the first F1. We'd estimate a sticker starting at about half as much again as the MP4-12C, or up to about $NZ600,000, which is well under half the price of the Bugatti.

For the new F1 model to compete with Ferrari's upcoming new Enzo model, the Lamborghini Aventador and models like the new Pagani and Koeniggsegg supercars, the engine would need to deliver at least 650kW, and it is thought that to give the car another point of difference, it could well retain the central driving position of the 1992 car with passengers set back and to each side. To weigh as close to the MP4-12C as possible, the P12 will make even more use of composite materials and carbon fibre, and it has been suggested that the model will be as revolutionary as the old F1 was in its day.


With Ferrari offering at least five platforms, and Lamborghini looking at having four of its own by the end of next year, it is unlikely McLaren will stop at just two models for its future line-up. We suggest that there's room below the MP4-12C model for an entry-point model, perhaps employing another modular version of McLaren's engine architecture with six-cylinders.

[touge_ae101]

cool. will be good to see what an innovative company like mclaren can come up with. getting a bit bored to ferrari, lamborgini and the like and there standard approach to designing a supercar.

not that i'll be in the market to buy one anytime soon (or ever!) but love seeing new ideas

[d1 mule]

, lamborgini and the like and there standard approach to designing a supercar.

have you seen what Lambo are doing now?? dry carbon??? joint carbon research center with Boeing as in 747 Boeing. Lambo are all about innovation these days

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/lamborghin ... 00112.html

prob the bost looking supercar ever IMO, the next model will feature the dry carbon tub etc

[touge_ae101]

not talking so much about specific technology that goes into these cars, but the vehicle dynamics and the general layout of the car. lambo have been making cars in the same layout forever and i'm not really a fan of the look. lastest one has got a bit of styling to it but still overly agressive. its like they let a 7 year old boy design it, only using straight lines and no eraser, meaning it has every styling feature one could possibly imagine. not to my taste that is all.

i think the new mp412c thingy Mclaren have done is wicked, but a bit too much on the soft side (but i can see what market they were aiming for and it is interesting, i hope it sells) not quite sure if soft is the word for it but yeah.
i mean more in regards to the vehicle dynamics, how they approach the suspension design and power delivery along with simple stuff like driving experience etc which Lexus have focused on a lot with the LFA. will be good to see what they can do with a blank sheet of paper like they did with the F1.
tbh i think the M15 noble was about 5 years ahead of ferrari etc, but was just a simple version of it rather than a uber expensive thing.

sorry this is the product developer in me talking. i just like seeing innovation and new ideas that work rather than $$$ spent on new technology. there has got so many possibilities out there no one has tried.
one of my favourite concepts which has more potential would have to be the Ford Indigo;

it looks fantastic and is a cool evolution of the current supercar even if the design is almost 10years old i think? just needs a re-designed front end and to get rid of that ugly front wing.

[1I1]

not talking so much about specific technology that goes into these cars, but the vehicle dynamics and the general layout of the car. lambo have been making cars in the same layout forever and i'm not really a fan of the look.

Similar to Porsche though - they've stuck to the same silhouette and rear engined. Seems to have worked for them

[B1NZ]

not talking so much about specific technology that goes into these cars, but the vehicle dynamics and the general layout of the car. lambo have been making cars in the same layout forever and i'm not really a fan of the look.

Similar to Porsche though - they've stuck to the same silhouette and rear engined. Seems to have worked for them

funnily enough both car makes are owned by the same parent company - VW

[2jayzgte]

not talking so much about specific technology that goes into these cars, but the vehicle dynamics and the general layout of the car. lambo have been making cars in the same layout forever and i'm not really a fan of the look.

Similar to Porsche though - they've stuck to the same silhouette and rear engined. Seems to have worked for them

funnily enough both car makes are owned by the same parent company - VW

Speaking of VW Dr Bez the CEO and Akio Toyada Toyota's CEO both drove each others car at the latest round of the VLN series at the Nurburgring and there is speculation that both companies could be making a sports car together.

LFA and the Aston Martin Zagato were the cars used that both CEO's drove.Best comment I saw was most CEO's do have there business meetings on a golf course we like to do it on the racetrack.