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McLaren offers glimpse inside P1 GTR program [w/video]

Among the many things we were looking forward to seeing at Pebble Beach this year, the McLaren P1 GTR was near the top of our list. Invoking the spirit of the legendary McLaren F1 GTR that dominated sports car racing in the mid-1990s, the P1 GTR was unveiled in Monterey this past August in concept form, giving us an idea of what to expect. But now McLaren has given us a little more. Envisioned as a track toy for the wealthy who want to play racing driver, the P1 GTR is a further evolution – and a more extreme one – of the road-going P1. The GTR is being developed exclusively for use on track. To that end, Woking has stripped out the cockpit and installed a multifunction steering wheel said to be derived from the championship-winning MP4-23 grand prix car, allowing the driver to "fully adjust the setup and characteristics of the car without having to take their hands off the wheel." The racing buckets are modeled after a DTM touring car, equipped with six-point harnesses and affixed directly to the chassis. Outside you'll notice Pirelli slicks and a fixed rear wing with F1-style Drag Reduction System. The P1 GTR is about more than the vehicle itself, though, as McLaren – similar to what Ferrari offers with the XX client test-driver program – is launching a full driver support program to go along with it. Customers will have access to the advanced simulator at the McLaren Technology Centre (typically reserved for the team's contracted racing drivers) as well as the factory's coaches. The program will also include 10 to 12 track sessions each year, to be held at F1-certified tracks around the world, at which each customer will have his or her own garage and crew, all for the benefit of their enjoyment. The program is laid out in the video below, along with which McLaren has released a fresh batch of images showing the uncamouflaged prototype inside and out undergoing hot-weather testing at the grand prix circuit in Bahrain. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

McLaren V6 plug-in hybrid delayed to 2021

In the middle of May, the McLaren Group began the hunt for up to $335 million to endure the downturn caused by the coronavirus, with the conglomerate ready to put every sacred asset on the block for collateral. A few days later, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt told Automotive News Europe, "This will have cost us probably two years. [In] 2020, we're going to do very little. I think it'll take us the whole of '21 to climb back [to] where we are." Even though the Woking firm had already moved to cut supply in anticipation of lower sales, a 67% sales drop in Q1 this year led to McLaren laying off 1,200 employees — a quarter of the workforce — across Automotive, Racing, and Applied Technologies divisions. Another casualty of current events is the timeline for the anticipated plug-in hybrid model reported to replace the 570S in the entry-level Sports Series tier. Chatter had suggested McLaren would debut the car this summer and begin deliveries in some markets before the year ended. But Evo magazine reports the coupe will be on the tardy list, a company spokesperson telling PistonHeads the schedule has slid back "a handful of months." The PHEV represents a big step, being a volume model built on a brand new platform, powered by a brand new engine at the heart of a brand new powertrain. The twin-turbocharged V6 said to sit behind the cockpit inaugurates a life beyond the small-displacement V8 that has powered every McLaren Automotive product since a 3.8-liter twin-turbo unit entered service in the MP4-12C. We don't know much about the V6, but spy shots appear to show that it will rev 500 rpm higher than the V8, to 8,000 rpm, and its peak output with electrical assistance will exceed the 570 horsepower in the 570S. The plug-in hybrid component contributes an Electric driving mode to Comfort and Sport modes, the powertrain supposedly able to go 21 miles on battery power. As for looks, the compact body seems to crib from the 720 S in front, the GT in the midsection, and add a lot of cooling apertures in the rear. The "little" that Flewitt said McLaren would do this year means focusing on the Elva roadster, 765LT, and Speedtail. A spokesperson said testing and development have resumed, and "dealers are [also] already opening for appointments." Since we're still not halfway through 2020, it's hard to imagine what anything will look like when — hell, if — the dust settles.

McLaren 675LT gets sideways and smoking

McLaren has officially started production of the new 675LT. So how is the British racing team turned supercar manufacturer marking the occasion? By releasing this video clip, soaked in adrenaline and octane and packed with lots of full-throttle, tire-smoking sideways action. The McLaren 675LT was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show just a few months ago as the ultimate expression (so far) of the company's essential Super Series. It's based on the same underpinnings as the 650S that forms the core of the McLaren range, but upgrades with a more powerful version of the company's ubiquitous 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, now producing 666 horsepower and breathing through a titanium exhaust system. As a result, 0-62 is now quoted at a scant 2.9 seconds, with a top speed pegged at 205 miles per hour. It's also got revised bodywork inspired by the Longtail version of the legendary McLaren F1, offering improved aerodynamics and its LT designation, along with a more hardcore, track-focused setup. McLaren will only make 500 examples of the 675LT, all of which were already sold out within two months of its debut, before the limited-edition supercar is retired altogether. With assembly now kicking off at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England, those 500 fortunate customers will soon be getting their hands on their new toys. The rest of us will just have to admire from afar, and admire it we will in this latest video.