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More details on Lanzante's F1-engined Porsche 930 restomod

Not long after last year's Porsche Rennsport Reunion, we posted on Lanzante Engineering's restomod project with the original Porsche 911 Turbo. McLaren Formula One used TAG-branded Porsche engines for four years in the 1980s to win two constructor's and three driver's championships. McLaren sold 11 of those engines to Lanzante — nine of which have been raced, one with a win to its credit — and Lanzante is installing them into the original chassis of some 930s. PistonHeads stopped by the shop to find out more. By the end of its service in the MP4/3, the TAG-Porsche TTE P01 motor rang up 1,060 horsepower in qualifying and 960 hp in the race, revving to a 12,600-rpm redline. Porsche engine legend Hans Mezger had led the development, coaxing those numbers from just 1.5-liters of V6 aided by two large KKK turbos at a max of four bar. All that was fine for a time when F1 ran with unlimited testing and unlimited parts, but a modern owner doesn't want to pay five techs to live in his garage and keep his car running. Lanzante asked Cosworth to make the engine more drivable and reliable. Cosworth installed a new crankcase, adjusted the air-fuel mixture, and installed smaller turbos for quicker power delivery, decreasing max boost by 25 percent to three bar (43 psi). The redline has come down to 9,000 rpm, for final output figures of 503 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque. According to PistonHeads, power climbs a "steady incline to redline," and more than half the rev band delivers maximum torque. The 503-hp rating doesn't sound like much today, when a Mustang gets more than 700 hp. Yet the first 930 Turbos got 296 hp and 243 lb-ft from a 3.0-liter flat-six with one big KKK turbo. The most powerful 930 Flatnose worked up 330 hp and 347 lb-ft from a 3.3-liter flat-six. Lanzante's taken out a ton of weight, though. The TAG engine is already 220 pounds lighter than the 930's 3.3-liter; a new carbon fiber hood and engine cover, and aluminum door skins shed more pounds. The total package weighs roughly 2,430 pounds, which is more than 500 pounds lighter than the original Porsche Turbo. That includes the extra pieces needed to make an F1 engine power a passenger car. Lanzante had to swap in a 930 Flatnose front bumper, which replaces the fog lights for oil coolers. The team put radiators at the front of the car as part of a brand new water cooling system. The climate control is entirely electric, because F1 cars didn't come with HVAC.

Lego built a full-size McLaren Senna, and it's glorious

Lego is not slowing down with its forays into the automotive scene. Today we bring you news of a full-size McLaren Senna model, built as a collaboration between Lego and McLaren. This brick supercar is built using 467,854 individual pieces, which if anybody is counting, is about 200,000 pieces more than Lego used to create the life-size 720S from awhile back. It's still not as complex as the over 1 million-brick Bugatti Chiron project, though. Construction took 2,725 hours from start to finish, while the design and development took just over 2,000 hours. The car itself is built to an exact 1:1 specification in size, and includes a ton of bits from the actual Senna. Borrowed parts include a seat, steering wheel, pedals and infotainment system. Those in the driver's seat are able to operate the lights and play around with the big center infotainment screen. When you push the "start button," an engine simulation plays over the speakers to try and convince you that the twin-turbo V8 is actually behind you. Real McLaren badges right off its cars are fitted anywhere you'd normally see one. Then the wheels and Pirelli tires from the Senna are mounted to the chassis. Getting in and out through the Lego dihedral doors is apparently a bit difficult, but they're removable to allow easy access to the seats. In total, the Lego Senna weighs a hefty 3,348 pounds, which McLaren says is 1,102 pounds more than the real Senna weighs. Keep in mind that this one doesn't even have an engine. It also took nine times longer to produce than a road-going McLaren Senna takes (which is 300 hours if you were wondering). The details and structures to make this thing stick together are impressive, especially that huge wing hanging out the back. McLaren fitted some properly insane aero to the production Senna, and replicating the shapes and angles with Legos couldn't have been easy. Sadly, this one doesn't appear to have any real ability to drive at low speeds like the Chiron does with its electric motor. McLaren plans to show it off at car shows and events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer.

McLaren debuts track-only production Senna GTR after all 75 have been purchased

McLaren designed the Senna to be a track car that was just barely legal enough to drive on public streets. Hinderances such as safety restrictions keep it from being the full-out ballistic projectile it was born to be. So McLaren asked the question, "What if we took the Senna out of that box?" and the approximately $1.4M track-only Senna GTR was born. The Senna GTR Concept car debuted at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, and McLaren has returned a year later to show off the final production model. The Senna GTR follows in the historic footsteps of the F1 GTR and the P1 GTR and sits in McLaren's throne room with other Ultimate Series cars, the base Senna and the Speedtail. The most in-your-face change between the production model and the concept is the rear wing. Somehow, it managed to get even bigger, with new side planks that extend from the left and right tips down to the rear diffuser, creating a rectangular box of aerodynamic super strength. It also has a redesigned front splitter, a downsized rear diffuser, new dive planes on the front corners, and vortex generators on both sides of the car. Slipping through the air is what the Senna is all about, as McLaren says it is "the most effective aero performance for track driving of any McLaren Automotive product." According to McLaren, the Senna GTR's downforce exceeds an astounding 2,205 pounds, compared to the road-going Senna that topped out at 1,763 pounds at 155 mph. The GTR can reach the same 1,763 pounds at about 15 percent slower speed, or at about 132 mph. The GTR is lower, wider, and slimmer than the Senna, as well. At 2,619 pounds dry, the GTR is 22 pounds lighter (the track-only version deletes the infotainment and audio system but keeps the air conditioning). It's 1.3 inches lower than the Senna, the front track is three inches wider, and the rear track is 2.7 inches wider. Further expanding the GTR's girth, fender flares were added to cover up the 19-inch centerlock wheels that are wrapped in 285/650 front and 325/705 rear Pirelli slicks. Behind the wheels are forged aluminum monoblock calipers, six-piston up front and four-piston in the back. These work with 15.4-inch carbo-ceramic discs for extreme stopping power. McLaren says, despite the design change, the rear wing air brake functions the same and can get a 20 percent greater maximum deceleration because of the slick tires. One of the most significant changes to the car can only be felt, not seen.

Gordon Murray's reborn F1 will reportedly have a V12 and a manual

The McLaren P1 is not a McLaren F1 successor. The Senna is not an F1 successor. Neither is the Lamborghini Centenario, or LaFerrari, or the Bugatti Divo, or the Brabham BT62, or the Aston Martin Valkyrie, or the Koenigsegg Jesko. According to Gordon Murray, an F1 successor does not exist. So he's going to build one. In an interview and report from Road & Track, Murray said, "I truly believe nobody's done another McLaren F1 since the F1. And although very few auto journalists have had the chance to drive an F1, we're inclined to agree, just based on how specific of a car the F1 was. Not even McLaren's new Speedtail, which does have a center seating position, can be considered a spiritual successor, as it has a hybrid powertrain. The F1 was an engineering marvel when it was introduced in 1992, and it remains one in 2019. The combination of the center seating position, the 542-horsepower V12, and the 2,244-pound dry weight is nearly impossible to recreate today, thanks to the loads of safety standards, added technology, and more complicated powertrains. Nearly impossible is not impossible, though. According to the report, Murray's new car would have all the features of the old, but better. It will have a V12 powerplant linked to a manual transmission, and the driver will sit in the middle of the car. Like many supercars today (including McLarens), it will use a carbon fiber monocoque, which helped Murray keep the car light. He claims it weighs less than 2,200 pounds, which is bananas. For full information about timing, pricing, availability, and more details about the car, read the full report and all of Murray's quotes at Road & Track. Related Video:

McLaren 720S Spider First Drive Review | Absolutely corrupted by power

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." What English writer and historian John Dalberg-Acton said is true. I have absolutely been corrupted, completely and irrevocably, by the McLaren 720S Spider. And it's all because of the power. I drove the brand-new supercar on a route that took me from the urban sprawl of Phoenix to the more peaceful surroundings of Payson across some open stretches of highway in Arizona. I learned a lot along the way. But the one fact that overwhelms everything else is that the 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 engine installed in the McLaren 720S Spider feels almost otherworldly powerful. With a dry weight of 2,937 pounds, the Spider weighs just 108 pounds more than the 720S hardtop. That's going to have a very small impact on performance, but you won't feel any difference from behind the wheel — 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque have a way of masking a few extra pounds. Foot to the floor, there's a brief moment right off idle where turbo lag almost makes the 720S Spider's engine feel like it may be a disappointment. Almost. And then all hell breaks loose. McLaren says the 720S Spider will accelerate from 0-60 in 2.8 seconds on its way to a 10.4-second quarter mile (just 0.1 seconds slower than the coupe) and 212-mph top speed. Drop the top and terminal velocity falls to a positively pedestrian 202. While we're on the topic of stopwatch measurements, it takes just 11 seconds to raise or retract the electrically operated folding roof. The rear window glass also raises to minimize wind turbulence in the cabin or lowers to let in the elements and the wail of the engine's exhaust note. I kept everything lowered as much as possible to fully experience the open-air nature of the Spider, but when a sudden rainstorm rolled in, the fact that the top can be folded up or down at speeds of up to 31 mph came in handy. With the top in place, I was able to enjoy another cool new feature that isn't shared with the rest of McLaren's lineup of Spiders. An electrochromic glass panel can turn mostly transparent or deeply tinted at the touch of a button. The roof, which is paired with a translucent set of flying buttresses just aft of the passenger compartment, offers a feeling of airiness and visibility that is unrivaled among the Spider's competitive set.

