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McLaren celebrates 20 years of Mobil 1 with special livery for Australian GP

Sponsors come and sponsors go in Formula One, but they tend to stick around awhile at McLaren. The team ran under Marlboro title sponsorship for 22 years from 1974 to 1996, and Hugo Boss has been with the team for 33 years now since 1981. But it's the team's partnership with Mobil 1 which it will celebrate with the sinister livery pictured here. With Vodafone having left the team at the end of last season, McLaren is without a title sponsor for this season, and was expected to return to its heritage orange livery for this year's championship. But instead it's starting the season at the Australian Grand Prix with this silver and black livery to celebrate two decades of partnership with ExxonMobil. It may not be quite as sweet as the new Williams Martini Racing livery, but it is pretty slick. Whether it stands a chance of finishing on the podium this weekend, however, is another matter. While McLaren has won the Australian Grand Prix a dozen times – more than any other team – and Jenson Button is one of the winningest drivers in the history of the Aussie race, he and the team haven't been showing too well in pre-season testing. Mobil 1 and McLaren Celebrate 20-Year Partnership in Formula 1 As the 2014 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, ExxonMobil and McLaren will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their technical and commercial relationship. In honor of the major milestone, the McLaren Formula 1 cars will feature a special livery in Australia that will include both Mobil 1™ and Mobil™ brands." "To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mobil 1's relationship with McLaren, we are looking forward to showcasing a special branding scheme during the first race of the 2014 season," said Artis Brown, global motorsports manager, Mobil 1. "There is a lot of energy entering this race. Not only are we celebrating our 20th anniversary with McLaren, but we will be welcoming Kevin Magnussen to the team. When you combine these elements with the introduction of the new V-6 engine, this should be a very exciting weekend." Jonathan Neale, Chief Operating Officer and Acting CEO of McLaren Mercedes said, "We are privileged to have worked closely with ExxonMobil over a very successful 20 years and counting. During 332 races together we have achieved four world championships, 78 wins, 229 podium finishes and 76 pole positions, which is testament to our powerful technology partnership.

McLaren 650S leaks out ahead of Geneva reveal [w/video]

Late last week, McLaren announced it will be bringing a new model to the Geneva Motor Show. Called the 650S, it's set to slot in between the 12C and P1 in Woking's supercar range. But before McLaren gets to unveil the new model, the first batch of photos – as well as a video walkaround – have leaked online. What we seem to be looking at is an MP4-12C with revised styling to more closely resemble the P1. Which is a good thing, because to most eyes, the P1 is a far better-looking car than the 12C, whose appearance – finalized before design director Frank Stephenson arrived on the scene – has oft been derided as derivative. The 650S also features an updated interior, but best of all, it's said to pack more power: the name hints at a 650 metric horsepower (641 hp) output from what we can assume to be the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the 12C (which currently offers 616 hp) and the P1 (727 hp before the 176 hp electric motor comes into play). What remains to be seen at this point is whether the 650S you see here will eventually replace the 12C or continue alongside it indefinitely. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that McLaren will offer both and see how sales pan out. Scope it out in the (unfortunately grainy and low-res) leaked image gallery above and the walkaround video below, and watch this space for the official reveal. Featured Gallery McLaren 650S leaked images News Source: Driving.co.uk Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Performance 2014 Geneva Motor Show mclaren mp4-12c mclaren 650s

McLaren Denver commissions 600LT Pikes Peak Edition from MSO

McLaren Denver placed an order with McLaren Special Operations that turns the limited-edition 600LT Spider into the limited-to-six, 600LT Spider Pikes Peak Edition. Each car wears one of MSO's Bespoke or Heritage exterior colors, matte black vinyl stripes, and interior embellishments. The shades come in Black Gold, White Gold, Nerello Red, Volcano Red, Aurora Blue and Midas Grey. The MSO Club Sport Pack upgrades the outside with carbon fiber cantrails, carbon fiber front fender louvers, and titanium wheel bolts to affix the Satin Speedline Gold wheels. Inside, a Satin Gold band identifies top dead center on the steering wheel, and extended paddle shifters in Satin Gold hang out behind the wheel. Lightweight carbon fiber racing seats taken from the McLaren Senna get contrast stitching Satin Gold, the headrests embroidered with the Pikes Peak logo in the same color. A plaque reading "Pikes Peak Collection 1 of 6" alerts the world to the exclusivity. The 600LT Spider Pikes Peak Edition remains untouched otherwise compared to the standard open-top, a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 providing 592 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque suitable for charging up 14,000-foot mountains on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires. In an environment where road-holding and braking would be especially important, the 600LT Spider upgrades its game with suspension bits from the 720S, carbon ceramic brake discs, and lightweight calipers. Price remains a mystery, but expect a healthy premium over the $256,500 MSRP for the 'regular' 600LT Spider.