McLaren Automotive is putting the finishing touches on its brand new Mp4-12C and in an effort to make sure we don’t forget about the new supercar from McLaren, it released a new video today showing high-speed testing of the latest prototypes in Spain.

Featured in the short video are the XP8, XP10 and two XP Beta-phase prototypes wrapped in matte black vinyl.

The McLaren MP4-12C will be launched early next year.

Click here to read more news on the McLaren MP4-12C.

Refresher: Power for the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C comes from a 3.8L V8 twin-turbo engine producing around 600-hp mated to a 7-speed Seamless Shift dual-clutch gearbox (SSG). 0 to 60 mph is expected to come in the low 3 second range with a top speed of more than 200 mph. Sales begin in early 2011.

2011 McLaren MP4-12C:

2011 McLaren MP4-12C:

Press Release:

THE XP-FILES: MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE REVEALS DETAILS OF ITS NEXT GENERATION OF PROTOTYPES

Development of the groundbreaking McLaren MP4-12C is entering its final phase. The bespoke high-performance sports car is due to launch in 2011, and right now the latest Experimental Prototype (XP) 12Cs are undergoing intensive appraisal at a number of test locations around the world.

One such site is Spain’s Applus IDIADA facility, the most comprehensive independent proving ground in Europe. McLaren Automotive recently obtained special permission to capture on camera the XP Beta cars in action at Applus IDIADA, and on public roads in the foothills near Tarragona. The result is the second in the ‘Inside McLaren Automotive’ series of short films. This gives viewers a unique insight into a performance car testing programme from the perspective of the development team responsible for the 12C.

Featured in the short film are XP8 and XP10, two XP Beta-phase prototypes. Wrapped almost entirely in matt black vinyl, XP Beta cars are clearly discernable from 2009′s XP cars, which were seen in the ‘Inside McLaren: Developing the MP4-12C” video sporting a black and white contrasting camouflage exterior.

The XP Beta test cars feature significant technological advancements that take the 12C nearer to production. A revised iteration of the M838T twin-turbo engine, transmission featuring new gear ratios, a more efficient cooling package, new suspension geometry and upgraded electrical architecture are the headline features of current prototypes, denoting key differences between XP and XP Beta cars.

Indicative performance figures generated by the XP Beta cars are expected to be announced in March, but feedback from February’s testing suggests that McLaren Automotive’s aspirations to out-perform its competitors appear well-founded.

A core team of 20-25 Vehicle Technicians travel with the XP Beta cars and are on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support a test programme that mirrors the intensity of developing a Formula 1 car. Meanwhile, a further 12 Vehicle Development Engineers are responsible for specific technologies and systems being appraised while out on test.

Mark Vinnels, McLaren Automotive Programme Director, is leading the engineering team and said: “There is an extensive list of subjective and objective targets set for our prototype vehicles. These XP Beta cars are already achieving outstanding results in many of the subjective areas, which includes ride quality, handling and many other aspects of dynamic performance.

“The benchmark competitor vehicles we have tested become nervous and twitchy at higher speed, but the 12C feels more stable than anything I have driven. Because the bump rejection is so good, the ride is smooth and the steering is solid.”

“Between now and production the vehicles and the team are working flat out. All this is geared towards not just achieving our unprecedented levels of performance but also guaranteeing the levels of quality, reliability and durability with which we expect to delight future McLaren customers.”

- By: Kap Shah

Gordon Murray may be busy working on his T25 family city-car, but the creator of the McLaren F1 has not abandoned plans to work on a successor to the landmark supercar.

“It will be the world’s next F1,”Murray told CAR Magazine. “However, it will be a dramatic step backward in power and top speed.”

Murray said that the successor to the McLaren F1 will “offer the ultimate in driver appeal and engineering exquisiteness, and still be highly expensive and exclusive.” He said that it will be so exclusive that “it’ll be a new breed.”

“The way supercars are done right now, they’ve got no future at all,” he said. While Murray still has yet to sit down and come up with official weight, power and other performance targets, he promises that the car will be much lighter and smaller than the current F1.

As for the up coming P1 from McLaren, Murray says “it”s bound to disappoint” – and that means a lot coming from the creator of one of the best supercars to ever ride on Earth.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: CAR

McLaren Chairman Ron Dennis recently announced plans for a new facility that will build a “range of high-performance, high-technology sports cars.” The McLaren Production Center (MPC), will be capable of building 20 McLaren sports cars per day while creating 800 new jobs.

McLaren said that the MPC will release its first “high performance and highly efficient sports car” in early 2011. That schedule points to the release of the much talked about 500-hp P11 (codename) that is currently being tested in Woking.

