The year was 1996. Summer blockbuster season was upon the USA, and a Michael Bay film premiered with a massive amount of explosions, fireballs, quippy one-liners, and a section of the movie where a yellow Ferrari F355 Spider is driven in chase of a Hummer. That film was The Rock.
So imagine our surprise here at SuperCars when a 1999 example of that very car showed up in our morning email from BringATrailer! And even better, this 22-year-old Ferrari only has 15,000 miles on the clock and has been kept in running order through meticulous care and proper servicing.
The interior is a sight to behold, with nary a crease in the driver’s seat leather, and clean, dirt-free carpets. As well, as it was the first model that also introduced F1-style paddle shifters, this car comes with those shifters, kept in working order again through meticulous care and proper maintenance.
In the middle of one of the best of the “boxy” Ferrari models is one of the best engines that Ferrari has ever made, the 3.5-liter DOHC F129 B/C V8. 375 HP from the factory and able to rev to 8,500 RPM, it was known for producing one of the best exhaust howls outside of a Formula 1 car.
The reason the Ferrari F355 is so important is that it was the first model to come after the boxer flat-12 and boxer flat-8 models that had dominated the 1980s and early 1990s, most famously through the 512 Testarossa. A proper V8 engine, back in a Ferrari, howling away at 8,500 RPM… it was the engine and the sound that needed to come to America to reignite the passion of those who were considering a Ferrari but had better options from Lamborghini or Porsche. As a result, the F355 was one of the best-selling Ferrari models in the US, before the F430 overtook it 5 years later.
There is a 131 picture gallery at the car’s BringATrailer listing, with many underbody and specific mechanical parts pictures as well.
It seems we come across several Cobra’s owned or closely related to Carroll Shelby lately, only a while ago we published an article on the only surviving 1966 SHELBY COBRA 427 SUPER SNAKE, a few weeks before that we featured Carroll Shelby’s personal 427 Cobra that just sold for $5,940,000 at an auction in January 2021, and now we find yet another milestone car: a 1965 Daytona Coupe that was commissioned by Carroll Shelby himself on an original 1960s roadster chassis.
But chassis CSX 2469 comes with a story, it didn’t start life as a Daytona Coupe … let me explain this: back in 1964 a prototype for the Cobra related Daytona Coupe was built in the United States, more precisely at the Shelby American race shop in Venice, California, on chassis CSX 2287. The first race won by a Daytona Coupe was with this very car in the GT Class at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964, she would continue to rack up an impressive race history at Daytona, Sebring, Reims, Spa Francorchamps, Oulton Park TT, Le Mans, Tour de France, and on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
At the Bonneville Salt Flats, chassis CSX 2287 set 25 USAC/FIA world records in November 1965, after that the car was reconditioned and sold. CSX2287 was preserved and mechanically reconditioned, but not restored, to become part of the permanent collection at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA
Five more ‘original’ Daytona Coupe were built in Modena, Italy by Carrozzeria Gransport, after a phone call from Carroll Shelby to his friend Alejandro de Tomaso if he didn’t know someone in Italy to build these Coupes, as all engineers in the US were supporting the roadster race cars after completing the first prototype. Carrozzeria Gransport would use chassis CSX 2299, CSX 2300, CSX2601, and CSX 2602. Just to get your head around some of the values of these cars, chassis CSX 2300 sold for $4,400,000 at an RM Auction back in August 2000, yes over 20 years ago, while chassis CSX 2601 did even better in 2009 when she changed hands for $7,250,000.
The final Daytona Coupe was built on chassis CSX 2286 after it was kept at the Shelby American race shop to be used as a template for the other four chassis, CSX 2286 and CSX 2287 were built side by side in 1964, the latter one would get the Daytona Coupe body installed, and CSX 2286 was used to modify the other four chassis when they came from the UK before they would be sent to Italy to receive their coupe body, Shelby wanted six cars to compete, so he sent chassis CSX 2286 as the last one to Carrozzeria Gransport.
So what’s up with chassis CSX 2469 then? On the FIA official paperwork for this car, she is listed as a 1964 G.T.Coupe that has been restored in 1997, but the original V8 engine with a capacity of 4,727cc (289ci) received a longer stroke to end up being 4,868cc (297ci) now, and an electronic MSD ignition was fitted … the sound from this engine must be amazing as they fitted a factory spec Daytona exhaust system.
Chassis CSX 2469 has a very impressive racing history as a roadster, with drivers like Phil Hill, Derek Hill, Derek Bell, John Morton, and Brian Redman, this Cobra took the win at Laguna Seca and Goodwood before Carroll Shelby commissioned McCluskey to convert this car into a Daytona Coupe in the Nineties.
This one-off is now listed for sale by Worldwide Auctioneers, by the owner who bought her from Carroll Shelby himself, this is documented by paperwork from Carroll Shelby Enterprises, the car is also listed in the Shelby Registry off course, since there is no estimate listed online it is hard to tell how much this rare Daytona Coupe recreation is worth.
Just remember she is built on a real Cobra chassis, she is owned and has been driven by Carroll Shelby himself, it is not just another replica, so while she might not reach the value of one of the five original Daytona Coupe, I’m sure this one won’t change hands for a small amount of money, this car will be in the higher, seven-figures price range.
The new Italian supercar from Maserati has been unveiled a while ago, but there have been no deliveries yet, the MC20, which is short for Maserati Corse 2020, will only go on sale later this year, and we’ve all seen the bright white press car by now, it was featured in numerous online articles and countless YouTube videos, but when Maserati took one of their pre-production prototypes onto the famous Modena track in Italy, they still covered her in a black camouflage dress.
The Maserati MC20 was taken around Fiorano, the Ferrari test track in disguise, probably to finalize tuning on things like suspension, electronic driving aids, and possibly some engine fine-tuning. The MC20 will come with a twin-turbo, twin-combustion 3.0-Liter V6 engine with a power output of 621 hp and 729 Nm of torque, the soul of the engine is the innovative pre-chamber combustion system featuring twin-spark plugs. This technology is derived from Formula 1 and is now available, for the first time, on an engine destined for the road.
An 8-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission will propel the 1,500 kg (3,306 lbs) heavy Maserati MC20 from 0 to 100 km/h in only 2.9 seconds, this Italian beauty will run out of breath by the time she reaches her top speed of 323 km/h (201 mph), which brings her clearly into supercar territory.
And the price is in supercar regions too, the MSRP for the Maserati MC20 for the United States market has been set at $210,000, and it seems they aren’t finished with the MC20 lineup yet, rumor has it they are already preparing a Barchetta version as we speak, and their roadmap even lists a fully-electric MC20 shortly, the monocoque for the MC20 was specifically developed with these three variants in mind.
If you remember, the MC20 comes with five driving modes, selected using the selector on the central console: WET, GT, SPORT, and CORSA. Each one is identified by its own color: WET green; GT blue; SPORT red; CORSA yellow; ESC OFF orange.
Driving modes are selected by turning the selector for a few seconds. For example, the car starts in the default GT mode. It only takes a movement of half a second in the direction of the mode required to switch from GT to SPORT (on the right) or WET (on the left). Or the driver can press the selector for 2 seconds to choose CORSA mode. Pressing for 5 seconds switches to ESC Off mode. The longer time is to ensure that the driver has chosen this mode intentionally and not by mistake.
Most likely the Maserati engineers are working on setting the parameters for these driving modes to perfection during these final track runs, it is also very important to get everything just right as the button in the center of the driving mode selector enables the driver to adjust the suspension. It is useful in SPORT or CORSA modes when the suspensions are extremely stiff. Pressing the Suspension button makes the suspensions more comfortable and less stiff. This is particularly useful on uneven ground since it gives the driver a sporty yet comfortable driving experience.
MC20 is the first Maserati to be painted in the futuristic new Modena plant, the new line equipped with innovative, environment-friendly technologies. A new range of colors has been invented for MC20 and will remain exclusive to this model. The range comprises six shades: Bianco Audace, Giallo Genio, Rosso Vincente, Blu Infinito, Nero Enigma, and Grigio Mistero, my guess is that the test-mule recently seen at the Fiorano track was finished in Nero Enigma.
We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As…
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We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As…
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We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 2021 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 2021 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 2021 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As…
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The new Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo has just been introduced last week, but we all know there was a long path before this new model from Porsche was ready to face the world, development, simulation, prototyping, and usually several hundreds of thousands of test miles, usually in a camouflaged test mule.
But Porsche wanted to do things differently with the Taycan Cross Turismo, so they decided to hand over the keys of one of their priceless prototypes to selected journalists from various countries, this car would be taken to an intercontinental test drive over five countries during which the car would go into five different climate zones … the ultimate real-world test run.
The intention was to take this new Porsche model straight into its five most important markets, combining extreme heat and cold with various surfaces, the Taycan Cross Turismo is intended to be capable off-road too, so why not have journalists actually drive a pre-production prototype on the street, in the snow, and in the desert … because that’s what the final customer will be doing too … right?
First up was a stint in the deserts of the United States, after that the Porsche would be sent to Norway, during the winter while everything is frozen up there. The third country was the United Kingdom, where the Taycan Cross Turismo was taken onto mud and gravel that poses its own kind of challenges for a car like this. They even took the car into Amsterdam in the Netherlands, to test how this electric Porsche would handle narrow, old cobble-stone streets in real life.
And it wouldn’t be a Porsche if she didn’t perform well on the German Autobahn, where there are still stretches to be found that have no speed limit, they are getting rare in Germany too, but if you look for them, there are still really nice parts of the German highway system where you can really put your foot to the metal and go all-out … at your own risk naturally.
As the Cross Turismo is a development of the already proven Porsche Taycan sedan, the test went without any major issues, this was a late prototype, which made things a little less worrying for Mayk Wienkötter, Spokesperson Taycan & E-Mobility, they had so much confidence in their new car after it traveled five countries and apparently didn’t even get a carwash, it was this very prototype that was driven onto the stage for the live international launch event.
“To us, it made perfect sense because you always have these super shiny cars on stage at world premieres,” Wienkötter explains, “so to have a dirty and partially camouflaged car is much more eye-catching. It’s been on different continents, in different climate zones, and on different surfaces, and has collected different types of dirt and grime – all of which we wanted to preserve to tell the story of the car.”
The new Lamborghini Huracán STO has been traveling all over the world to entice people to order one … as if getting a street-legal Super Trofeo race car isn’t enough incentive, still Lamborghini marketing deemed it necessary to put the car in front of an audience anyway, and it seems to be working, as orders for this 640 hp V10 Raging Bull pile up … first deliveries are foreseen later this year.
