McLaren, a British high performance car

McLaren, a British high performance car - McLaren Automotive, commonly called McLaren, is a British automobile manufacturer of high performance vehicles. The company was founded as McLaren Cars in 1989 as a manufacturer of road cars based on Formula One technology works in close collaboration with McLaren Racing, the success of Formula One constructor and is a spin-out of McLaren Group.

McLaren Group, based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking in the UK, is a group of companies founded by Ron Dennis, is described by the International Herald Tribune as "a small conglomerate." The Group is focused around the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One Racing Team was initially formed by the team set up by New Zealander Bruce McLaren in 1963. The company hopes to expand its market in Formula One for the manufacture of cars, as it prepares to launch the successor to the McLaren F1, McLaren MP4-12C. In recent years the group expanded its activities to other areas of precision manufacturing, such as power equipment for the solar industry and wind.

Bruce McLaren started the Woking-based McLaren Formula One team in 1966. Teddy Mayer took over the leadership of the group after the death of Bruce McLaren in testing a Car Can-Am series in 1970. Mayer subsequently lead McLaren to their first World Constructors Championship in 1974 with Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi, who also won the World Drivers Championship this year.

In 1992, McLaren began producing its first road car, McLaren F1, which had many similarities to his F1 car. A total of 106 was produced from 1992 to 1998, and although it has been out of production for 11 years, there were some faster cars than F1. Among those who are faster, Koenigsegg CCR, Bugatti Veyron and SSC Ultimate Aero and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. In September 2009, McLaren has announced the successor to the McLaren F1, McLaren MP4-12C. Dennis said that his separation from Mercedes is a "win-win situation for both parties." McLaren has also produced the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Mercedes with a common project. Mercedes currently holds 11% of the group of 29% was sold group. (@ car showroom)

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New Slot It McLaren GTR

CA10e McLaren F1 GTR n.40, Le Mans 1998.

Drivers: B.Auberlen, S.O'Rourke, T.Sugden

The McLaren F1 GTR production, directed by the former Formula 1 engineer Gordon Murray, began in 1992 and ended in 1998.

At that time, it was the fastest car ever built.

In 1995, the F1 GTR gave its first performance at Le Mans and won, bringing to the finish line five cars that ended 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 13^th.

The car featured a monocoque carbon-fibre chassis and a BMW 5990 cc V12 engine.

In 1997, the F1 GTR was developed into the “Long Tail” version.

At Le Mans 1998, the McLaren n.40 finished in 4^th place, completing a very regular race, with only 40 minutes spent at the pits in the entire 24-hours time.

New Slot It McLaren GTR

CA10e McLaren F1 GTR n.40, Le Mans 1998.

Drivers: B.Auberlen, S.O'Rourke, T.Sugden

The McLaren F1 GTR production, directed by the former Formula 1 engineer Gordon Murray, began in 1992 and ended in 1998.

At that time, it was the fastest car ever built.

In 1995, the F1 GTR gave its first performance at Le Mans and won, bringing to the finish line five cars that ended 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 13^th.

The car featured a monocoque carbon-fibre chassis and a BMW 5990 cc V12 engine.

In 1997, the F1 GTR was developed into the “Long Tail” version.

At Le Mans 1998, the McLaren n.40 finished in 4^th place, completing a very regular race, with only 40 minutes spent at the pits in the entire 24-hours time.

mclaren showcase at sonoma historic motorsports festival 2011 - us automobile mclaren

mclaren showcase at sonoma historic motorsports festival - us automobile mclaren - Historic Motorsports - Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Notes: "It never rains in California..."

And, yes, it pours. Saturday's official opening day of the Second Annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival dawned with rain showers dampening the 2.52-mile Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, but not the spirits of the 400 participants, as many took to the wet course for practice and qualifying for Sunday's 13 group races. Fine wine, fine food and vintage and historic race cars are highlighting the weekend activities for race fans and foodies in the heart of Northern California's wine country. Sunday's weather predictions show clear skies.

McLaren Showcase

Of the six historic McLaren race cars displayed, alongside the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C high-performance sports car, at the McLaren Automotive display during the Sonoma Motorsports Historic Festival, two are especially significant. McLaren is the featured marque at this event.

The 1972 McLaren M20 that Denny Hulme took to second place in the Can-Am championship that year, after which the team retired from the series for good, ending the era, is owned by the National Automobile Museum, the Harrah Collection, in Reno, Nev. "(Event organizer) Steve Earle will come to us and tell us that his event is featuring a certain marque, and if we have a car that fits, then we'll try to figure out a way to get it to the event so people can see it and enjoy it," said Ranson Webster, chairman of the board of trustees of the Museum, and a competitor at this event. "And it's good publicity for the museum.

"We have roughly 240 cars in the museum, everything from an 1892 Phiion (one of the first cars built) to Mr. Harrah's 1976 Wagoneer with a Ferrari engine.

"We also have a tremendous collection of pre-1916 brass cars, cars from the '30s, and a whole race selection. The carM20 is one of four featured cars because of its history."

Webster is competing in a 1960 Abarth Carrera and a 1976 Kremer K3 Porsche 935 this weekend.

"Senna" film previewed by more than 225 in Sonoma

The second significant McLaren on display is Ranson Webster's 1985 McLaren MP4/2B, the Marlboro-sponsored Formula 1 car raced by Alain Prost and Niki Lauda. It is featured in the new "Senna" film, a documentary of Ayrton Senna's years as an intense competitor on the F1 circuit and a fierce rival to Prost, his one-time McLaren teammate.

More than 225 invited guests had the chance to preview the film at the Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma on Thursday evening, June 2, and it was well received.

"Having seen the preview of the Senna film, which will be released in August, and to have the MP4/2B here that Alain Prost drove in 1985 that was featured in the film, is exciting," said event organizer Steve Earle. "It provides something special to the fans and participants who've seen the film to come out here and see a car that was prominent in the film in the McLaren Automotive display."

As for Earle's review of the film, "I thought the film was very good as a documentary and it certainly showed a side that people would never see of Formula 1," he said. "It shows the improvements and the changes that have been made to F1 racing since that time and, while it doesn't seem like a long time ago, it is actually 25 years ago. You can see how the FIA worked together with the teams and drivers to make it what it is today, and how good that is.

"It's an enthusiast's film, for sure, the in-car camera work is terrific, and you see a side of Senna, or any driver during that era, that you would never see. And seeing the change in Senna at his last race was really dramatic (he lost his life in a racing accident at the 1994 San Marino G.P.). His concern was very evident, and realizing what was going through his mind is something few of us, if any, have ever experienced."

mclaren, porsche, marlboro, motorsports, 2011, automobile, usa, california, sonoma, sonoma historic motorsports festival, f1, san marino g.p., fia, formula 1, M20,

New Slot It McLaren-RAW!

The new "RAW" Slot It McLaren.

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The new "RAW" Slot It McLaren.

New Revell Monogram McLaren Can Am

In stock at REH Distributors in Cincy.... the Revell 85-4838 McLaren M6.

New Revell Monogram McLaren Can Am

In stock at REH Distributors in Cincy.... the Revell 85-4838 McLaren M6.

Jensen and Lewis build a McLaren

A funny McLaren video and a commercial worth watching.

Jensen and Lewis build a McLaren

A funny McLaren video and a commercial worth watching.

New Carrera McLaren Gulf and Porsche 917/30

Photos of all 3 of the recently produced Carrera Cam Am's. The McLaren M20's and the Porsche 917/30 Sunoco driven by Mark Donohue.

New Carrera McLaren Gulf and Porsche 917/30

Photos of all 3 of the recently produced Carrera Cam Am's. The McLaren M20's and the Porsche 917/30 Sunoco driven by Mark Donohue.

New Carrera McLaren M20-Black Label

Photos of the new Carrera M20 McLaren. Coming soon to the North American market.

New Carrera McLaren M20-Black Label

Photos of the new Carrera M20 McLaren. Coming soon to the North American market.

McLaren MP4-12C

The super cool McLaren MP4-12C super car features the latest advances in automotive technology taken straight from the Formula 1 circuit. The McLaren MP4-12C is built around an extremely light and rigid carbon fiber tub. But rather than the heavier multi-piece tubs used by its competitors and predecessors, the MP4's is made from a single piece, weighing a spritely 176 pounds).




The body panels are all carbon fiber and composites, making the new McLaren more expensive to build than its competitors and resulting in an expected £160,000 ($265k) price tag – higher than either the new Ferrari 458 Italia or the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, but lighter in weight, too.


Behind the tub sits a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine producing around 600 horsepower and 433 lb-ft of torque, offering what McLaren claims is the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any internal combustion engine on the market – gasoline, diesel or even hybrid. Contrary to earlier speculation that suggested Mercedes could continue furnishing its erstwhile partner with at least the engine blocks while producing its own SLS supercar and furnishing Pagani as well, McLaren says the unit was developed entirely in house. The bespoke mill features a flat-plane crank, dry sump and can rev up to 8,500 rpm, though 80% of the torque is said to be available from as low as 2,000 rpm. That ought to be good for a 0-60 time in the low threes and a 200+ mph top end.

While you might have expected carbon ceramic brakes to keep all that power and speed in check, McLaren says its conventional discs actually weigh less. They're aided by a Brake Steer system that brakes the inside rear wheel to combat understeer. But the real trick system is in the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, where Pre-Cog lets the driver load up the next gear by half-squeezing the paddle and then engaging with gunshot speed.

McLaren MP4-12C Interior Pictures

With the new MP4-12C, McLaren's betting the economy will bounce back soon. It's planning on building 1000 units in 2011, a quarter of which will go each to the domestic UK market and over here to the United States. The C designation also suggests that they're planning a roadster version to join the coupe. But for now, we'll just enjoy this first batch of images in the gallery below and peruse the lengthy press release after the jump.