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Alonso can do full WEC season after date changed to avoid F1 race

McLaren Formula One driver Fernando Alonso can compete for Toyota in every round of the World Endurance Championship this season after organizers moved the Japanese event to avoid a U.S. Grand Prix clash. They announced at a presentation in Paris on Friday that the Six Hours of Fuji had been brought forward to Oct. 14, ensuring that the Spaniard can feature for Toyota at the manufacturer's home track. Alonso wants to win the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race in France as part of the "triple crown of motorsport" achieved only by the late Briton Graham Hill. Hill, like Alonso a two-times Formula One world champion, won Le Mans, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 in the 1960s and early 1970s. Toyota announced last month that Alonso, whose main focus remains Formula One, would be racing all the rounds of the endurance season that did not clash with his McLaren commitments. The Fuji race had originally been pushed back a week to Oct. 21 to avoid a clash with the IMSA Petit Le Mans round at Road Atlanta in the United States. The eight round 2018-19 WEC "super season" includes two editions of Le Mans as a move towards a championship that will start in the European summer and end with the French endurance classic. The top LMP1 category will have 10 cars, with Toyota the only factory team following the departure of reigning champions Porsche. Alonso will share a car with Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi and Japanese Kazuki Nakajima, both former F1 drivers. Reporting by Alan Baldwin Related Video:

7 things you need to know about the McLaren Senna

McLaren doesn't care if you think it's ugly. Why would it? Even at $958,966, it didn't struggle to sell all 5 00 Senna supercars sight unseen, nearly a third of those heading to U.S. owners. "It's not meant to be pretty," McLaren boss Mike Flewitt tells us. "Ultimate Series cars are about focus in one area. In the Senna, it's aero and track performance first." Still think it's too ugly? Save your breath. It goes harder than the McLaren P1 What would the McLaren P1 have been like without the electric motor, battery pack and associated heft? The Senna is your answer. Sure, 789 horsepower from an evolution of the 4.0-liter V8 in the 720S plays the P1's hybrid-assisted 903 bhp. But the Senna's lightest possible dry weight of 2,641 pounds is more than 400 pounds less than the P1, twin-scroll turbos compensating for the lack of torque-filling electric boost. On paper it pushes the P1 hard, 0 to 60 mph coming up in just 2.7 seconds and 0 to 124 mph in 6.8 seconds – the latter a whole second faster than the 720S. The P1's takes half a second out of the Senna's 0 to 186 mph, and it's faster overall at 217 mph against 211 mph. But next-gen aero and chassis control systems mean a P1 is unlikely to see which way the Senna went in the corners. The looks make sense when you see it With its goofy front overhang, undernourished wheel arches, gaping intakes and towering rear wing, the Senna isn't conventionally beautiful. McLaren's social media manager admits as much, sighing, "It's not an easy car to photograph." In comparison with the shrink-wrapped sensuality of the P1, the Senna has shades of some of the fussier, aero-heavy F1 cars such as Lewis Hamilton's 2008 championship-winning MP4-23. But in the flesh, it's more successful, the front view startling in its aggression, your eye instinctively tracking the flow of air over and through the car and making visual sense of how the aero works. It's got too much downforce If the P1 was a transformer switching between suave hypercar and track monster, the Senna is permanently the latter, which is good news if you needed to drive your P1 everywhere in Race mode to prove your manhood. With a 25-degree range of movement, the wing contributes to a total of 1,763.7 pounds of downforce at 155 mph, the P1 generating 1,323 pounds at the same speed. Meanwhile, active, contrast-colored aero blades within the front fenders adjust airflow over their fixed downstream equivalents to maintain correct aero balance.

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

Fernando Alonso will drive for McLaren in F1, Toyota at Le Mans, WEC

Fernando Alonso will drive for Toyota in this year's Le Mans 24-hour race and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), his McLaren Formula One team said on Tuesday. The Spanish double F1 world champion has been considering taking part in endurance events as he bids to emulate Graham Hill, the late Briton who won the Formula One world title, Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans in the 1960s. "I've never been shy about my aim of winning motorsport's Triple Crown — the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We tried for Indy last year, came close, but just missed out," Alonso said in a statement. "This year, I have the chance thanks to McLaren to race for the win at Le Mans. It is a big challenge — much can go wrong — but I am ready, prepared and looking forward to the fight." Following his appearance in the 24 Hours of Daytona last week, a deal has been reached with Toyota for the 36-year-old Alonso to take part in as many WEC rounds as possible. McLaren and Alonso have agreed, however, that Formula 1 remains their shared priority and he will miss the Japanese leg of the WEC season on Oct. 21 due to it clashing with the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix. Reporting by Hardik VyasRelated Video:

McLaren MSO X is a bespoke 570S GT4 Le Mans car for the road

We like the McLaren 570S a lot. Few vehicles combine sharp looks, raw speed and genuine usability like McLaren's entry-level model. Still, there's always room for some custom changes. That's where McLaren Special Operations steps in. MSO builds bespoke vehicles like the MSO R and MSO HS (both based on the McLaren 675LT) for customers willing to shell out the dough. Usually it's a one or two-car run, but McLaren just announced a run of 10 road-legal cars done up like the 570S GT4 race car and painted like McLaren F1 GTR Le Mans cars from the '90s. One look at the McLaren MSO X and you'll know it means business. If the paint scheme, roof snorkel and pylon-mounted rear wing don't give it away, the stripped-down interior (complete with a fire extinguisher) probably will. This is a race car for the road, and since all the cars were commissioned by McLaren Newport Beach, they're actually legal in the US. McLaren wants the owners to be able to drive their cars to the track, so each MSO X retains parking sensors, rear-view cameras, air conditioning and a lift for speed bumps and driveways. MSO did as much as possible to make the cars look like the 570S GT4, adding a few other touches here and there. The rear wing adds 220 lbs of downforce to the rear. The roof snorkel was inspired by the 1997 F1 GTR Longtail and improves air induction. The hood has intakes that help channel air to the snorkel and rear wing. Dive planes on the front add some stability up front. Other changes include MSO Titanium Super Sports Exhaust and Pirelli PZero Corsa tires. The roof, hood, side skirts, engine cover, front and rear bumpers and rear diffuser are all done in a satin carbon fiber finish. McLaren says the cutouts in the bumper are there to shave weight. The rest of the car is painted in a different race livery. The interior of the standard 570S features carbon fiber on the steering wheel, instrument cluster and center console. The MSO X removes the carpeting and leather, exposing the McLaren's carbon-fiber Monocell 2 on the car's door sills. Each carbon-fiber seat is fitted with a six-point racing harness. The standard seat belts are still there for non-track driving. There's space behind the seats for a helmet. The McLaren Track Telemetry from the 720S adds cameras so you can review your laps. MSO doesn't ever list costs, but if you're ordering a bespoke supercar, money usually isn't an issue. We just want pictures of the other eight cars.

McLaren, unlike Ferrari or Lamborghini, won't build an SUV

Lamborghini now has one, and Ferrari says it will introduce one by late 2019 or 2020. But don't expect McLaren to taint its supercar DNA by giving into the temptation to tap into the hot-selling sport utility vehicle segment. "I'm not the first person to point out an SUV is neither particularly sporty or utilitarian," McLaren's chief designer, Dan Parry-Williams, told Top Gear. "It's not 'everything for a reason,' unless the reason is to clutter up the streets," referring to a McLaren design mantra ("everything for a reason", a nod to minimalism and purposefulness in the company's cars). In other words, they're not going to build one since it doesn't fit with the mission of the company: to build ultra high-performance sportscars. Lamborghini showed off its new Urus SUV at an event on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show earlier this week, making for its first presence at the Detroit auto show in several years. It'll start at $200,000. Meanwhile, Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne said at the auto show Tuesday that the Italian brand will make not only a battery-electric supercar without peer, but also its first SUV, which will be the "fastest on the market" when it arrives in late 2019 or 2020, according to Bloomberg. McLaren has already said that it aims to increase production, invest GBP1 billion (about $1.38 billion at current exchange rates) and expand its product portfolio, saying that half of its new models will be hybrids by 2022. It's also talked about making a fully electric powertrain for a future Ultimate Series model based on the hybrid P1. Just don't plan on any of them sitting on a new SUV platform — for now, at least.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Drew Phillips McLaren SUV Hybrid Performance supercar mclaren p1 hypercar Sport Utility

2018 McLaren 570GT can be as sporty as the 570S

We're getting the feeling that McLaren is not a company that likes compromise. When it introduced the 570S Spider, it had the exact same performance as the coupe, and barely weighed any more than the coupe, despite having a retractable top. Now, McLaren is bringing the 570GT up to 570S performance parity with the Sports Pack. The Sports Pack costs an extra $5,950, which isn't cheap, but shouldn't scare someone willing and able to drop over $200,000 on a car. For that money, McLaren swaps in the 570S Coupe's steering rack, shocks, and stability control and driving mode settings. And now that all 570GTs get standard carbon ceramic brakes, there shouldn't be much of a difference in driving experience between the GT and S Coupe. Except for the fact that you'll actually be able to bring more than a large wallet with you on the drive. In addition to the Sports Pack, McLaren now offers an electrochromic glass roof option for the 570GT which allows the driver to pick the preferred amount of tinting. A number of new color options are also now available on the 570GT as well as the 570S Coupe. Finally, the entire 570-line now puts the rear-view camera display in the instrument cluster, when the camera option is added. Related Video:

Ferrari, BMW lend expertise to Olympic bobsled, skeleton, luge

LONDON — There are plenty of reasons why the sport of bobsleigh is sometimes referred to as Formula One on ice, but few as obvious as Italy's World Cup sleds. Resplendent in Ferrari red, and with a set of team sponsor Pirelli's P-Zero tyres painted on the sides, they are even liveried to look like racing cars. Ferrari, Formula One's most glamorous and successful team, have worked with the Italian federation, whose sleds run without sponsor branding at the Olympics, since 2010 and in the run-up to next month's Pyeongchang Winter Games. Former rival BMW, title sponsor of the World Cup, has long partnered the U.S. bobsleigh team, while McLaren teamed up with Britain's bob and skeleton athletes for the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia. "There's always the link between the Formula One companies, or any motor company, and skeleton and bobsleigh," says Rachel Blackburn, the engineer who has been involved in Britain's skeleton program since 2006 and who used to work for McLaren. "There's the Ferrari sleds and the BMW sleds ... when we were at McLaren it kind of made a good story," she told Reuters by telephone from her home in Dubai. That somewhat manufactured rivalry has died down in the years since Sochi, with McLaren no longer involved and Ferrari's presence low key. But the worlds of grand prix motor racing and sliding sports still have plenty in common. Bobsled, luge and skeleton are among the fastest of Olympic sports, with bobsleds reaching speeds over 90 mph. Drivers are subjected to gut-wrenching G-forces, and crashes can be fatal. And then there is the ongoing debate about cost controls, the direction of future rules, preserving a level playing field and obsessive secrecy — all endlessly recurring themes in Formula One. 80 mph on a tea tray Blackburn said skeleton, where riders hit 80 mph on what has glibly been compared to an oversized tea-tray, sits somewhere between Americas Cup yachts and Formula One cars in terms of speed and aerodynamics. "Applied engineering is far more interesting than the pure stuff, so when its applied to something that's fun and exciting it does make it a lot easier to solve problems," she said. "There is the Americas Cup, sailing, Formula One and the high speed ice sports as well. It's the same concept.

What I learned using the McLaren 570S as my daily driver

There it was, sitting in my driveway as I returned home after running out for errands. A bright Curacao blue McLaren 570S, all mine for the next few days. I made my typical first-impression walkaround. My test car was slathered in all the carbon fiber trim that the vast options sheet had to offer. The retractable roof performs a lovely mechanical tango while whooshing and buzzing its way into a small space just aft of the cabin. It looks just as beautiful with the top down as it does up. The doors open in a sort of dihedral manner, once you figure out where the handles are hidden (in the black space underneath the bodycolor swoosh at the top), and once they are fully erect, it's not terribly difficult to contort yourself inside. My first thought: I could drive this thing every day. And so I did. For the next three days, I would use only the McLaren 570S to get from one place to another. I went to the grocery store, drove to dinner, and made a spur-of-the-moment trip up north from Seattle to Bellingham. Here's what I learned. Those dihedral doors look sweet — a prerequisite for any proper supercar — but the way the glass rises from the doors means opening them also opens up the roof section, so there's really no way to keep the rain out when entering. That doesn't matter on beautiful sunny days, but remember, this is my daily driver for the weekend, come rain or shine. The most difficult part of getting cozy is adjusting the seat. The buttons are at the front of the seat, and, best I can tell, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason as to which button moves or controls what surface. It's a 15-minute guessing game of button mashing, praying, cursing, and trying again. It's actually fairly comfortable inside the 570S once you find a correct seating position. You sit low, but not so low that your legs are parallel with the floor. There's ample headroom for a six-plus-footer. Visibility is actually pretty good. I set myself to the task of roving about the cabin, testing switches and buttons, and generally getting familiar with my surroundings. The infotainment system is, for this day and age, rudimentary. But that hardly matters, considering the car's purpose. Let's dip into the throttle and hear the sound of 3.8 twin-turbocharged liters of displacement. There are 562 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque waiting to burst out, at least once the engine settles into a completely reasonable idle after its somewhat frenetic minute-long warm-up routine.

Watch Ken Block play traffic cop in ’Top Gear’ teaser

BBC is teasing a new series of 'Top Gear' starring the rally racer and Hoonigans honcho Ken Block and promising that series 25 is "coming soon." Block plays a police officer (with a Los Angeles Police Department badge, no less) in an off-road 4x4 vehicle in the 30-second clip, jumping off obstacles and tearing through dirt in an industrial area near snow-capped mountains. He gives chase to show hosts Matt LeBlanc, in a yellow Ford Mustang, Rory Reid and Chris Harris, who steers a McLaren 570S. It looks like they're having more fun that the rest of us. LeBlanc has said the next season of episodes will aim to attract a younger, more diverse audience with more comedy. Series 25 is expected to launch in spring, perhaps after the wrap-up of the second season of 'The Grand Tour.'Related Video: Celebrities TV/Movies Ford McLaren Off-Road Vehicles Performance Top Gear Ken Block