The ghoulish McLaren 600LT Spider by MSO lurks in the night

McLaren will use anything as an excuse to show off the customization prowess of its McLaren Special Operations (MSO) division. In the past, it has released bespoke cars to celebrate Le Mans, fashion designers, various historic racing achievements and Canada. With its recent creation, McLaren is using the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to display what a 600LT Spider could look like with a few special touches. According to McLaren, about half of all 600LT Coupe buyers use MSO in some form or another, so it assumed fans and customers would like to see similar treatment on the open-top Spider version. McLaren has shown MSO projects regularly at Geneva, and with overall demand and production ramping up, it wasn't about to stop in 2019. This show car is meant to be somewhat of an ode to the 600LT's predecessor, the 675LT, and uses Napier Green as the accent color, an original paint from the 675LT. The main body color is called Dove Grey and gives the car an under-the-radar smoky look. To apply the Napier Green — which outlines several aero pieces, appears on the brake calipers, and stripes across the side of the body — McLaren used a method previously only done on race cars. As it did with the 720S GT3 and 570S GT4, McLaren applied the paint by compressing it into a "light and flexible film." No supercar is complete these days without splashes of carbon fiber, and the MSO 600LT adheres to the trend. The exposed carbon fiber aero kit and the door scoops were given a satin finish to contrast the gloss black wheels. The interior has several optional features, as well. It has carbon fiber racing seats that were first developed for the McLaren Senna, with 600LT embroidered into the headrests. It also features an Alcantara headliner and steering wheel, as well as green contrasting elements all over the place. More carbon fiber was applied to the door inserts, the tunnel sides, the gear select housing and the infotainment surround. The 600LT by MSO is not one of McLaren's most outrageous works, nor does it have a specific theme for its debut, but it will surely draw plenty of attention in Geneva. Since driving one, we've spent most of our time daydreaming about what it'd be like to craft our own. Related Video:

McLaren 600LT Spider First Drive Review | A Longtail benchmark

PHOENIX — Expectations were high as I strapped myself into the driver's seat of the 2020 McLaren 600LT Spider. The spec sheet looked promising: a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 producing 592 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a lightweight carbon fiber monocoque chassis. Plus, the 600LT's sinewy composite bodywork looks equally great in the real world. But it wasn't until I was connecting apexes and hitting curbs through the kinks that make up turns 14 and 15 at Arizona Motorsports Park just outside of Phoenix that the 600LT Spider seriously started to stand out even when judged against the other supercars in McLaren's current lineup. To borrow a well-worn phrase, the McLaren 600LT Spider is more than the sum of its parts. It was designed in such a way that all of its bits and pieces harmoniously work together to create what may be the single best buy in the entire supercar realm. McLaren divides its street cars into three categories: Sport Series, Super Series, and Ultimate Series. The LT designation, which stands for Longtail and memorializes the collectible F1 Longtail of the 1990s, is affixed to higher-end, track-focused machinery. The 600LT sits at the very top of the brand's entry level series, and while that seemingly means it's merely the biggest and baddest of the lowest tier, that isn't a fair assessment. I suggest you read through our First Drive report of the hardtop 600LT to understand why we at Autoblog concluded at the time that "it's quite simply the most entertaining model McLaren has yet built." Now that we've driven the 600LT Spider, however, we might have to adjust our rankings. Unlike some supercar makers, McLaren prides itself on building vehicles that aren't just fast around a racetrack but are somehow also easy to live with and drive out in the real world. That dual-role nature lends itself extremely well to top-down motoring. And McLaren has nailed the folding hardtop design with the 600LT Spider. With the top up, the McLaren 600LT Spider feels just like the coupe. The electrically powered roof is composed of three pieces that can raise or lower in less than 20 seconds and can be activated at up to 25 mph. At speed, the hardtop does a good job of keeping the cabin relatively quiet, and conversations can easily be had on the highway. Top down, there's less wind buffeting and a greater feeling of spaciousness than in the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder.

