2021 Mclaren Elva Elva Number 149 Or 149 Last One Produced Fully Exposed Carbon on 2040-cars

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Hot lapping Detroit's Belle Isle in a McLaren 12C GT3

Last weekend's Indianapolis 500 was indeed the most prominent race of the 2014 IndyCar series so far, with driver Ryan Hunter-Reay winning in what was an incredibly close fight to the very last lap. But the Indy 500 doesn't mark the end of the IndyCar season, and this weekend, the series heads to Detroit for the Belle Isle Grand Prix – an event that brought open-wheel racing back to The D in 2012 (to admittedly terrible results). But this weekend's Belle Isle events aren't just about IndyCar. In fact, there's a whole host of racing to be found on the small island in the Detroit River this weekend, including the Pirelli World Challenge competition, which many folks love, if only because the racecars are actually based off of production vehicles. As part of this week's pre-race festivities, Autoblog multimedia director Adam Morath got to meet with the folks from K-Pax Racing and check out their McLaren 12C GT3 racer. Morath got strapped in and was told to hang on to his five-point for a memorable hot lap of Belle Isle in the 12C GT3, and he captured the experience on video. Scroll down to check it out. Motorsports McLaren Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Videos detroit grand prix

McLaren wants to revolutionize engine efficiency with an all-star partnership

McLaren Automotive is reporting strong growth, as its sales volume almost doubled during the previous year; from 1,654 sold cars in 2015 to 3,286 cars in 2016. To keep that upward trajectory a reality, the company is aiming to overhaul its powertrain technology with help from BMW Group along with other strategic partners. In a statement of intent published today, McLaren is announcing a project to develop "new combustion technology that will produce a higher output per capacity than currently possible", while still achieving reduced CO2 output. A McLaren spokesperson told Autoblog that reduced emissions is also a goal of the combustion improvements. We expect to see the results of this effort sometime around 2020. The McLaren-led project is backed and partially funded by the UK Government, through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. The APC is a think tank formed in 2013, itself standing as a 10-year joint effort between the UK Government and the automotive industry. There are five other partners in addition to McLaren, including McLaren's engine-manufacturing partner Ricardo. BMW Group and casting experts Grainger & Worrall, which also produce parts for Aston Martin DB11 engines, are also in the list. Then there is Lentus Composites with their material know-how, and the University of Bath, who will be utilized for their advanced R&D capabilities. The project is sure to boost the existing credibility of the middle of England as an advanced automotive technology powerhouse, and it will be interesting to see which kind of power figures the end products will churn out – and in what kind of bodies the high-tech engines will be mounted. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: McLaren Automotive McLaren Technology Emerging Technologies Supercars

Future McLaren cars will be hybrids and autonomous

You may want to look away supercar purists, McLaren views its future as partially electrified and autonomous. Autocar reported today that McLaren's CEO Mike Flewitt wants to bring in hybrid technology for next-generation McLaren sports cars, with the electrified tech baked in from the beginning rather than adding it on after the fact. "Hybrid design is part of the next platform," Flewitt said. "It is designed-in from day one rather than having to adapt an existing chassis." The British manufacturer would even offer hybrid-only models in most product lines, rendering conventional, non-hybrid McLarens as limited editions only. The powertrain in the strongest-selling hybrid cars would feature a turbo V6, reports Autocar. The upcoming BP23 hypercar will already have an electric motor and a battery pack backing up its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Flewitt also confirms that future McLaren cars will have autonomous capabilities, which is certainly an interesting move by a driver-centric specialty car manufacturer. Flewitt acknowledged this, but noted that "Autonomy in its own right isn't that appealing to our customers, but we need to have capabilities designed in for safety, legislation and emissions." The first model to be replaced with a hybrid successor would be the entry-level 570S, reportedly by next year. The electrification would then continue until the 2022 replacement of the 720S. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: AutocarImage Credit: McLaren Green McLaren Future Vehicles Hybrid Luxury Supercars mclaren automotive