2016 Mclaren 570 Coupe on 2040-cars

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2017 McLaren 570GT | Drivers Notes

The 2017 McLaren 570GT is the British automaker's entry-level model. Along with its sister car, the 570S, it slots into the company's sports series. Like all other McLarens bar the all-new 720S, it uses a version of McLaren's 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The car makes extensive use of aluminum and carbon fiber, including the central carbon-fiber MonoCell II. Although this may be the lowliest of all McLarens, it's still faster and more capable than 99 percent of all cars on the road. While the 570S is a track-focused sports car, as the name implies, the 570GT is a grand tourer. The suspension is a bit softer, the sound insulation is a bit better, and there's an extra parcel shelf above the engine. The car has a handsome, purposeful design thats both sleek and exotic. The $210,400 price point puts it head-to-head against the Audi R8 V10 Plus, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, and the Lamborghini Huracan 580-2. We spent a few days in the 570S, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from our staff. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I was skeptical when McLaren launched its car-building business nearly a decade ago, but every time I drive another one of its products, I can't help but think: They made it. McLaren really is pulling off the improbable. The company is making legit supercars, like the 570GT, that can compete with anything. Rest assured, I didn't ponder McLaren's business model during my entire time behind the wheel. Geez, that would have been a waste – because this thing is awesome. It's quick. It attracts a ton of attention. And the interior is gorgeous. That last part is what really got me thinking about how far McLaren has come. Some companies stick a big engine in a car, slap on carbon-fiber, and call it good. The 570GT has a beautiful cabin with stitched leather and a silky (and optional) Bowers & Wilkins 12-speaker sound system. The cabin reinforced for me McLaren's attention to detail and desire to be a luxury company. Also, the design is spot-on. It's curvy, proportional, and done up in Pacific (blue), it's tasteful. The 570GT is part of McLaren's sports series, but with a mid-mounted 562-hp V8 and carbon-fiber MonoCell II chassis, it certainly feels like it belongs in the supercar realm. With a sticker of $210,400, you're right in top-shelf 911 and R8 territory. I'd put my money on this McLaren. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

Seat shows Leon SC three-door ahead of Geneva

Seat has just unwrapped the Leon SC three-door hatchback ahead of its official debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Unlike some transformations from five- to three-door hatches, the Seat Leon underwent some meaningful surgery in the changeover, losing nearly an inch and a half of its wheelbase while still retaining the same amount of cargo capacity behind the rear seats.
The SC, which stands for Sports Coupé, is said to be more nimble than its larger counterpart, and therefore more fun to drive. A range of turbocharged and direct injected gasoline and diesel engines will be available in Europe ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 liters and with up to 184 horsepower. Manual transmissions with five or six gears will be offered, depending on the engine chosen, as will a six-speed DSG automatic.
Seat also says that the new Leon boasts more expressive styling than the five-door, and we can see where they are coming from. Of particular note, says the automaker, are the size and shapes of the glass areas and the sweep of the tailgate toward the ground. Take a good look at the new three-door Leon in the image gallery above, and feel free to read all the details in the full press blast below.

McLaren EV supercar: Here's the math that says it's 5-10 years off

It emerged last December that McLaren had built an all-electric testbed for a future EV supercar, to go along with the English automaker's $1.4 billion investment in electrified powertrains. But as we told you a few weeks ago, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt said that such a car was, as a practical matter, years away from production. Now COO Jens Ludmann has put some numbers to the carmaker's quest, saying, "[The] Senna has 800 PS [Pferdestarke] on 1,200 kg, that's about the power to weight that we're looking for." He's talking about 789 horsepower in a package lighter than a base Honda Civic Coupe. The issue isn't energy capacity, it's energy density. Said Ludmann, "[The] battery technology should achieve 500 watt-hours per kilogram. That is a level where it really makes sense. Today we are around 180 watt-hours per kilogram." McLaren Engineering provides batteries for Formula E rated at 216 Wh/kg, but those packs aren't suitable for a consumer road car. According to what the company's learned from the battery industry, we're 5 to 10 years away from 500 watt-hours per kilogram for a roadworthy vehicle. In 2015 Rimac unveiled a battery it made for the Koenigsegg Regera. Said to be the most energy-dense car battery at the time, it boasted a power-to-weigh ratio of 60 Wh/kg. Figure that the battery industry's adding 40 Wh/kg per year — which gets us from 2015 to Ludmann's 180 Wh/kg current state of affairs. Using that measure, we're 8-10 years away from 500 Wh. McLaren wants its theoretical EV owner to be able to do 30 minutes or 10 hard laps at the track, be "as exciting as a 675LT," and recharge in 30 minutes for another half-hour track session. That battery would need exceptionally high energy density, and the cells and electronics would need to stand up to constant high power output and extreme discharge cycles. To enable that with today's battery tech, you'd end up with a vehicle that could do 500 miles in everyday road use, be far too heavy for McLaren's aims, and take far too long to charge. Ludmann told Wheels magazine everything else about the EV supercar is "all resolved — easy." While we dig in for what could be a lengthy wait, we'll have to be satisfied with the McLaren hybrids that should start showing up in a couple of years. Related Video: