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McLaren V6 plug-in hybrid delayed to 2021

In the middle of May, the McLaren Group began the hunt for up to $335 million to endure the downturn caused by the coronavirus, with the conglomerate ready to put every sacred asset on the block for collateral. A few days later, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt told Automotive News Europe, "This will have cost us probably two years. [In] 2020, we're going to do very little. I think it'll take us the whole of '21 to climb back [to] where we are." Even though the Woking firm had already moved to cut supply in anticipation of lower sales, a 67% sales drop in Q1 this year led to McLaren laying off 1,200 employees — a quarter of the workforce — across Automotive, Racing, and Applied Technologies divisions. Another casualty of current events is the timeline for the anticipated plug-in hybrid model reported to replace the 570S in the entry-level Sports Series tier. Chatter had suggested McLaren would debut the car this summer and begin deliveries in some markets before the year ended. But Evo magazine reports the coupe will be on the tardy list, a company spokesperson telling PistonHeads the schedule has slid back "a handful of months." The PHEV represents a big step, being a volume model built on a brand new platform, powered by a brand new engine at the heart of a brand new powertrain. The twin-turbocharged V6 said to sit behind the cockpit inaugurates a life beyond the small-displacement V8 that has powered every McLaren Automotive product since a 3.8-liter twin-turbo unit entered service in the MP4-12C. We don't know much about the V6, but spy shots appear to show that it will rev 500 rpm higher than the V8, to 8,000 rpm, and its peak output with electrical assistance will exceed the 570 horsepower in the 570S. The plug-in hybrid component contributes an Electric driving mode to Comfort and Sport modes, the powertrain supposedly able to go 21 miles on battery power. As for looks, the compact body seems to crib from the 720 S in front, the GT in the midsection, and add a lot of cooling apertures in the rear. The "little" that Flewitt said McLaren would do this year means focusing on the Elva roadster, 765LT, and Speedtail. A spokesperson said testing and development have resumed, and "dealers are [also] already opening for appointments." Since we're still not halfway through 2020, it's hard to imagine what anything will look like when — hell, if — the dust settles.

McLaren posts weak financials, sold just 307 cars in three months

LONDON — McLaren saw group revenues reverse from 284 million pounds ($348 million) to 109 million ($134 million) in the first quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, results on Thursday showed. The sports car maker also reported a plunge in car sales to 307 units over the three months, compared to 953 in the same period last year, with dealerships closed and factory production halted. It said second quarter figures were expected to be in line with Q1 but saw a stronger performance in the second half and also detected the first signs of recovery during May, particularly from China due to relaxed restrictions. The group — which is made up of the automotive, racing and applied divisions — saw its pre-tax loss balloon to 133 million pounds ($163 million) from a previous 18 million pounds. The Woking-based company said McLaren Group was "looking at a number of potential financing alternatives, secured and unsecured, of up to 275 million pounds equivalent to strengthen its liquidity position." The figures provide a backdrop to the layoffs and restructuring announced on Tuesday, with more than a quarter of the 4,000-strong workforce to be laid off. The Formula One team, which finished fourth last year, is expected to shed 70 of its 800+ employees although it said this mainly reflects the need to meet Formula One's $145 million budget cap to be introduced next year. McLaren said revenues of its racing division were 4.4 million pounds down on first quarter 2019 due to the reduced prize fund resulting from the Formula One season not starting. That was partially offset by 4.1 million pounds of increased sponsorship, however. Formula One expects to start racing in July, with plans to complete a reduced season of 15-18 grands prix compared to the 22 originally scheduled.   Earnings/Financials Hirings/Firings/Layoffs McLaren Performance

