Test Run Shows the McLaren MP4-12C Lapping the 'Ring in 7:28, Faster than the Ferrari 458 Italia

Carmakers don't use the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit only for testing prototypes, as you've seen many times in our scoop section, but also to time their cars and claim some bragging rights against their rivals.

This is one of those stories with the protagonist being the new McLaren MP4-12C sportscar that made its debut run on the Nordschleife with Horst von Saurma, Editor-in-Chief of German magazine Sport Auto, sitting behind the wheel.

Read more »

Students get a Rare Tour of the McLaren Factory as Part of UK Government Initiative

A group of local students and teachers received the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art McLaren Technology Center at Woking and take a glimpse at its MP4-12C manufacturing operations.

The McLaren Automotive factory tour is a part of the British government's “See Inside Manufacturing” campaign and was organized in cooperation with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

Read more »

Rumors: McLaren Planning to Launch Iconic F1 Successor as Early as 2012

Since the launch of the MP4-12C, McLaren has made it pretty much clear that it plans to establish itself as a serious sports carmaker and gain a full range of models that will cover the entire supercar spectrum.

Now it seems that the British car manufacturer is moving up its schedule, as according to a report from British magazine Autocar, it will launch a successor to the iconic F1 of the 1990s in 2012 – that’s one year earlier than expected. Perhaps the reason is to coincide with the original F1's 20-year anniversary.

Read more »

Formula 1: Korean Grand Prix Race Results

With the drivers’ title already decided, the only question before the red lights went off to signal the start of the Korean Grand Prix was whether Red Bull would manage to snag the constructors’ championship as well or if McLaren, the only team with a shot at the title, could keep its (admittedly slim) chances alive for yet another race. Read more »

Formula 1: Korean Grand Prix Qualifying Results

Well, it was bound to happen at some point: Sebastian Vettel lost the pole position to another driver at the Korean Grand Prix qualifier. For the first time after five races, Vettel won’t be starting Sunday’s F1 GP from the first place on the grid. Read more »

Ferrari Boss Dismisses McLaren’s Carbonfiber Chassis, Says Maranello will focus on Hybrid Tech

In an interview with CAR magazine, Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari’s CEO who is pictured above with F1 driver Felipe Massa, talked about many things – from rivals to the press, and of course, Maranello’s future plans.

When asked about recent tests conducted between Ferrari’s own 458 Italia and its new rival, the McLaren MP4-12C, Felisa said that he was more than pleased, since the 458 came out on top.

Read more »

Vettel Wins Back-to-Back Formula 1 Titles, Lauda says “He Can Surpass Schumacher”

If you have two Formula 1 world championships under your belt by the age of 24, then you surely must be special. Sebastian Vettel, who last year became the youngest world champion ever in the history of the sport, didn’t have anything to prove .

Nor did anyone doubt after the first races of the season, that the 2011 driver’s title would be his. Mathematically, at least, only McLaren's Jenson Button had a –very long- shot at stealing the title after Singapore. At last Sunday’s race in Suzuka, he did his best: Button crossed the finish line first.

Read more »

McLaren Delays MP4-12C Deliveries to Fix Software Glitch

McLaren keeps opening one showroom after another around the world, yet there are stories circulating the web that the Woking-based carmaker has stopped production of the MP4-12C supercar due to safety concerns.

Tony Joseph, director of McLaren North America, admitted that there are some delays, but they have nothing to do with safety: “There are no safety concerns for the delay. We’ve had some quality-related issues in a few cars we wanted to address before we continue to deliver customer cars”, he told Autoweek magazine.

Read more »

New McLaren MP4-12C Bites the Dust Near the Company's UK Headquarters

While not the first-ever crash involving the McLaren MP4-12C, this incident piqued our interest as it looks like the car in question may have been a brand-new example getting ready for delivery given the blue tape and white plastic covers on the seats, as well as the fact that the accident took place near the brand's headquarters in Woking, UK.

The picture was posted on the UK ClioSport forums by a member that claims the McLaren MP4-12C crashed into one of his friend's car before coming to a halt in front of a fence on the side of the road.

Read more »

Formula 1: Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying Round-Up

What a surprise…another Saturday, another Red Bull at the first spot of the starting grid, with a second Red Bull racer at its side: a site everyone has gotten used to this year.

What must have frightened poleman Sebastian Vettel rivals for tomorrow's race is his admission that he held back and did not perform at 100%: “On the last run, I tried a bit too much going into the really tricky chicane around Turn 10," said Vettel, adding that, "I decided to abort the lap, as it can be so easy to damage the car.”