The Super Trofeo Omologata is off course inspired by the Huracán EVO Super Trofeo developed by Lamborghini Squadra Corsa to run in their own race series, as well as the Huracán EVO GT3, the three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Automobili Lamborghini just launched ‘#Focu5on’, a monthly series that will bring us “The 5 things you do not know about…”, giving anecdotes and behind the scenes information about Lamborghinis so that both owners and enthusiasts of the ‘Raging Bull’ can learn more about, as Lamborghini states: “the more unusual and less-known enigmas of a company that is much more than just a car manufacturer of global excellence”.
The first issue of Lamborghini #Focu5on lists The 5 things you do not know about the Huracán STO:
The term Cofango derives from the fusion of two Italian words: cofano (hood) and parafango (fender), coined by Automobili Lamborghini to describe the design solution in which the hood, fenders, and front bumper are integrated into a single component. This innovative system created by Lamborghini engineers is inspired by the Lamborghini Miura and the more recent Sesto Elemento, and on the STO is made entirely of very light carbon fiber.
The key to opening the fastenings on the STO’s Cofango is unique: it was developed in-house by the R&D team and made using an innovative 3D printing technique.
There is not much that can be changed in three seconds, but the set-up of the Huracán STO is one. Three new driving modes – STO (normal driving), Trofeo (race mode), and Pioggia (raining or wet) – adapt the set-up of the car to match high-performance driving environments.
The Huracán STO allows the driver to experience a dynamic pit stop as if a team of mechanics was right there!
Lamborghini’s R&D team drove a distance equivalent to three times around the world in simulator tests before starting the Huracán STO’s road tests. State-of-the-art simulator technology allowed Lamborghini engineers to save time on quality control, lead times, and emissions by verifying that every part of the car fully complied with standards during different stages of the STO’s development, certifying, and testing.
“Do you want to build a Huracán STO 1:1?”. It will take a lot of patience because there are over 2,750 components needed to build the latest car from Sant’Agata.
The Huracán STO introduces an advanced connected telemetry system where the link between car-on-board cameras Connected Cloud Lamborghini and the App Lamborghini UNICA allows, thanks to an intuitive data analysis system and videos enriched with dedicated widgets, to transform the exclusive App dedicated to Lamborghini customers into a real track engineer. The development of this technology on the Lamborghini UNICA App required more than 25,000 lines of code.
In the past you could buy a chassis from one of the bigger names in the automotive world, and have a coachbuilder put a chassis on it, this service was available for the ultra-high-net-worth individuals back in the early 1900s when cars like Rolls Royce would come with one-off bodies for Royalty and rulers.
In those days you had names like Hooper, Park Ward, Vanden Plas, James Young, and Mulliner … which now makes sure you can order a bespoke Bentley Bentayga that suits your needs perfectly. H.J. Mulliner and Co. was a family business founded in 1897, they designed coachwork for C. S. Rolls’ personal two-seater Silver Ghost roadster, for instance, then after WWII Mulliner was one of only a handful of coachbuilders to return to traditional, bespoke coachwork, mostly using Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis as their starting point.
From the 50s on Mulliner started using more modern materials like steel and ‘stressed-skin’ instead of the earlier wood-frame constructions, it was in fact Rolls Royce that took over Mulliner in 1959, merging it with Park Ward that was bought by RR in 1939 already … in 1961 Mulliner-Park Ward was created, in 2021 Mulliner no longer works with Rolls Royce, but it has become the ‘Personal Commissioning’ department that creates truly bespoke models on the entire Bentley range, but not in terms of custom bodywork, but more in terms of special interiors for the more discerning customer.
Just recently the Mulliner Personal Commissioning Guide added the Bentley Bentayga to their list of models, which now spans the entire Bentley model range, you can select from 27 different shades of leather or Alcantara, over 100 painted veneer options, an extended Mulliner paint palette for the body and custom wheel options to create your ultimate personalized luxury SUV.
The Personal Commissioning Guide offers a unique mix of traditional and contemporary options that will appeal to Bentley’s diverse and extraordinary clients. Depending on the customer’s personal preference, each car can take on a new aesthetic while ensuring style and performance are never compromised.
Just take a look at our previous article on ‘The Bentley Mulliner visualiser‘ for more details on how they can create a one-off Bentley just for you, by using color-matched paint taken from a sample the customer brings with him, and that’s not only for the exterior, that same paint can be applied on the veneer on the interior so it complements one of the 27 different hides and stitching options Mulliner offers.
A combination of up to three different shades can be selected for the interior, and if you really want to go wild, go for a tweed insert on the doors or ask for a bespoke color hide and stitching for the ultimate expression of personality, add to that any color for the piping, carpet binding or cross-stitching … just keep in mind this won’t come cheap, it takes one of Bentley’s craftsmen up to 44 hours to hand-stitch that impressive cross pattern.
Not a fan of smooth leather? No problem at all, as Mulliner offers the same level of craftsmanship when combining Alcantara on the seats, headrest, and door panels with smooth leather, you can even opt to have the steering wheel and gear lever finished in Alcantara, it takes the Bentley Bentayga from a luxury SUV into the more sporty SUV class.
Furthermore, those ‘puddle lights’ we find everywhere these days, when you open the door there is a light to illuminate the floor next to your car, mostly a logo or a design … Mulliner will create one just for you, showing your name, or a crest for your brand on the floor when you enter or exit your Bentayga. Still not good enough? No problem, even the doorsills can show your name or logo … or whatever you prefer, all in good taste naturally.