Supercar group McLaren to cut 1,200 jobs amid coronavirus pandemic

British supercar manufacturer McLaren Group, which includes the Formula One team, said on Tuesday it would cut 1,200 jobs under a proposed restructuring program as it deals with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The move is expected to impact jobs across the group's applied technology, automotive and racing businesses, the company said in a statement. The cancellation of motorsport events, the suspension of manufacturing and retail activities around the world and reduced demand for technology solutions have hurt the group's revenue generating activities, the company added. "It is a course of action we have worked hard to avoid, having already undertaken dramatic cost-saving measures across all areas of the business. But we have no other choice but to reduce the size of our workforce," Executive Chairman Paul Walsh said. The job cuts represent more than a quarter of the group's workforce of just over 4,000, according to Sky News, which first reported the news. The group is majority owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat. McLaren was the first Formula One team to furlough staff in April because of the pandemic. It has a headcount of just over 800 people, which is expected to be reduced by around 70. Formula One is due to introduce a $145 million budget cap next year as the sport seeks to cut costs and help the 10 teams survive. McLaren is the second most successful team after Ferrari in the sport's history and gave Mercedes' six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton his debut in 2007. It finished fourth in 2019 and has just signed Australian Daniel Ricciardo to partner Britain's Lando Norris in 2021. Sky News reported on May 14 that McLaren was seeking to raise up to 275 million pounds ($339.57 million) by borrowing against its Woking headquarters and collection of historic racing cars. Related Video:    

McLaren 600LT Spider Segestria Borealis is a spider edition of a Spider

It’s been a year and change since we drove the McLaren 600LT Spider, and McLaren has just wrapped up building the last few of this carÂ’s run for North America. To celebrate, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) put together 12 Segestria Borealis special edition 600LT Spiders. They will be the last 12 available for sale in the U.S. As a quick reminder, the 600LT Spider is at the very top of McLarenÂ’s Sports Series. At its heart is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 592 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. ThatÂ’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 201 mph. The 600LT Spider turns heads without a wild paint scheme, and the Segestria Borealis just makes this car stick out even more. McLaren says the design was inspired by the Segestria Florentina, a venomous spider pictured below for your nightmares. Since itÂ’s a spider edition of a Spider, McLaren jokingly named this car the “Spider Spider.” How fitting. The twin Napier Green stripes that run from the nose of the car to the top-exit exhaust are meant to symbolize the spiderÂ’s fangs. The spider itÂ’s based on is black, which the Borealis Black paint is meant to represent. ItÂ’s a fairly special black that features deep green and purple undertones depending on the light. Yeah, sounds intimidating to us. ThereÂ’s Napier Green pinstriping found all over the car, most of which can be seen lining the aero bits to make them stand out. The Napier Green paint also covers the brake calipers hiding inside the forged, gloss black wheels. And of course, it wouldnÂ’t be a spider-themed car without webbing. McLaren has used a web motif on the rear wing, side mirrors, seat headrests and the seats themselves. Yes, it is slightly childish, but it fits the theme. There are additional Napier Green accents found throughout the cabin, as well. McLaren says each of the Segestria Borealis cars are equipped with the MSO Clubsport Pack, which includes carbon fiber racing seats, carbon fiber interior trim, titanium wheel bolts and glossy carbon fiber fender louvers. McLaren also threw in (for free!) the Bowers and Wilkins audio system, McLaren track telemetry, nose lift system, parking sensors and an alarm system upgrade. Fancy. All of this will cost you $275,500. The Segestria Borealis 600LT Spiders should be arriving to a few McLaren dealers soon where theyÂ’ll be made available to purchase. Related Video:

McLaren trying to raise millions by putting its HQ, historic cars up for collateral

The McLaren 765LT in its debut at the company's Woking, England, headquarters. / AP   LONDON — McLaren is looking into various funding options to help the sports car maker and Formula One team owner negotiate the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman said on Thursday. Sky News reported that British-based McLaren was seeking to raise up to 275 million pounds ($335.61 million) by borrowing against its Woking headquarters and extensive collection of historic racing cars. It quoted sources as saying McLaren, advised by JP Morgan, could raise the money in the form of new bonds with funding secured from existing or new bondholders. A request for a 150 million-pound loan from the government was recently rejected, according to media reports. "Like many other British businesses McLaren has been severely affected by the current pandemic and we are therefore exploring a variety of different funding options to help navigate these short-term business interruptions," the spokesman said, without giving details. McLaren were the first Formula One team to furlough staff in April because of the new coronavirus, with drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz joining senior management in taking a pay cut. The company said then that the temporary three-month wage reduction was part of wider cost-cutting measures due to the impact of the pandemic on its business. The Formula One season has yet to start, a blow for teams who rely on sponsorship and a share of the sport's revenues for much of their budgets. The team announced on Thursday that Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo would be joining in 2021, with Sainz heading to Ferrari. The McLaren Group, including the luxury carmaker and applied technology arm, employs some 3,700 people with around 850 working for the F1 team. McLaren has a collection of cars driven by the likes of the late founder Bruce McLaren and Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna. The Formula One team are the second most successful in the sport's history, after Ferrari in terms of race wins and championships, and gave Mercedes' six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton his debut in 2007. The company is majority owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat. Related Video:       (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)