UK publication AutoCar has now found the biggest hint that McLaren may incorporate hybrid technology on future supercar models, although it is to early to speculate that the P11 may carry any sort of hybrid system.

The supercar company is advertising a position for a senior engineer in powertrain hybrid technology on its website. The role requires the candidate to ”lead the technical assessment, integration and application of appropriate hybrid powertrain technology.”

A McLaren spokesman said: “It (hybrid technology) is something we want as a forward-thinking, technology-driven company. We have been considering it for future projects. All the advert means is that we are looking for a senior engineer in powertrain hybrid technology. Read into it what you will.”

Guess we’ll have to wait and find out.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

Last month, Chairman Ron Dennis confirmed that McLaren is working on a line of new high-performance cars, including a successor to the F1. Today, Dennis announced plans for a new facility for the “British-built range of high-performance, high-technology sports cars.” 

Known as the McLaren Production Centre (MPC), the facility will be located adjacent to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The plant will have the capacity of building up to 20 McLaren sports cars per day. Dennis said that proposed investment would create over 800 automotive jobs.

So what’s the first high-performance sports car planned to come out of MPC? McLaren says that the MPC will release its first “high performance and highly efficient sports car” in early 2011. According to that, we’re guessing it will be the much talked about P11 (codename) that is currently being tested in Woking.

Power for the P11 is expected to come from a 6.2L V8 turbocharged engine from AMG. It will make more than 500-hp allowing for a 0 to 60 mph time in 4 seconds with a top speed of 200 mph.

Click through for the press release.

Press Release:

McLaren Automotive announces plans for new British high technology production facility

- Ron Dennis reveals details of proposed investment supporting over 800 jobs

- McLaren answers UK political and industrial calls for high-tech manufacturing and engineering work supporting exports

- McLaren Production Centre planned to build McLaren Automotive’s range of high performance sports cars from 2011

Ron Dennis, Chairman of McLaren Automotive, announced today plans for the UK home of a brand new British-built range of high-performance, high-technology sports cars. Located adjacent to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England, the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) is a proposal that would provide an important investment in the UK automotive and high-tech manufacturing infrastructure.

An application for planning permission was submitted yesterday (May 19 2009) to Woking Borough Council for the facility that would have the capacity for up to 20 pure McLaren sports cars per day. Aiming to be the UK’s most modern and efficient automotive production facility, MPC would provide employment growth at McLaren supporting over 800 automotive jobs and an estimated additional 1,500 indirectly in the local economy.

The planned building of MPC would also support sustained growth of the McLaren brand in providing high-value, high-tech manufacturing and engineering employment in the midst of the global recession. With its first product, a high performance and highly efficient sports car due to be delivered in early 2011, McLaren’s globally respected road car and racing car development skills are set to redefine the automotive engineering environment in the UK.

Ron Dennis said: “Ever since we revealed the McLaren F1 sports car in 1992, it has been a long-held dream of mine to launch a McLaren sports car company. Designing, developing and selling globally the best sports cars in the world is just half of that equation; building them to previously un-matched levels of quality, with ground-breaking technologies in a production facility in the UK is key to satisfying that dream. I believe that if the McLaren Production Centre is given the go ahead, it will be an engineering centre of excellence of which McLaren and the UK can be proud.”

Following a thorough planning process McLaren submitted a formal planning application that takes the McLaren Technology Centre’s (MTC) successful 2003 development as its lead precedent.

Six years ago, McLaren worked in partnership with Woking Borough Council and the Horsell Common Preservation Society to build an award-winning “˜Foster+Partners’-designed headquarters that offered extensive public access to its grounds and restored previously contaminated land. MTC’s build and integration into the landscape enabled sustained growth of McLaren Group companies to 1500 employees, adhered to strict planning controls and legal obligations and won a Royal Town Planning Institute award for its planning delivery. It is Ron Dennis’ aim that the McLaren Production Centre will follow a comparably successful process.

Dennis continued: “It would be easy enough to consider building McLaren sports cars in existing productive and experienced foreign factories; a number of which are knocking on our door. However, McLaren is a great British company founded over 40 years ago that should, in my view, continue to design and build our own products.”

McLaren’s plans for the MPC further support recent political and business calls for the creation of high-tech manufacturing and engineering jobs to support the UK’s growth out of recession. A Woking Borough Council decision on McLaren’s planning application for the McLaren Production Centre is anticipated at the end of July.

