Just Before Launch, McLaren Decides to Make MP4-12C “More Emotional”

McLaren’s MP4-12C has received a lot of praise from automotive journalists. It has even set the second fastest time ever in the Top Gear power lap. But this doesn’t mean that it’s perfect.

Most who have driven it have placed it below its chief rival, the Ferrari 458 Italia, not because its’ slower (it isn’t) or less capable, but because it lacked the aural charisma and emotional character of the Italian supercar. In other words, it was good, but also a bit clinical.

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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.

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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”).

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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.

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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 »

McLaren and Red Bull Clash Over Throttle Regulations

Ever since the Spanish Grand Prix, FIA has investigated the matter of some teams using exhaust gasses when the driver is off the throttle to improve the downforce of their cars. Eventually, FIA ruled that throttle opening when the accelerator is released would be limited to 10%.

However, McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh disputed on Friday before the British GP the new regulation, claiming that Red Bull’s Renault engine retains 50% of its power under a concession for reliability.

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Revised McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Racer to Debut at Goodwood

The MP4-12C GT3, McLaren’s first race car outside of Formula 1 since the legendary F1 GTR, will make its debut in front of the public at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Based on the new MP4-12C, the GT3 will appear in a revised form after McLaren’s team further honed the supercar. Read more »

Video: Fifth Gear Pits McLaren MP4-12C against Ferrari 458 Italia

The 458 Italia, Ferrari's V8 supercar, is the default choice in its category. Sexy, with a fabulous design and the latest in automotive technology, it is a pure driver’s car to be enjoyed by anyone who can afford it.

Yet McLaren plans to spoil Ferrari’s party claiming that its own brand-new supercar, the MP4-12C, can beat it. On paper, little separates them. But the question for car fanatics remains: which one is better?

To find out, Channel 5's Fifth Gear presenters Tiff Needell and Jason Plato decided to pit the Ferrari against its new challenger from Britain. Their verdict? To find out, just follow the jump and watch the video…

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Gordon Murray Unveils Radical T.27 Electric City Car

Gordon Murray is best known as the mastermind behind the creation of McLaren’s F1, which at its time was the fastest supercar of the world – and, before that, for his work and revolutionary ideas in Formula 1 teams such as Brabham. However, that was a long time ago and now Murray is obsessed with creating a unique city car.

So today his company, Gordon Murray Design, unveiled in London their latest ultra compact city car, the T.27. It is a project that was completed in just 17 months from conception to a running prototype, including the design of a new electric powertain by Zytek Automotive Ltd.

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F1: Sebastian Vettel takes his 6th Win in Valencia

Sebastian Vettel is on a roll and no one seems able to stop him and his Red Bull from adding a second Formula 1 championship to their trophy list. This was confirmed once again today in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, in the eighth race of the 2011, where Vettel took his sixth win of the season. The German world champion started from the pole position and was never challenged during the race as he cruised to another win.

The only driver to even come close was Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who started from fourth place and, like his team-mate Felipe Massa, made a terrific start. Alonso had a fight with the Red Bull of Mark Webber who, despite starting from the front row, eventually lost out to the Spaniard who finished the race second, more than 10 seconds behind Vettel.

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Second Trailer for Top Gear Season 17 Airs Online

We’ve been patiently waiting for the new season of Top Gear to come to our screens, but the time is almost here as the first episode of the series will air on Sunday.

Following last week’s release of the first teaser of season 17, BBC has now aired a second video highlighting the antics of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

Among the other cars featured in the trailer are a McLaren MP4-12C taking on a Ferrari 458 Italia, a BMW 8-Series Coupe compared to a Mercedes CL, the rally version of the Mini Countryman and a Chevrolet Corvette from the early 1990s. You can check out the trailer for the new season of Top Gear after the break.

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McLaren to Spend $1 billion to Challenge Ferrari and Lamborghini

After Lotus, Italian supercar makers have another British contender challenging their supremacy. McLaren is the most successful team in Formula 1 after Ferrari, and yesterday opened its first dealership in the most prestigious part of London.

According to a news report from Bloomberg, the British automaker has much broader plans: its managing director, Antony Sheriff, revealed in an interview that McLaren Automotive intends to spend as much as $1 billion in developing and marketing costs to launch 13 new models and variants in the following years to challenge the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

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McLaren Opens Flagship Showroom in London, 19 Countries to Follow

McLaren Automotive will inaugurate a new flagship showroom at One Hyde Park, London, on June 21. And this is just the first of a network of 35 dealerships in 19 countries: Birmingham, London and Manchester in the UK, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich in Germany, Brussels in Benelux, Monaco and Paris in France, Milan in Italy, Madrid in Spain and Zurich in Switzerland. Read more »

VIDEO: Top Gear Teases Season 17 with New Trailer

In a couple of weeks, BBC will begin airing the 17th season of its highly popular Top Gear TV series. To get our engines running, the media channel released the first promotional trailer of the new series teasing the new automotive adventures of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

The 30 second-long trailer kicks off with Clarkson driving the all-new McLaren MP4-12C on the wet and continues with Hammond in the passenger seat of a MINI WRC racer. Oh, and there’s also a scene with an odd looking red truck...obliterating an Alfa Romeo 156 sedan and a Renault Megane saloon. For the rest, follow the break to watch the trailer

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