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McLaren the new Ferrari?.. Also some info on the McLaren P11
[B]McLaren the new Ferrari[/B]
[QUOTE]We all know that Ferrari is the biggest name in luxury supercar manufacturing, everyone has heard of them, everyone has yearned for one of those little red cars when they were 10 years old.
I certainly have.
Well, Mclaren has decided they want to be the new name in luxury supercar manufacturing. This isn't a new concept to McLaren, they of course created the fantastic McLaren F1 car which is not to be confused with the one Lewis and Heikki drive.
Ferrari, on the other hand are old dogs when it comes to sports cars. With well over 300 different models of Ferrari conceived at the Maranello factory, McLaren have some work to do if they want to be the best in F1 and the real world.
The Mclaren F1 isn't the only car to be made by the McLaren boys. Mercedes have been working with them for many years, and the results have been outstanding. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, praised by Jeremy Clarkson as the supercar for everyday driving was a huge hit.
So what's next for the McLaren Group? Well, the P11. It is set to replace the £1,000,000 Mclaren F1, with a slightly cooler price tag of just £200,000. Expected to play with the big boys, such as the Ferrari Scuderia and Lamborghini Gallardo SupperLeggera, the P11 (which will be renamed at a later date) is set to launch McLaren into the world of supercar manufacturers, with two other models planned, McLaren could now be the car you want when your just 10, which has probably now passed for everyone on this site.
Well, I feel if Mclaren start to produce supercars successfully, this could become their main priority instead of the current priority, which is Formula One. With around 500 cars expected to be produced each year by the group, and with further models expected, this could rise to 2000, either a major expansion of the factory and staff is needed, or the F1 side of Mclaren will be toned down or even reduced in order to accommodate such a change.
Ferrari, who produces around 7,000 cars a year, handle a racing team and production team extremely efficiently, and this doesn't seem to effect the performance of either units. The supercar unit is doing very well with the new California, and the F1 side is doing very well, with the 2008 WCC bagged last week.
So will McLaren be able to pull off the same feat as Ferrari and manage two highly time-consuming activities, whilst not effecting the competitiveness of the MP-24, 25, 26, etc?
I can hear someone saying, well BMW, Honda, Toyota and Renault do it. But aside from BMW, are these teams competitive? Not really, although Renault is looking good for 2009.[/QUOTE]
Taken from [url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/79080-mclaren-the-new-ferrari-will-it-work]Mclaren the New Ferrari? Will It Work? | Bleacher Report[/url]
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[B]McLaren P11 info[/B]
[QUOTE]McLaren's new supercar might be a smaller and less expensive package than the early 90s F1 but its design was inspired by the original.Due to go on sale in 2010, the McLaren will come with a price tag in Europe of around ¬300,000, or upwards of $600,000.
The picture of the prototype here shows the high tail. Other spy shots show further F1 design cues like the side window shape, the short overhangs, the bold headlights and large bumper air intakes. But overall, the P11 has enough visual strength to mark a totally new direction for the company.
McLaren will be keen to draw parallels between the P11 and its F1 track models so it will sit on a strong yet light carbon-fibre chassis. The body will also be made from advanced composites - Kevlar and carbon fibre - and as a result [B]the P11 will weigh about 1150kg.[/B]
[B]A mid-mounted 6.2-litre V8 sourced from F1 engine supplier Mercedes-Benz [/B]will drive the rear wheels via a seven-speed semi-automatic transmission, complete with steering wheel paddleshifters.
[B]The AMG-tuned powerplant will produce at least 375kW (500bhp) with the aid of a turbocharger.[/B] And thanks to the car's low kerb weight, it is expected to [B]accelerate from zero to 100km/h in around 3.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 320km/h.[/B]
Carbon brakes will make sure it stops as well as it goes.
As was the case with the F1, McLaren will give customers the chance to personalise their car, so a long specification list is likely. There is set to be a whole host of interior trim options and paint colours.
And while production of the road-going F1 ended after only 64 examples, volumes for the newcomer are set to extend into four figures. The cabin itself will be modern with a unique feel and appearance. The dashboard and steering wheel draw inspiration from the firm's racers.[/QUOTE]
Taken from [url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10540913]Super secret McLaren - 05 Nov 2008 - NZ Herald: Motorsport, Car reviews, Automotive news and comment[/url]