The proposed “˜Foster+Partners’-designed manufacturing centre complies with all key planning principles set by the existing planning consent and features a building sunk into the ground to minimise visual impact, substantial new areas of tree planting and re-contouring to effectively disguise above-ground views, and improves access to public land for recreation.

- By: Kap Shah

Under the guidance of CEO Ron Dennis, McLaren is planning to climb back to the top of the supercar ranks with a line of new high-performance models including a successor to the F1. According to AutoCar, McLaren is looking to take on high-end performance models such as those produced by Bugatti and Koenigsegg.

Sources say that McLaren will use the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and the Gallardo LP560-4 as the benchmark for a line of new supercars that will be designed and engineered in the UK.

According to recent interview with CEO Dennis, McLaren has earmarked £250 million ($331 million USD) for its supercar program. Also, unlike its predecessor, the next McLaren F1 will see a larger production run.

Sources say that McLaren has been talking to its Formula One partner Mercedes-Benz to re-engineer its engines or its upcoming models. While nothing is official yet, AutoCar says that McLaren is looking at Mercedes-Benz’s 6.2L V8 AMG for its supercar lineup.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: AutoCar

Former McLaren designer Jim Dowle has released details on his latest creation – the P1-E. The British electric-sports car is said to be inspired by the Lotus Exige with Mercedes SLR-style gullwing doors. So it looks good and sounds cool – what’s under the hood that will help Dowle steal customers away from Fisker and Tesla?

The new electric-version of the P1 sportscar is powered by lithium-ion batteries and electric motors that transfer a total of 389-hp to all-four-wheels with a maximum torque of 590 lb-ft. That allows the P1-E to go from 0 to 60 in just 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 130-mph. On a full charge, the P1-E can travel up to 230 miles on battery power alone.

Dowle said that production of the P1-E is still two years away, during the time which he believes technology will develop to help his company take the upper hand over Tesla and Fisker (cough cough SSC AESP).

JJAD plans to build around 500 models of the P1-E annually with production to start in 2012. Pricing is expected to start around £55,000 ($75,198 USD).

JJAD P1-E Sketch:

Source: AutoCar

It seems like every time AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg announces that “the horsepower war is over” RENNTECH comes out with a press release releasing an new horsepower upgrade for AMG vehicles.

“Last year, it was a coincidence that we were releasing a new, 695 hp performance package for the 65 series AMG cars at around the same time. We sent out a press release that said ‘HP War Not Over’,” said Hartmut Feyhl, president of RENNTECH. “This year it is the same timing again, and we have something much more extreme to announce for our 20th Anniversary.”

This time around RENNTECH will introduce a new performance package for the McLaren 722 that will offer horsepower upgrades of up to 777-hp with a top speed reaching over 210 mph. Known as the RENNTECH 777, the new car will use the advanced carbon fiber chassis of the SLR McLaren with some aerodynamical upgrades including a huge wing, splitters and side skirts.

RENNTECH will only make 20 units of the RENNTECH 777 to celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary.

RENNTECH 777:

A 1997 McLaren F1 was auction off for £2.5 million ($4.1 million USD) last night at RM Auction”s in Battersea, London. The McLaren F1 was a showroom car that had just 270 miles on it and sold for £1.1 million ($1.8 million USD) more than the estimated value.

However, the highlight of show was a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder that sold for £3 million ($4.9 million). The car was driven by Cameron Diaz in Charlie’s Angels.

Overall, 30 percent of the 129 cars at the auction went unsold. It was reported that some of the auctioneers had previously contacted vendors to lower their starting price.

Source: AutoCar

Next to its much talked about P11 supercar, McLaren engineers and designers are reported to be hard at work at a family of sports cars. Besides the P11, McLaren will be building three separate model ranges after space is freed up at its Woking headquarters when it ends its relationship with Mercedes-Benz and the last SLR variant rolls off the assembly line.

The P11 supercar will go head-to-head with the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Power will come from a 6.2 liter AMG engine producing 550-hp mated to a double-clutch gearbox. Other than that McLaren is planning two other Ferrari rivals but also in the works is a £60k ($97,944 USD) McLaren sports car.

McLaren is supposedly looking at an affordable coupe to throw into the Porsche 911 segment mix, and if it is greenlighted we can see the car on the road within three years. CAR says that Mercedes-Benz could still be the engine supplier for the car since it holds 40% share in McLaren.

Source: CAR

Mercedes-Benz has just dropped a couple of more shots of the new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S. We saw the car earlier this month in Paris and we expect to catch it again at the 2008 LA Auto Show next month.