With Bentley’s revered craftsmanship, the new Bentayga makes a clear statement and reintroduces Cross Banding Inlays as an option for the fascia and waistrail inserts. The Cross Banding uses an Australian straight grain veneer with a boxwood inlay available on a number of veneer options, enhanced with a Bentley Mulliner overlay in either a silver or gold color.
With innovative and state-of-the-art technologies, Bentley Mulliner has utilized stone formed over 200 million years ago to create lightweight veneers just 0.1mm in thickness. Stone veneers feature a visible natural ‘open pore’ texture, a customer can select one of four different colors for their stone inlay: Autumn White, Copper, Galaxy, or Terra Red.
The heart and soul of any Bugatti model is its engine and signature power delivery. At the core of the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron1 is an evolution of groundbreaking engineering: an 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 engine that can deliver a power output well over 1,000hp. Such finely a tuned, high-tech masterpiece of a powertrain is assured of the distinctive Bugatti character and performance, but only with regular care and attention for servicing and maintenance.
Bugatti ownership is now easier than ever, with the launch of the Passeport Tranquillité service program. Now Veyron and Chiron owners can choose complete peace of mind with the new service program which includes one service per year with an official Bugatti service partner. Additional planned elements will be the premium roadside recovery service and a Bugatti-branded car care kit featuring a wide range of cleaning and detailing materials.
The Passeport Tranquillité is designed to cover vehicle life after the end of the Bugatti-provided standard warranty period. Customers can be assured that they will continue to have access to the services that will keep their Veyron and Chiron models well maintained and in peak condition. This means that Bugatti drivers can continue to enjoy the certainty of maintenance and upkeep of their unique hyper sports car, happy knowing that a team of highly qualified and dedicated technicians know how to ensure their Bugatti’s optimum performance.
Tailored plans for Veyron and Chiron owners
The Passeport Tranquillité Veyron service program can be split over a two- or four-year plan to best suit the customer and their own unique requirements. Both options include one service per year performed by officially trained Bugatti technicians, covering the requirement for the Veyron to undergo a biennial service, estimated at around 14 hours, and a service taking around 32 hours to complete in alternating years.
What is more, the Veyron customers’ plan provides the choice of ‘Active’ or ‘Collector’ plans, with the program tailored to meet the needs of their driving habits. Bugatti recognizes that the highly designed, era-defining Veyron model might now form part of a collection, rather than being driven regularly. But even hyper sports cars that record a minimal distance every year require servicing, in order to deliver that incredible Bugatti performance whenever required. The ‘Collector’ option provides high-quality service and maintenance for Veyron models that do not exceed 200km a year, a plan tailored for reduced activity, while the ‘Active’ profile caters to frequent drivers. Both options ensure Bugatti drivers can turn the key and enjoy their prized Veyron at any time.
The Passeport Tranquillité Chiron program is set for four years, designed to reflect Chiron’s specific service intervals. The Chiron plan includes a service every year, taking into account the requirement for an annual ‘Low’ service, taking up to 14 hours of workshop time, then a ‘Major’ service every four years, completed in around 72 hours by highly skilled and officially trained Bugatti technicians.
Owners of multiple Bugatti models can tailor a Passeport Tranquillité package to meet their needs.
Exclusive Bugatti service plan extras
In the unlikely event of a Veyron or Chiron having a mechanical fault, an additional future planned feature is, the customer is able to arrange for their Bugatti to be transported to an authorized Bugatti Service Partner in just one call. This service is planned to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the world. The premium recovery service will be exclusive to Bugatti owners and will provide onward personal travel for the customer while organizing for their Veyron or Chiron to be taken care of by a service partner.
Customers are not fixed to a specific Bugatti Service Partner for the life of the Passeport Tranquillité plan. The new service plan has launched at all official Bugatti Service Partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with a planned roll-out to cover North America in the summer of 2021.
Trevor Hodgson-Phillips, Global Aftersales Business Manager at Bugatti Automobiles, said: “This exclusive new program provides our customers with a complete sense of ‘peace of mind’ when it comes to the care and maintenance of their prized Bugatti Veyron or Chiron. We are designing this plan with our customers at the forefront. We are tailoring the program with the flexibility of plans and additional valued components, such as roadside recovery, providing the customer with the certainty of service and maintenance and in doing so providing the utmost peace of mind and tranquillité.”
The Passeport Tranquillité is assigned to the Bugatti vehicle, rather than the customer, so the plan will pass onto the new driver if ever the hyper sports car is sold. This can potentially add to the value of the model while also giving the buying customer extra peace of mind that official Bugatti technicians have maintained their Veyron or Chiron. All Bugatti models joining the Passeport Tranquillité plan must first pass a thorough 85-point inspection by a Bugatti service partner.
Although the previous Veyron Loyalty Maintenance Program is no longer available for purchase, existing contracts will remain valid until the original service contract period expires or all applicable services are utilized.
5 Mar 2021
McLaren Automotive scientist and engineer Ella Podmore has been crowned the Young Woman Engineer of the Year by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
The prestigious IET industry award celebrates women working in modern engineering to challenge negative perceptions and encourage greater diversity in the profession.
Involved in all material investigations, from first-drawings through to the final product, Ella has worked on the McLaren 765LT, the Elva roadster and the recently revealed McLaren Artura, the first series-production, high-performance hybrid from the luxury, high-performance supercar company.
