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McLaren will fight to stay independent

Only one major manufacturer in the competitive set for McLaren cars is independent. The rest - Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche - are owned by mass-market conglomerates. The sole exception is Aston Martin, a small company constantly overcoming the challenges of its independence, now partly with the help of Daimler. McLaren vows to stay solo, though. Its executive director of sales and marketing said that having no one else to answer to helps keep it "very quick to move," with "product development life cycles [that] are very efficient." The company wants to sell 4,000 cars per year by 2017, and it's more than a third of the way there before it's 'volume' model, the 570S, hits dealerships. Last year the company sold 1,648 cars around the world and pegs annual production of the 570S at 2,500 units. The automaking side has done surprisingly well, surprisingly quickly. It only started making cars in 2011 and it turned a profit in 2013. That first car, the MP4-12C, has already morphed into the even better 650S, and McLaren offered 12C buyers a free upgrade. Since then we've been introduced to the P1, the P1 GTR, the 670S, the 675LT, and the 570S, while markets like China get the 650S and the 540C. That's seven vehicles on sale right now, not including race-only options like the 650S GT3, on top of an expanding global dealer network, all done in four years. Having done so well this far, independence would indeed seem to be the only option. Related Video:

Jenson Button allegedly gassed during home raid

McLaren Formula 1 driver and former F1 World Champion Jenson Button might have been the victim of a bizarre, anesthetic gas attack when burglars robbed him, his wife, and friends while they were sleeping in a rented villa in Saint-Tropez, according to a BBC News report. Thankfully, none of them were harmed during the Aug. 3 theft in the popular French vacation spot. The thieves got away with quite a bit of loot, though. "Two men broke into the property whilst they all slept and stole a number of items of jewelry including, most upsettingly, Jessica's engagement ring," a spokesperson for the driver said, according to the BBC News. "The police have indicated that this has become a growing problem in the region with perpetrators going so far as to gas their proposed victims through the air conditioning units before breaking in." The value of all the looted items was reportedly 300,000 pounds ($463,000 at current rates). Afterward, the spokesperson described Button and his wife as "unsurprisingly shaken." Related Video:

Drive a McLaren | The List #650

Race cars are meant for the track, not the road. As you might expect, you can't just buy a Formula One car and drive it around town. But what if one of the most decorated brands in F1 took all of that past experience and intelligence and put it toward making a street car? Well lucky for us, we don't have to ask "what if," because McLaren does that on a daily basis. On this episode of The List, our hosts Jessi and Patrick get to learn about the founder of the brand, Bruce McLaren, and the legacy he's left behind. Bruce started racing and building cars when he was only 15 years old, so it's not surprising that he went on to create one of the most iconic automotive companies of all time. According to Patrick, driving a McLaren, "makes you feel like a racecar driver" which was no doubt the intent of Bruce all those years ago. After discussing the fascinating history of the brand, our hosts hit the streets in a McLaren 650S. "We've been in some fun cars and this car is going to blow your mind," Patrick said as he navigated a winding English road. Get ready to experience the race-bred performance of McLaren on this episode of The List. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick McLaren Coupe Performance Supercars The List Videos Original Video mclaren p1 mclaren 650s spider bruce mclaren mclaren technology centre