Read more »

McLaren Opens New Showroom in Singapore

Ron Dennis is a man with a plan. When possible, McLaren’s mastermind has arranged the grand openings of new dealerships to coincide with the local Formula 1 Grand Prix events.

He did it in Germany, then in Italy, and now it’s Singapore’s turn – both for McLaren Automotive and the F1 race. The new showroom belongs to McLaren Automotive Asia Pte Ltd, which is based in Singapore and will manage the Asia Pacific dealer network.

Read more »

F1 Results: 2011 Italian Grand Prix in Monza

The Italian GP that took place on Sunday at the Monza racetrack was nothing if not exciting. From the moment the red lights went off and the cars started accelerating, it was all drama. Although Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was on the fourth place of the grid, he was able to beat both McLarens as well as pole man Sebastian Vettel and take the lead in turn one. Read more »

Formula 1: Italian GP Qualifying Results

McLaren may have tried to secure some publicity by opening its only Italian showroom in Milan just before the local GP, but on the track, it was Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel who captured the spotlight with his 10th pole position of the year in Monza. Read more »

Then we take Milan: McLaren Opens First Dealership in Ferrari's Home Turf

McLaren’s expansion strategy is running like clockwork. After the flagship showroom in London’s Hyde Park, the British company opened two more retail shops in Germany, in Dusseldorf and Hamburg just before the local Formula 1 Grand Prix. Now, McLaren has landed in Italy. Read more »

McLaren Announces New Special Operations Customizing Division [with Video]

If you are one of the few lucky people in this world to be able afford an MP4-12C, but you want the supercar to differ from the one parked in the garage of your obviously wealthy neighbor, the new Special Operations division of McLaren Automotive has a solution.

The new division, which was announced at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show, aims to create bespoke versions in order to satisfy customer needs for differentiation.

Read more »

Jay Leno Buys a McLaren MP4-12C, Shares the Experience on Camera

If the fact that Jay Leno was recently invited to drive the all-electric and open top versions of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as well as the 2012 VW Beetle hasn’t already made you green with envy, maybe this will: not taking into consideration the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren he owns, the host of The Tonight Show has just acquired his second McLaren model after the F1.

Leno’s latest toy is the British firm’s newest creation, the MP412-C - you know, the car that beat the Bugatti Veyron and the Ferrari 458 Italia in the hands of The Stig in Top Gear’s famous Power Lap.

Read more »

Top Gear: McLaren MP4-12C Records Second Fastest Power Lap Time, Trumps Ferrari 458 [with Video]

We have already seen Fifth Gear’s Tiff Needell and Jason Plato pit the new McLaren MP4-12C against the Ferrari 458. Now, it’s time for BBC’s Top Gear TV hosts and in particular, Jeremy Clarkson and the Stig to get behind the wheel of McLaren’s finest and try it on the show's test track.

At Top Gear's famous power lap, the MP4 12C recorded an amazing time of just 1:16.2 minutes, which puts it in second place right behind the insane Ariel Atom V8 (1:15.1) and in front of some of the world’s fastest supercars such as the Bugatti Veyron S (1:16.8”), the Gumpert Apollo (1:17.1”) and most importantly, Ferrari’s rivaling 458 Italia (1:19.1”).

Read more »

Video: F1 Racing Cars Launching at Goodwood Festival

OK, so a highly-tuned Toyota Celica with the innards of a Corolla WRC (and then some) may have posted the fastest time at the Goodwood hill climb. And yes, it beat a handful of Formula 1 cars to achieve this win.

But we’re pretty sure that the sounds and sights of an array of F1 cars ranging from a 1939 Mercedes-Benz W165 to 2010 editions of Ferrari, Lotus and Red Bull, will make the back of your hair stand up. To find out if that’s true, just watch the video after the jump.

Read more »

2011 British GP: Red Bull’s Reign Disrupted

None of the usual suspects – aka the drivers of Red Bull or McLaren- occupied the top spot on the podium of the British Grand Prix that took place on Sunday at Silverstone. Instead, the winner was Fernando Alonso, who managed his first win of the season, and 27th overall in his career, making the best both of Ferrari’s obvious progress and the catastrophic pit stop of early leader Sebastian Vettel. Read more »

British GP: Red Bull Takes the Front Row in Qualifying with Webber in Pole Position

The unpredictable weather conditions made the qualifying of the British Grand Prix something of a gamble, and the teams weather forecasts were expecting rain during the final session. So everyone made sure that they got out quickly in order to set a fast time before it started to rain again. Read more »