McLaren Speedtail reveals its hybrid powertrain secrets, and of course it's impressive

Until now, McLaren has been keeping secrets about its three-seat Speedtail hypercar. We’ve known itÂ’s packing a hybrid powertrain that produces a combined 1,055 horsepower and 848 pound-feet of torque, but thatÂ’s about it. Today, McLaren is spilling the beans, and what impressive beans they are. The combustion engine is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, rated for 747 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque on its own. Its output is nearly identical to that of the 765LT (rated for 755 horsepower and 590 pound-feet). And yes, the two are both equipped with McLarenÂ’t M840T engines. However, the SpeedtailÂ’s hybrid powertrain is named M840TQ, since it features an electric motor to help it along. And help the Speedtail along it does. McLaren says the single electric motor generates 308 horsepower on its own, which is an astounding figure for its application. The tech on display here is derived from Formula E, and McLaren is claiming itÂ’s the “highest performing installation — including cooling and integration — of any electric motor currently in use in a production road car.”  McLaren is also bragging about its new battery unit. ItÂ’s a 1.647-kilowatt-hour (mighty precise there, McLaren) cylindrical-shaped unit thatÂ’s “arranged in a unique way.” What way? McLaren doesnÂ’t say. However, itÂ’s an extremely compact unit, and McLaren claims itÂ’s able to provide the best power-to-weight ratio of any high-voltage battery available today. It says the power density of the battery is four times that of the McLaren P1, the companyÂ’s only other hybrid vehicle.  As for the cooling system, itÂ’s also state-of-the-art. McLaren says the cells are “thermally controlled by a dielectrical cooling system and permanently immersed in a lightweight, electrically insulative oil which quickly transfers heat away from the cells.” This cooling technology is also being claimed as a first in a production road car. The benefit? ItÂ’s highly efficient, and will “allow the cells to run harder and for longer.” All of this is great news for future hybrid McLaren supercars, which are coming soon. Related video:

McLaren recalls Senna and several other models over potential fire risk

McLaren is recalling multiple models due to a potential fire risk. The models in question include the 2016-2020 720S, 2019 Senna, 2020 GT and 2017-2019 570GT. In total, that amounts to 2,763 cars. The Senna being part of this recall caught our eye, since so few of those will ever be sold. McLaren says that 157 Sennas will be subject to recall. As for the issue itself, the fire risk stems from an NVH foam pad that is placed underneath the fuel tank. McLaren says there is a possibility that this pad collects and retains corrosive moisture from the environment while driving. Over time, this could corrode the surface of the fuel tank where the pad is in contact with it. Those “micro-porations” in the fuel tank could trigger the release of gas vapor or fuel liquid. McLaren says this wouldnÂ’t immediately cause a fire, because the fuel would be exiting into a “cool part of the vehicle” (not the exhaust or powertrain). However, fuel could ultimately leak onto the ground under the vehicle, increasing the risk of a fire under the car. McLaren says it first learned of the issue from a Latvian customer who claimed to smell fuel coming from his 570GT. The customerÂ’s car was a former press car, “subjected to high mileage, wear and tear and greater range of road conditions than a typical vehicle of the same type and age.” Yeah, we can attest to that. After another similar complaint from a UK customer, McLaren opened an investigation, and this recall is the result. To fix the 720S, Senna and 570GT, dealers will be removing the NVH pad from the car and inspecting all the gas tanks for corrosion. If McLaren deems it necessary, the fuel tank will be replaced. As of now, that NVH pad is just being removed from the car with no replacement part. McLaren hasnÂ’t specified a remedy for the McLaren GT yet, suggesting that something else is going on there. McLaren also states that there is no defect in the design or the materials used in the fuel tank. The foam pad is the potential issue here. Related Video:

McLaren P1 GTR-18 by Lanzante takes its inspiration from the F1

The McLaren P1 GTR is already one of the most exclusive hypercars ever built (McLaren made only 58 of them), and now Lanzante is making it even more special. The storied British racing company has decided it’s going to convert six P1 GTRs into what itÂ’s calling the P1 GTR-18. Lanzante applies a longtail style body to the P1 GTR, increasing the length and adding even more aero equipment. It has a larger front splitter and modified rear wing to create additional downforce. The appearance is the biggest draw to go with the Lanzante P1 GTR-18, though. All six will get their own special McLaren F1-inspired paint scheme, meant to match the liveries of LanzanteÂ’s racing efforts with the F1. This car is finished in the Gulf Team Davidoff No. 28R scheme, which is the livery from the last McLaren F1 GTR ever produced by Lanzante to compete. HereÂ’s a Bonhams listing for that car, so you can compare and contrast. Paint codes and samples were taken from that F1 so as to make the colors identical. Even the carbon fiber has a special tint to it, different from the regular P1 GTR. Lanzante does throw in some interesting extras, too. You get a headset (to talk to your passenger on track) finished in the same paint scheme as the car, and a set of “bespoke dust bags” and tinted carbon fiber keys to match the car. Powertrain details are not final yet, but the GTR made 986 horsepower combined from its gas engine and electric motor from the factory. It probably doesnÂ’t need anything more. All great stuff, and it will likely cost untold amounts of money. Lanzante didnÂ’t say how much, but anybody who had enough cash to pick up a P1 GTR can likely spring for this special Lanzante treatment if they want it. Related Video:

McLaren hybrid sports series prototype spied, possible 570S successor

McLaren has repeatedly said it plans to go hybrid with all of its vehicles in the future. The latest rumors out of Britain point at plans to reveal the first of this new hybrid lineup sometime this year. This heavily camouflaged prototype could be the one we’re waiting for — it even says “hybrid prototype” on the side sill. Its size and general shape means itÂ’s likely part of McLarenÂ’s Sports Series. The camo does an excellent job of disguising what the sheetmetal underneath looks like. If we had to guess, this car looks like itÂ’d be a replacement for the 570S model. Assuming weÂ’re right about that, itÂ’s probably hiding McLarenÂ’s yet-to-be-revealed twin-turbo V6 engine. Add the electric power into the equation, and itÂ’s likely going to be making much more combined power than the twin-turbo V8 is able to produce on its own now. McLarenÂ’s hybrids are also rumored to be of the plug-in variety, capable of driving about 20 miles off electric power. The camouflage over top of the engine bay appears to be tented, and it looks a bit like the McLaren GT because of it with the gently sloping line to the back. We donÂ’t even get to see how large the side air intakes are since McLaren has covered these up quite well, too. The high-mounted dual exhaust has us giddy. Its placement reminds us of the 720S exhaust pipes. Under all that is a giant diffuser and wide rubber pushed to the edges of the car. Last we heard, McLaren was going to release a hybrid model this year, and it would go on sale in 2021. We wouldnÂ’t be surprised if these targets are pushed back due to delays stemming from the coronavirus. Related video:

Novitec McLaren Senna can hit 124 mph in 6.5 seconds

The McLaren Senna is quick. Really quick. Zero-to-124-mph-in-6.8-seconds quick. But rather than focusing on the achievement of that absurd number, the Novitec Group looks at the time between 0.0 and 6.8 seconds as a window of opportunity. That's the place where never-satisfied dreamers live, and Novitec has managed to whittle that opening down to 6.5 seconds with its just-announced tuning pack. The standard McLaren Senna comes equipped with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that officially registered as the most powerful McLaren road car engine ever made. Paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, M840TR, as it's internally known, produced a claimed 789 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. With Novitec's maximum tune, it makes 889 horsepower and 655 lb-ft of torque.  Put to use, the Novitec Senna can catapult from a standstill to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds, down from 2.8 seconds. Sprinting from zero to 124 mph takes 6.5 seconds, and it boasts a top speed of 208 mph, the same as the regular Senna. Like with its tuned McLaren 720S, Novitec offers three levels of tuning but does not specify the numbers for the two lower tiers. All three are accomplished by adding Novitec's plug-and-play Novitec N-Tronic module. This piece of technology adapts to the Senna's electronic engine control unit (ECU), re-maps the car's injection and ignition, and modifies the electronic boost pressure control. The car's experience has also been altered by a Novitec Race GTR high-performance exhaust system made of Iconel. The exhaust has two 3.7-inch pipes that can be finished in polished stainless or matte black. In collaboration with Vossen Wheels, the Novitec Senna has some new centerlock shoes, too. The forged MC3 wheels feature seven twin-spokes and can be ordered in 72 different colors. The specialty wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero rubber.  Check out Novitec's new beast in action below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.