Mercedes-Benz will only be making 150 units of the drop-top SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S with production to take place at the Formula 1 workshops of McLaren in Woking, England. Power will come from an AMG 5.5L V8 that makes 650-hp with a maximum torque of 604 lb-ft. The 0 to 62 mph sprint comes in at 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 208 mph. Power is transferred to the wheels via a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Click through for more high-res images of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S:

The folks over at AutoExpress have caught a prototype of the upcoming McLaren, codenamed the P11. The highly-anticipated P11, that will hit the roads in 2010, was caught undergoing testing at McLaren’s base in Woking, Surrey.

While it’s hard to see anything through the heavy disguise, one thing is clear. It’s as compact as McLaren has promised. The smaller and less expensive McLaren will be a rival to the Ferrari F430 and the Lamborghini Gallardo.

What kind of power is it going to bring to the table? Sources say that we’ll see at least 500-hp from a turbocharged 6.2L V8 from AMG. 0 to 60 mph for the P11 will come in around 4 seconds with a top speed of 200 mph. The engine will be mated to a semi-automatic paddleshift gearbox. Carbon brakes are also likely to join the list.

Head over to AutoExpress for the full shots.

Earlier last month, we saw spy shots that revealed that Mercedes-Benz and McLaren were working on a convertible version of the SLR McLaren 722. Today the two revealed the Mercedes-Benz McLaren Roadster 722 S, an open-top 722 that will see a limited production run of 150 units.

Power for the SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S comes from the hand-built 5.5L V8 AMG engine producing 650-hp with a maximum torque of 604 lb-ft. Mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission that allows for a 0 to 62 mph sprint in just 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 208 mph. Mercedes-Benz also added a stiffer suspension, lowered the body by 10 millimeters at the front and back, improved the handling dynamics and added 19-inch lightweight aluminum wheels with red brake calipers.

Production of the new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S will take place at the Formula 1 workshops of McLaren in Woking, England. The car will be made available by  January 1, 2009.

Click through for a high-res image gallery and the press release.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S:

Press Release:

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S: Thrilling high-performance roadster

The new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S opens up astonishing dimensions when it comes to open-top driving. Delivering 478 kW/650 hp, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and a maximum speed of 335 km/h, this two-seater cabriolet surpasses the existing benchmark among open-top super sports cars ““ the SLR McLaren Roadster. Both vehicles feature a fully retractable folding soft top capable of withstanding the high speed and are made of carbon fibre. This endows both models with a very high degree of safety and extreme torsional stiffness. In addition to increased power, the new SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S features even more dynamic suspension tuning and improved aerodynamics. While enjoying exceptional performance, the new roadster”s occupants in no way lose out in terms of comfort or the vehicle”s suitability for everyday use. With its sporty, premium-quality interior appointments and distinctive motorsport pedigree, the new SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S is limited to 150 vehicles and will inspire the most discerning automotive enthusiasts.

Spectacular dimensions in open-top driving are opened up by the new Mercedes-Benz SLRMcLaren Roadster 722 S. With an output of 478 kW/650 hp, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 335 km/h, this open two-seater betters the standard set for open-air super-sports cars by the SLR McLaren Roadster. Both have a fully recessible soft top suitable for high speed driving, and are made from carbon fibre. This produces a very high level of safety and extremely high torsional strength. In addition to a higher engine output, the new SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S has an even more dynamic suspension setup and further aerodynamic improvements.

By naming this new model variant the SLRRoadster 722 S, Mercedes-Benz is recalling the historic victory won at the classic Mille Miglia long-distance race in 1955 by British motor-racing legend Stirling Moss and his co-driver Dennis Jenkinson, in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S continues the legend of the successful 1950s SLR racing sports cars, with innovative technology adopted from the world of motorsport.

Engine hand-built by AMG

The powerful heart of the SLR Roadster 722 S is a supercharged 5.5-litre V8 engine which is hand-built in the Mercedes-AMG engine shop in Affalterbach. The special strengths of this high-performance engine include extraordinary responsiveness to movements of the accelerator, a high torque and an unmistakable V8 sound. Moreover, with an output of 478 kW/650 hp and 820 Nm of torque, power is on tap almost to excess (SLR McLaren Roadster: 460 kW/626 hp, 780 Nm). Accordingly the new model variant meets the wishes of the most discerning customers for even more sportiness combined with excellent day-to-day practicality.

The five-speed automatic transmission developed by Mercedes-Benz is designed for high performance. It is specially configured for a very high torque, and allows the driver to choose between two sets of shift characteristics. As a result the roadster achieves performance figures that are even outstanding for the high-end sports car segment: the SLR Roadster 722 S absolves a sprint from zero to 100 km/h in a breathtaking 3.7 seconds, and 200 km/h is reached in 10.6 seconds. The maximum speed is 335 km/h, which is unrivalled by any other series-production roadster.

Even more dynamic suspension setup

The spring and shock absorber configurations of the suspension are stiffer, and the body has been lowered by 10 millimetres at the front and rear. This ensures the greater handling stability of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S, with a significant improvement in handling dynamics. The lightweight, 19-inch forged aluminium wheels allow a view of the red-painted brake callipers on the highly-resistant carbon-fibre/ceramic brake discs, which make for impressive deceleration figures.

Sophisticated aerodynamics and a fabric soft top suited to high-speed driving

The outstanding qualities of the 722 S are complemented by the fully recessible fabric soft top, which blends harmoniously into the flowing lines of the roadster. The weave structure of this high-tech roof material reflects the carbon-fibre look, guarantees full day-to-day suitability in any weather conditions and allows the vehicle a top speed of 335 km/h ““ a unusual figure for a roadster. Thanks to favourable aeroacoustics, conversation during open-air journeys is still possible at well over 200 km/h.

The soft top opens and closes semi-automatically in around ten seconds, combining comfort expectations with the purist nature of the roadster. For opening, the roof needs to be unlatched at the windscreen frame and lifted slightly, after which it folds down electrically. The front section of the soft top features an integral aluminium cap, which effectively prevents “ballooning” at high speeds.

The handling and aerodynamics of this high-end roadster were optimised for high speeds in the wind tunnel. The aerodynamic concept follows that of the SLR Coupé, with an airbrake integrated into the boot lid, an enclosed underbody and a diffusor in the rear bumper to ensure the greatest possible downforce on the rear axle. The so-called airsplitter at the front end augments this downforce, while small wheel spoilers reduce turbulence at the rear axle. The result is precise handling and steering at high speeds.

Outstanding performance and safety thanks to carbon fibre technology

In technical terms the 722 S benefits from the long experience of Mercedes-Benz and its Formula-1 partner McLaren. With the exception of two aluminium frames, the body is completely of carbon-fibre materials (CFRP). This makes it highly exceptional among high-performance sports cars. Especially for the roadster, the sophisticated carbon-fibre technology was developed further for the monocoque. The result is low weight, exemplary energy absorption and therefore a high level of occupant safety, plus a torsional rigidity that is unprecedented for an open-top car. It allows outstanding handling characteristics that are otherwise only found in closed super-sports cars.

A high level of safety is provided by unique carbon-fibre crash structures, steel-reinforced A-pillars and two fixed rollover bars. Other safety features include adaptive airbags, knee and sidebags, belt tensioners and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

A thoroughly sporty appearance

The roadster has a crystal antimony grey paint finish, which highlights the sculptured look of this high-performance car particularly effectively. The carbon-fibre technology is visually complemented by the black, grid-like air vents on the bonnet and the front and rear light modules with palladium grey surrounds.

In the interior, outstanding lateral support is guaranteed by sports bucket seats upholstered in a combination of semi-aniline leather/Alcantara. Striking visual highlights are provided by the contrasting seams in 300 SL red, the embossed 722 S lettering on the head restraints and the likewise red seat belts. Frequently used controls such as the shift and parking brake levers are lined in particularly high-grip and moisture-absorbing suede leather. In the interior too, the generous use of carbon-fibre underlines the high-performance philosophy and adds a particularly puristic touch.

Exclusive appointments

The exclusive appointments include two-zone automatic climate control, a high-quality BOSE Premium sound system, a multifunction sports steering wheel with shift paddles and a navigation system with an integrated radio and CD player.

This limited edition of 150 examples is predominantly hand-built at the Formula 1 workshops of McLaren in Woking, England, and is available from January 1, 2009.

We’ve already seen prototypes of the upcoming McLaren P11, but the anticipated supercar is now going back to the drawing board for a redesign by new styling chief Frank Stephenson. AutoCar sources say that Stephenson will be joining McLaren later this year after he completes is term at Fiat.

The former BMW, Mini and Ferrari designer will join McLaren and will first take on the P11 followed by a family of supercars that McLaren wants to put out in 2009. Sources are saying that most of the engineering has been completed but design is open.

The new P11 will be very different from what we’ve been seeing but power still said to come from a Mercedes-Benz 6.2 liter AMG engine producing 550-hp mated to a double-clutch gearbox. Stephenson will also work on the rumored convertible version of the P11 along with a V10 GTR race version that is expected to produce 600-hp plus.

This pushes the P11 launch date to later next year instead of this year.

Source: AutoCar