Ella joined McLaren Automotive as an intern engineer in 2016, having completed a degree in materials engineering at the University of Manchester before securing a full-time role two years later.
Since then she has progressed rapidly, creating her department from the ground-up and balancing her time between experiments and leading technical meetings.
As one of over 100 McLaren STEM ambassadors, Ella is passionate about encouraging more young people of all ages to take up science, technology and maths careers.
“I am absolutely honoured to have been chosen by the IET and the judges to be this year’s winner. Those who know and work with me recognise how passionate I am about my science and, being able to talk about that and the amazing supercars I get to work on at McLaren, I want to encourage the next generation of engineers and scientists to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Ella Podmore, Materials Scientist, McLaren Automotive
As well as talking to young people around the world about her role, last year Ella was one of McLaren’s expert judges on the BBC Blue Peter ‘Supercar of the Future’ children’s design competition. Since then, Ella has participated in the global reveal of the Artura and featured in a film to mark the launch of the LEGO Technic McLaren Senna GTR model, the real version of which she worked on.
The IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year judges praised Ella for her passion and dynamism, noting that she represents the very best of the engineering profession and has the charisma and personality to inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
As well as highlighting female engineering talent, the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards identifies role models who can help address the UK science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more women.
“Huge congratulations to Ella from myself and everyone at McLaren. Ella’s passion for her work clearly shone through to the IET and the judges and it makes her such an inspiring ambassador for others who want to follow in her footsteps.
“For a company like ours, diversity is vital to maintain and boost the innovation culture which helps us to challenge ourselves and come up with new solutions and technologies to enable and deliver the exciting products that our customers want.”
Mandeep Dhatt, Executive Director of HR, McLaren Automotive
______________
Ends
Notes to editors:
A selection of high resolution images accompanying this release is available to download from the McLaren Automotive media site – cars.mclaren.press
About McLaren Automotive:
McLaren Automotive is a creator of luxury, high-performance supercars.
Every vehicle is hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, England.
Launched in 2010, the company is now the largest part of the McLaren Group.
The company’s product portfolio of GT, supercar, Motorsport and Ultimate models are retailed through over 85 retailers in 40 markets around the world.
McLaren is a pioneer that continuously pushes the boundaries. In 1981, it introduced lightweight and strong carbon fibre chassis into Formula 1 with the McLaren MP4/1.
Then in 1993 it designed and built the McLaren F1 road car – the company has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis since. As part of the Ultimate Series, McLaren was the first to deliver a hybrid hypercar, the McLaren P1™. In 2016, it announced a new hybrid hyper-GT would be engineering, confirming this next Ultimate Series car as the Speedtail in 2018.
2019 saw McLaren launch the 600LT Spider, the new GT and the track-only McLaren Senna GTR. It also unveiled the 620R and McLaren Elva before launching the 765LT the following year.
Most recently, the company unveiled its all-new high-performance hybrid supercar, the McLaren Artura.
The Artura is the first McLaren to benefit from the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). The MCLA is designed, developed and manufactured at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in the Sheffield region of England using world-first processes and will spearhead the brand’s electrified future.
McLaren Automotive also chooses to partner with like-minded, world-leading companies and organisations who push the boundaries in their respective fields. These include AkzoNobel, Ashurst, Dell Technologies, Gulf, Pirelli, Richard Mille and Tumi.
McLaren Group:
The McLaren Group is a global leader in luxury automotive and technology and comprises three businesses: Automotive, Racing and Applied.
Further information:
Piers Scott
Global Director of PR & Marketing | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone:+44 (0) 1483 241380
Mobile: +44 (0) 7387548837
Email: piers.scott@mclaren.com
Daniel Golding
Global Head of Corporate Communications | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone:+44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7717 450469
Email: daniel.golding@mclaren.com
Paul Chadderton
Global Head of PR | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone:+44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7990 776749
Email: paul.chadderton@mclaren.com
Hunter Skipworth
Global Digital PR Manager | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7990 564 052
E-mail: hunter.skipworth@mclaren.com
Charlotte Jatana
Social Media Executive | McLaren Automotive Limited
Mobile: +44 (0) 7468 715 904
E-mail: charlotte.jatana@mclaren.com
Kevin Ritson
Press Officer | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7979 546018
E-mail: kevin.ritson@mclaren.com
Chloe-Elise Bradford
PR Executive | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 363479
E-mail: chloe-elise.bradford@mclaren.com
Roger Ormisher
Vice President, Communications & PR | McLaren Automotive, The Americas
Phone: +1 714 501 8137
Email: roger.ormisher@mclaren.com
Laura Conrad
Public Relations Manager | McLaren Automotive, The Americas
Phone: +1(765)517-2186
Email: laura.conrad@mclaren.com
Lauren Dowdy
Press Officer– North America | McLaren Automotive, The Americas
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 241453
Mobile: +44 (0) 7818 537845
Email: lauren.dowdy@mclaren.com
Amel Boubaaya
Head of PR – Europe, Middle East and Africa | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 531357
E-mail: amel.boubaaya@mclaren.com
Valentina Pichler
European Press Officer | McLaren Automotive Limited
Mobile: +44 (0) 7717 527991
Email: valentina.pichler@mclaren.com
Adam Gron
Regional PR & Marketing Manager – Middle East and Africa | McLaren Automotive Limited
Mobile: +973 (0) 66 398339
Email: adam.gron@mclaren.com
Sunny Zhang
PR Communications Director – China | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +86 (0) 21 2074 0520
Mobile: +86 186 1617 9933
Email: sunny.zhang@mclaren.com
Gracia Yap
PR Manager – Asia Pacific | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +65 6338 3700
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Email: gracia.yap@mclaren.com
Mihoko Negishi
PR Manager – Japan | McLaren Automotive Asia Pte Ltd
Mobile +81 (3) 6675 4313
Email: mihoko.negishi@mclaren.com
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Porsche is doing its part to save the wagon from becoming extinct by unveiling a long-roof version of the Taycan electric sedan. In a couple of days, the Mission E Cross Turismo concept will officially celebrate three years since its reveal. But the team from Zuffenhausen did not wait for its anniversary to unveil its production counterpart.
The 2022 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is a true ‘all-around’ vehicle that traverses over any terrain it lands on. It has been multi-continent tested to the fullest on snow, desert sand, paved highways, cobblestone streets, muddy trails, and gravel roads. At the Taycan Cross Turismo unveiling, it came to the stage covered in dirt and elements collected from its extensive testing.
The 2022 Taycan Cross Turismo will come standard with a Performance Battery Plus which has a capacity of 93kWh. The base model comes with 375hp or 469hp when launch control is on. It will also come with 456km of range on a single charge, capable of charging up to 270kW, which can add 100km of range in just 5 minutes of charging.
The 4S variant will come with 490hp (571hp activated with launch control), and a claimed 0-60 time of 4.1-seconds while speed tops out at 149mph (240km/h).
The Turbo variant will come with 625hp (680hp activated with launch control), and a claimed 0-60 time of 3.3-seconds while speed tops out at 155mph (250km/h).
The flagship Turbo S model will come with a staggering 750hp (560kW) when launch control is activated and maintains a zero to 60 time of 2.9-seconds with a top speed of 155mph (250km/h)
All Taycan Cross Turismo models will come standard with active air-suspension, supplementing 20mm of extra ground clearance when compared to the standard Porsche Taycan. An optional offroad package will see that clearance raise to 30mm.
The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is that of practical nature and for those that want the option to live life to the fullest. It comes with loads of cargo space (15.7cu-ft in the 4 and 4S variants) and plenty of headroom thanks to the Porsche’s body transformation.
The Taycan Cross Turismo will be available from dealers this summer and we can not wait.
How could we forget to mention Porsche’s two slick new carbon fiber e-Bikes they shared in the Livestream?
These electric-assisted bicycles come packed with the best parts you can get on a bicycle. The ‘Sport’ version will come with a Shimano EP8 motor, Shimano electric shifting, a carbon frame, a color display and will weigh in at just 48 pounds.
The ‘Cross’ variant will come with a Shimano XT mechanical drivetrain, Magura forks, Crank Bros dropper post, and a Fox Racing rear shock all fixed to its carbon fiber frame. These two bikes will be available for purchase this spring.
I’m sure you’ve read our article on the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s Niki Lauda supercar posted recently, with that trademark center seating position, and I’m also confident you know where we’ve all seen that before, right? In the original McLaren F1 road car from the Nineties … with only 64 built for the streets, getting your hands on one of the latter isn’t easy, and chances are rare and far between … but Issimi has one listed for sale right now.
Personally, I would prefer a silver metallic finished McLaren F1, just like the factory demonstrators, but with only very few changing hands at any given time, you can’t be picky when it comes to finding one of these for sale, so the red over black finished 1995 McLaren F1 listed by Issimi on their website.
When Gordon Murray created the McLaren F1, his intention was to create the ultimate driver’s car and with the 6.1-Liter V12 engine underneath the gold-insulated engine cover, I would say he succeeded in doing just that, this red sample is one of only 7 cars that were originally sold in the United States of America, and it has been maintained by an expert and currently is still in perfect condition despite being over 25 years old.
The McLaren F1 set the world record for the fastest production car in 1998 with a speed of 240.1 mph, verified by the Guinness World Records, and with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.7 seconds, this 25-year-old lady is still considered very fast today.
Powering the McLaren is a quad-cam, 48-valve, 6.1-litre BMW V12 engine with variable valve timing. It produces a staggering 627 bhp. The F1’s engine uses competition-inspired dry-sump lubrication. More complex than a conventional wet sump, it shaved vital inches from the oil pan, allowing the engine to be mounted lower.
Everywhere you look at the McLaren, attempts have been made to reduce weight. Like the front and rear wishbones which are machined from solid aluminum alloy; or the wheels, constructed out of magnesium alloy.
To show off McLaren’s dedication and Formula heritage, Murray used a central driver’s seat and provided an option for two seats on either side. Like a race car, this provided the best possible view and was a good example of how uncompromising the F1 was. Additionally, the McLaren wasn’t equipped with any driving aids which meant it lacked traction control, ABS, power brakes, and power steering.
Make sure to check our extensive McLaren F1 – Ultimate guide published earlier to get an in-depth look into this amazing car, and if you are really adamant about adding this rare car to your collection, you might want to get in touch with someone at Issimi, just get ready to open that checkbook as this car will not come cheap.
Just to prepare you for the shock, Bonhams sold chassis SA9AB5AC5S1048044 at auction in 2017 for US$ 15,620,000, which is astonishing as the MSRP back in the Nineties was about $815,000, and it gets even better, in 2019 RM Sotheby’s sold chassis SA9AB5AC1R1048018, which was a little special for being one of only two cars that were converted into LM-Specs by the factory … the hammer came down at $19,805,000 including fees.
Renowned Hagerty lists the value of a ‘normal’ McLaren F1 around the $22,000,000 mark today, with special ones valued even higher … I would be really interested to learn just how much hard-earned money would need to be exchanged to park this red one on your driveway.
Spofec revealed their latest Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan now wearing a widebody, 24 inch forged wheels and increased the power.
Dubbed the Spofec Overdose program, fender flares increase the width of the car by 10cm at the front and 12cm at the rear resulting in an overall width of 2.12m. Special rocker panels bind the fender flares at both axles. A Spofec exhaust system is also available with an optional actively controlled exhaust flaps which enable the engine sound to either be discreet or sporty.
The Rolls Royce Black Badge Cullinan is powered by a 6.7 liter V12 engine with two dynamic turbochargers. The output is increased from 600hp to 707hp at a low 5,400 rpm while the torque jumps to 1,060Nm at a low 1,800 rpm. The acceleration from 0-100km\h is achieved in 4.6 seconds while the top speed is electronically limited to 250km\h.
The Cullinan BB featured here is fitted with wide sports 10inch Spofec SP2 wheels in black specially designed for the Overdose transformation and High-performance street tires measuring 295\30 R 24 front and rear as optimal solution.
A special control module for the air suspension lowers the height by around 40mm while the front spoiler reduces the front axle lift at high speeds.
Remember our Ford GT Heritage article from last week, where we mentioned the 2006 edition to be a celebration livery of the classic Ford GT40 that managed to win the grueling 24 of Le Mans race not once, but four times in a row between 1966 and 1969 … unfortunately that would mark the last time a car made in the USA won the French endurance race.
But all that might be changing for the 2021 edition of the 24h of Le Mans, Glickenhaus Racing already has a car on the test track, called the SCG 007 LMH, and they intend to enter two of these new generation hypercars into the most famous endurance race in Europe … and things get even better, Glickenhaus also has at least one customer put in an order for an SCG 007 LMH too, so we might be seeing three or more of these cars battle it out on the Circuit de la Sarthe in June this year.
The SCG 007 LMH is powered by a 3.5-Liter, twin-turbo V8 engine, and what is really amazing is the fact they only started this new engine for the first time in early February, and only a few weeks later it’s fitted onto the first SCG 007 chassis, and driven on the famous Vallelunga track in Italy for initial testing and fine-tuning.
Both Romain Dumas and Franck Mailleux took stints on the Vallelunga track to prepare the new SCG 007 LMH to be entered into the 2021 FIA Endurance Championship, but it seems they will have to pass on the first race of the season on April 4: the 8 Hours of Portimao in Portugal. According to Dailysportscar, Glickenhaus will probably not be able to get the SCG 007 LMH homologated in time for Portugal as they can’t get the required 30-hour test-run done before April 4, and this is a final requirement for homologation to compete, and the worst part in this is … it isn’t even due to the cars not being ready, but due to the current regulation because of COVID-19, it is impossible to get the required parties together in time.
But Jim Glickenhaus made it abundantly clear when he stated: “there will be two SCG 007 LMH cars at the start of the 24h of Le Mans on June 12, no question about that”
The first chassis that performed the initial shake-down testing in Vallelunga after Podium Advanced Technologies developed and assembled the car at its facility in Italy will undergo further high-speed testing on the Monza track over the next days, and the second SCG 007 LMH is already being built at this time, Glickenhaus intends to have their second car ready for testing at Vallelunga by mid-March.
If all goes well we’ll be seeing at least two cars entered by Glickenhaus Racing, and possibly a third one from a private party, into the 2021 edition of the 24h of Le Mans, where these SCG 007 LMH will compete against the new hybrid LMH from Toyota, the V8 powered A480 from Alpine … it won’t be until 2023 before Ferrari joins the LMH ranks with their entry.
And the best is yet to come … as part of the homologation process, Glickenhaus will have to build a street-going version of this SCG 007 too, and rumor has it, the SCG 007 Stradale, with a similar powertrain to the racecar, will be available soon too, listed at a $2,100,000 base price … I for one can’t wait to see one of those drive up at a local Cars and Coffee event.
Ferrari has been spotted using a LaFerrari as a test mule for their latest road car to hide its new internal hardware.
The test vehicle is assumed to be next-in-line to the LaFerrari. The successor would likely be the road-going version of the World Endurance Championship’s Le Mans hypercar that Ferrari will use in 2023. In February, Ferrari gave confirmation of its intentions to participate in the WEC’s premier class in 2023. The rules will require the race team to have a similar road car version of the car participating in the race.
The LaFerrari hit the streets in limited numbers in 2013, which makes the timing (once every decade) fit Ferrari’s M.O for the release of a new limited-edition flagship model. This was also the case for cars like the Ferrari F40, F50, Enzo, and most recently, the LaFerarri.
The test mule clearly shows some differences from the LaFerrari. Covers have been removed from the front and rear to promote more airflow. Even with the distracting wrap on the car, you can see the differences in the hood, roof, rear deck, and side intakes. The exhaust on the test mule is also different from the LaFerrari’s as it sits higher on the rear of the test mule.
There has been very little said from Ferrari regarding a successor to the LaFerrari. At this point, there is no mention of the engine that will be powering the car. All we know is that the test mule is electrified in some fashion by the blue stickers on the car. Which gives hope that there may still be a Ferrari V-12 under the hood.
