2018 Mclaren 720s Performance Over $100k In Options, Full Carbon on 2040-cars

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McLaren reinstates Ron Dennis as CEO

With new versions of the 12C coming out all the time, the new P1 still wowing crowds and additional projects underway, sports car fanatics might surmise that McLaren is doing pretty well for itself these days. But Formula One fans would likely disagree. After losing its longtime prodigy Lewis Hamilton to its longtime partner, Mercedes, McLaren failed to land on the podium (let alone win an actual grand prix) even once last season. In fact, the last time McLaren – one of the most historically successful teams on the grid – won the F1 World Championship was back in 2008, when Ron Dennis was still calling the shots. Little wonder, then, that the board of the McLaren Group has seen it fit to reinstate Dennis as chief executive officer. Ron Dennis is the man rightfully and widely credited with turning McLaren into the powerhouse it is today. He came to the team in 1980 at the end of a three-year dry spell in which it had not won a single grand prix. The following season, it was already winning races again, and by 1984, it was winning World Championships again: seven Constructors' Championships and ten Drivers' Championships with pilots like Lauda, Prost, Senna, Hakkinen and Hamilton. All in all, the team was never as successful as it was under the leadership of Ron Dennis, but in 2009, he stepped aside as team principal to focus on expanding the group's business, leaving Martin Whitmarsh to assume the title of CEO. But while the carmaking division has grown under Dennis' watchful eye, the F1 team has floundered under Whitmarsh's direction. So the board has reinstated Dennis as CEO of the entire group. This isn't the first time McLaren has faced difficulties with (and had to replace) one of Dennis' lieutenants. Last year, McLaren Automotive's managing director Antony Sheriff was placed on extended leave, his duties ultimately effectively reassigned to Mike Flewitt, who was promoted from chief operating officer to chief executive officer of the carmaking unit this past summer. Just what that this new appointment will mean for Whitmarsh in his role as F1 team principal remains to be seen, but Dennis says he is gearing up "to write an exciting new chapter in the story of McLaren, beginning by improving our on-track and off-track performance." He'll have a new strategy outlined for the group next month, but in the meantime, you can read the official announcement below.

McLaren 650S to start at about $318,000 in Europe

Immediately following the reveal of a mid-engined piece of exotica like the McLaren 650S, one of the many, many questions that will be asked relates to the six-figure sum the 641-horsepower car will demand. Now, we have a rough answer - 232,500 euros, according to an alleged pricing guide leaked on on 650Sforum.com. That works out to $318,000, but in reality, the base US of the 650S is likely to be lower, what with things like Europe's Value Added Tax messing with the figures. Exterior carbon fiber items range from a 10,020-euro ($13,739 as of this writing) package that features CF versions of the rear bumper, door blades and front splitter to a 2,690-euro ($3,688) side intake. Like many exotics, there's a wide range of options to customize the cabin, with prices ranging from free (owners have their choice of a full leather cabin, a leather sport cabin, or an Alcantara-and-leather cabin at no cost) to 6,080 euros ($8,336) for carbon-fiber racing seats. Other intriguing items include a 5,670-euro ($7,774) sports exhaust and the option to go with steel brakes instead of the standard carbon-ceramic stoppers at no charge (but why?). You can hop over to the 650Sforum.com page and take a look at the entire list, including the leaked documents that revealed the pricing info. Have a look, and then let us know what you think a reasonable price is for this middling McLaren, by posting in Comments. Expect to hear more on the 650S ahead of its debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Featured Gallery McLaren 650S View 10 Photos News Source: 650Sforum.com Rumormill Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Performance pricing 2014 Geneva Motor Show mclaren 650s

Honda revamps F1 engine for McLaren

Things haven't been going smoothly for Honda since returning to Formula One, and the Japanese automaker says the challenge has been greater than it anticipated. But after a stronger showing at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, Honda says its reliability issues are behind it and is working on introducing a revamped engine for the second half of the season. "I am confident our reliability problems are now behind us, which means we can turn our attention to increasing power," Honda racing chief Yasuhisa Arai told Autosport. "After the summer shutdown our plan is to apply a new-spec engine using some of our remaining seven tokens." The "tokens" to which Arai refers are a way for the FIA to limit engine development. The power units are broken down into 66 such tokens in the regulations, and each engine supplier can change up to 32 of them throughout the season. The allowance was at first afforded only to returning suppliers Mercedes, Ferrari, and Renault, but Honda succeeded in convincing the FIA to allow it the same leeway. Honda has been spending its development tokens on fixing reliability issues, but will shift its focus to improving performance. The McLaren team that Honda powers has only gotten both of its cars to the finish line at two out of 10 races this season. Most of those problems came down to the new engine package. That's compared to only two retirements the team suffered last season, when it was still under Mercedes power, and none the year before. In Hungary, however, the team not only got both cars to the finish line, but placed both in the points for the first time this season. "The sport has changed immensely since the McLaren-Honda 'glory days'," said Arai. "The current technology is much more sophisticated, and it is tough to make a good racing car. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but perhaps we didn't imagine it would be this hard." The Japanese manufacturer is now spending the summer break developing its power unit. Many of those changes are expected to be rolled out in time for the Belgian Grand Prix later this month, with the rest to follow in the ensuing races. Beyond reliability, engine performance is particularly important for the high-speed races at Spa and Monza, where the subsequent Italian Grand Prix will be held early next month. Related Video: