2012 Mclaren Mp4-12c on 2040-cars

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McLaren confirms Ultimate Series supercar with exhaust teaser shot

Late last year, McLaren announced a supercar project with a center seating arrangement, which it called the "Bespoke Project 23" — a suitably obscure codename for a British prototype. After all, this is the country whose atomic bomb project in WWII was codenamed "Tube Alloys," so there's a penchant for understatement and obscurity. But now McLaren has announced another car will join the Ultimate Series line, before BP23, and we hear its code name is P15. We even have an official photo, showing triple tailpipes surrounded by a similarly-shaped surround made of what looks to be aluminum, possibly titanium. It's obviously nestled in the rear of the P15, since side-pipes wouldn't look like this. Otherwise, there's not much to glean from it. It's nice to know, however, that the BP23 won't be alone at the top of McLaren's range. We'll be watching for updates on the P15 (and the BP23) and bring you whatever we find. Hopefully that'll include better names, the sooner the better. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. McLaren Coupe Future Vehicles Performance Supercars mclaren bp23

Apple takeover of McLaren makes Project Titan sound a lot more interesting [UPDATE]

UPDATE : A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that these reports are untrue: "We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment." A spokesperson further told Business Insider that the Financial Times' report is completely untrue and that the automaker is not holding any talks with Apple in regard to a takeover or a strategic investment. Apple is considering buying McLaren Technology Group, a British automotive manufacturer, and is currently holding talks with the company, reports the Financial Times. According to three individuals that are currently in on the negotiations, the California-based technology group is thinking about a full takeover of the British automaker or a strategic investment. The anonymous sources claim that talks started several months ago. A collaboration between Apple and McLaren, from the automaker's standpoint at least, is puzzling. Apple has been working on its autonomous, electric vehicle for over two years now, while McLaren hasn't revealed any interest in creating a self-driving car. McLaren, though, isn't posting healthy profits as the Financial Times claims that the automaker reported a revenue of $344 million and pre-tax losses of $29.3 million in 2014. For Apple, a partnership with McLaren could prove to be fruitful as the company would have access to the automaker's high-tech chassis materials and engineering components, kicking the company's automotive project into overdrive. The Financial Times reports that Apple is interested in McLaren's patent portfolio, technology, and engineering prowess, which would surely help the technology company with its automotive project. Earlier this month, Apple reportedly laid off dozens of employees to "reboot" its automotive program. While there's no word on what the "reboot" included, the Financial Times' anonymous sources claim that the deal might not go ahead because of the recent shift in Apple's automotive project. According to the Financial Times' unnamed sources, McLaren Technology owns 80 percent of McLaren Automotive and is valued at between $1.29 and $1.95 billion. If the deal between McLaren and Apple were to go through, that would make it the technology company's largest acquisition since the company bought Beats Electronics for $3 billion in 2014. This isn't the first time Apple invested in a company that focuses on transportation. The technology company recently invested China's main Uber competitor – Didi Chuxing.

UK car output falls 14% in March, may get worse with no-deal Brexit

LONDON — British car output fell for the 10th month in a row in March, hit by a slowdown in key foreign markets, and the sector stands to suffer a lot more if the country leaves the European Union without a deal, an industry body said on Tuesday. Output tumbled by an annual 14.4 percent to 126,195 cars in March, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. Exports, which account for nearly four out of every five cars made in Britain, were down by 13.4 percent. The SMMT said analysis it had commissioned predicted output would fall this year to 1.36 million units from 1.52 million in 2018, assuming London can secure a transition deal with the EU. If Britain has to rely instead on World Trade Organization rules for its trade with the bloc, which include import tariffs, output is forecast to fall by around 30 percent to 1.07 million units in 2021, returning to mid-1980s levels, the SMMT said. The forecasts were produced for SMMT by AutoAnalysis, a consultancy. Prime Minister Theresa May has secured a delay to the Brexit deadline until Oct. 31, giving her more time to try to break an impasse in parliament over the terms of Britain's departure from the EU. Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt traveled to Japan earlier this month to try to persuade the Japanese government and Toyota, which has a big presence in Britain, that London was determined to avoid a no-deal Brexit. "Just a few years ago, industry was on track to produce 2 million cars by 2020 — a target now impossible with Britain's reputation as stable and attractive business environment undermined," SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said. "All parties must find a compromise urgently so we can set about repairing the damage and diverting energy and investment to the technological challenges that will define the future of the global industry." (Reporting by William Schomberg, editing by David Milliken)