According to Motoauthority, former Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne said it would be “nuts” to add turbochargers to a V-12 in a statement given in 2017, which rules out any chances of running forced induction on the car. The case for the LaFerrari consisted of a hybrid solution deriving from Formula 1, this could also be the case for a successor.
Ferrari may be stepping away from attaining gigantic horsepower and instead focus more on the other aspects necessary to use such power. This includes fine-tuning the aerodynamics, weight, stability, and handling of the car. This route was hinted at by Ferrari Chief Marketing Officer Enrico Galliera in 2019. A route that was also taken by Aston Martin when developing the Valkyrie hypercar.
No matter what Ferrari chooses to do with the LaFerrari successor – it will be nothing short of spectacular. Let’s hope they can come up with a more creative name this time around.
A final reveal of this assumed hypercar should take place in 2022, prior to racing in the 2023 LeMans.
This modded 1973 Ford Bronco might just convert us over to lime green paint. Up for sale from the fine car-lovin’ folks at Bring a Trailer, this Bronco is clad in arresting Limestone Green Metallic…
The post 1973 Ford Bronco first appeared on Cool Material.
Wisconsin-based custom car builder Ringbrothers might have just pulled off the best restomod we’ve seen this year, and it’s largely because it’s not a vintage Mustang, Challenger, or a Camaro. The 1968 Mercury Cougar is…
The post Ringbrothers Coyogar 1968 Mercury Cougar first appeared on Cool Material.
I don’t know about you, but I rather like the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, I’ve seen both season 1 and season 2 and now I’m eagerly awaiting to start viewing season 3 when they release it on March 19 … and while I don’t normally watch the races when they happen, I do enjoy watching these behind the scenes series on Netflix.
So I might not be an avid F1 fan, but I’m a car guy, so I keep up with what’s happening anyway. Earlier this week I saw Mercedes releasing their new car for the 2021 season, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance, the first car to use the ‘E PERFORMANCE’ designation. The new car will be driven by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, entering their fifth season as team-mates, a second year for the black base livery on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team car it seems.
But today there is other breaking news, if you’ve followed the previous seasons of Formula One, you will have seen those bright yellow cars from the Renault F1 team … well, those are gone for 2021, it’s now called the Alpine F1 team, and their A521 race car comes in a blue, white, and red livery, which are both the official Alpine colors, but also the colors on the French national flag.
The A521 will use a Renault E-TECH 20B 1.6-Liter V6 engine, the car is an evolution of the R.S.20 that ran the 2020 F1 championship in the yellow Renault livery but with serious modification to the rear in line with the new aerodynamic regulations from the FIA, the new Alpine F1 will be driven by Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso.
The first-ever Alpine F1 Team car will make its on-track debut on March 3, 2021, with Esteban Ocon at a filming day at Silverstone Circuit, two weeks ahead of official pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
We have already mentioned this amazing-looking Bugatti Divo in our article ‘The Million dollar option‘, but just now Bugatti published a press release on this rather unique, bespoke build, keeping in mind only 40 Divo will be built, the last ones being delivered at this moment we’ve heard, and with a base MSRP of €5,000,000, these cars were ordered by some rather discerning customers, and that came with challenges never seen before, especially on this ‘Lady Bug’.
When the Bugatti Divo was introduced in August 2018, one customer located in the USA came up with a great idea: ‘a geometric-dynamic algorithmic fading pattern on the bodywork’. So he got in touch with Bugatti design to first decide on which shades to use … they created two special colors for this customer, ‘Customer Special Red’ (I guess they ran out of names) and ‘Graphite’, both metallic paints. But now came the hard part, designing a diamond pattern to run from the front over the sides of the Bugatti Divo.
The customer wanted to emphasize the silhouette of the Bugatti Divo with this gradient pattern, but it took the Bugatti design team over 18 months to develop and later achieve the correct look and feel on a real Divo. It’s easy to create a diamond pattern on a computer in CAD, but the problem comes when you apply that pattern onto a 3D, very round Divo body. The ‘diamonds’ get distorted, and it starts to look strange, although perfectly geometrically correct on the computer, even the slightest offset putting it onto the car ruined the look.
In the end, it would take approximately 1,600 diamond shapes, almost no two alike, to create exactly what the customer had in mind, and every single one of these had to be put in their perfect spot along the roofline, on the doors and rear fender edge in order to make sure it all looked right and created that perfect fade on the side of this unique Bugatti Divo.
At one point Jörg Grumer, Head of Color & Trim at Bugatti Design almost wanted to say: “We cannot meet the customer’s request’, however, it is our profound conviction that we should never give up and that our foremost motivation should always be to make the impossible possible for the customer.”
At Bugatti design they actually used 6-meter long film and did several trial fittings on one of their in-house test cars, only after several weeks, they managed to get it right and applied the bespoke diamond pattern onto the customer’s Bugatti Divo without any distortion or folds. After that, it took the Bugatti employees several more days to make sure every single diamond was positioned accurately, some of them were manually trimmed, some were even replaced at this stage.
After everybody was happy with the film on the car, it was time to paint … which involves not only applying the Graphite over the Customer Special Red but also meticulously removing every single diamond film, all 1,600 of them, without damaging the paint. After that, the paint gets sanded, smoothed, checked, retouched where necessary only to be re-sanded again. After applying the clearcoat another session of wet sanding and buffing goes on to create that deep, wet-look finish and gloss … it took months of hand craftsmanship to create this car.