McLaren won't do an SUV, says company design chief

While many carmakers traditionally known for supercars have bolstered their lineups with SUVs and crossovers, that will not happen with McLaren. At least according to McLaren design chief Mark Roberts, as quoted by Automotive News. Roberts made the statement at an event preceding the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, saying, "We really do deliver on the ultimate driving experience. For us, it means no compromise. An SUV doesn't allow us to deliver on that. It's not a no-compromise kind of vehicle." Company boss Mike Flewitt was asked the same question way back in 2014, and the response was similar: "We need to remain very focused. McLaren is a sports car brand, and that's exactly what we're going to remain." For a number of sports car brands now offering SUVs, it's all about making money to make money: Selling profitable, in-demand, high-riding vehicles provides them with the bankroll to keep developing their low-slung core products that show the brand in the best light. For McLaren, dilution like that isn't an option, despite its intent to bring as many as 18 new models to the market by 2025, electrifying its lineup with hybrid tech. Roberts told Automotive News: "For a small company like McLaren, it's a big deal and a big challenge. It's putting a big demand on [McLaren's production facility] to step up to demand and build more volume." Still, for some carmakers, the old thought "Never say never again" will prove true: Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne famously told reporters in 2016, "We won't make an SUV. You'll have to shoot me first." Despite that, Ferrari confirmed an SUV was on the table when the late Marchionne was still very much alive. And Rolls-Royce, which recently launched its massive Cullinan SUV, reportedly " wasn't even discussing SUVs" as late as 2013. Related Video:

McLaren's new F1 car is love at first sight for driver Carlos Sainz

WOKING — Spanish driver Carlos Sainz got into the Valentine's Day spirit by declaring love at first sight on Thursday as McLaren showed off its 2019 Formula One car and lineup. The blue and papaya orange MCL34 car was unveiled by 34 team employees at the former champions' Woking headquarters before Sainz and 19-year-old British rookie teammate Lando Norris stepped up to admire it. "I like the new colors. My teammate, I'll see in a couple of months if I like him," joked Sainz, 24, who has joined from Renault. The pair, replacing Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, are McLaren's first all-new driver lineup in 12 years, and former reserve Norris, 19, is the Renault-powered team's youngest ever driver. "I've got a lot to live up to," said the teenager. "There is a lot on my shoulders, a lot of people relying on myself and Carlos." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. McLaren, the once-dominant team of champions like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, has not won a race since 2012 or a championship since Lewis Hamilton's first in 2008. It finished sixth overall last year, an improvement on three years with Honda in which McLaren plumbed the depths of disappointment. The overall position was flattered, however, by Force India being stripped of all its points and being replaced by Racing Point, and McLaren still have a long way to go to catch the sport's top manufacturer teams. Team boss Zak Brown, who has brought in new sponsors and presided over a management shakeup that saw Racing Director Eric Boullier leave last year, recognized it would be a long road back from sixth place. "We're in a rebuilding process and it's going to be a journey," said the American, who will have James Key joining as technical head later in the year after a long 'gardening leave' from Toro Rosso. Former Porsche Le Mans team boss Andreas Siedl will join as managing director on May 1.

Hennessey gives 2019 McLaren 600LT up to 1,000 horsepower

Last summer, McLaren launched the 600LT as a a vehicle for people that a bit more performance than what's offered by the 570 line. It's significantly lighter, and has a few more horsepower. But if that's still not enough, Hennessey Performance is offering a range of upgrade packages ranging from 708 to a whopping 1,001 horsepower. Each package is basically the same as those available for the 570 models, but with 600LT adaptations, such as having the exhaust exit through the top of the engine cover. The HPE 700 package adds high-flow air filters, an ECU tune and stainless exhaust to hit 708 horsepower and 635 pound-feet of torque. The HPE 800 package adds a more potent turbo and upgraded intercooler system to hit 805 horsepower and 722 pound-feet of torque. The HPE 1000 package is the most extreme, and swaps the single factory turbo for twin turbochargers and an aftermarket Motec ECU. It also features stainless exhaust manifolds and an unspecified transmission upgrade. Output is 1,001 horsepower and 865 pound-feet of torque. The company says this version should hit 60 mph in 2.1 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in 9.6 seconds. The various packages will be available soon. The HPE 700 package is the cheapest at $17,950, followed by the HPE 800 at $34,950. The HPE 1000 package tops the charts at $99,500. Naturally, all of these prices are for the parts and installation only, and you'll still have to supply the car. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.