McLaren Delays MP4-12C Deliveries to Fix Software Glitch

McLaren keeps opening one showroom after another around the world, yet there are stories circulating the web that the Woking-based carmaker has stopped production of the MP4-12C supercar due to safety concerns.

Tony Joseph, director of McLaren North America, admitted that there are some delays, but they have nothing to do with safety: “There are no safety concerns for the delay. We’ve had some quality-related issues in a few cars we wanted to address before we continue to deliver customer cars”, he told Autoweek magazine.

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Posted on 10.46 / 0 comments / Read More

New McLaren MP4-12C Bites the Dust Near the Company's UK Headquarters

While not the first-ever crash involving the McLaren MP4-12C, this incident piqued our interest as it looks like the car in question may have been a brand-new example getting ready for delivery given the blue tape and white plastic covers on the seats, as well as the fact that the accident took place near the brand's headquarters in Woking, UK.

The picture was posted on the UK ClioSport forums by a member that claims the McLaren MP4-12C crashed into one of his friend's car before coming to a halt in front of a fence on the side of the road.

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Posted on 06.15 / 0 comments / Read More

Formula 1: Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying Round-Up

What a surprise…another Saturday, another Red Bull at the first spot of the starting grid, with a second Red Bull racer at its side: a site everyone has gotten used to this year.

What must have frightened poleman Sebastian Vettel rivals for tomorrow's race is his admission that he held back and did not perform at 100%: “On the last run, I tried a bit too much going into the really tricky chicane around Turn 10," said Vettel, adding that, "I decided to abort the lap, as it can be so easy to damage the car.”

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Posted on 11.19 / 0 comments / Read More

McLaren Opens New Showroom in Singapore

Ron Dennis is a man with a plan. When possible, McLaren’s mastermind has arranged the grand openings of new dealerships to coincide with the local Formula 1 Grand Prix events.

He did it in Germany, then in Italy, and now it’s Singapore’s turn – both for McLaren Automotive and the F1 race. The new showroom belongs to McLaren Automotive Asia Pte Ltd, which is based in Singapore and will manage the Asia Pacific dealer network.

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F1 Results: 2011 Italian Grand Prix in Monza

The Italian GP that took place on Sunday at the Monza racetrack was nothing if not exciting. From the moment the red lights went off and the cars started accelerating, it was all drama. Although Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was on the fourth place of the grid, he was able to beat both McLarens as well as pole man Sebastian Vettel and take the lead in turn one. Read more »

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Formula 1: Italian GP Qualifying Results

McLaren may have tried to secure some publicity by opening its only Italian showroom in Milan just before the local GP, but on the track, it was Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel who captured the spotlight with his 10th pole position of the year in Monza. Read more »

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Then we take Milan: McLaren Opens First Dealership in Ferrari's Home Turf

McLaren’s expansion strategy is running like clockwork. After the flagship showroom in London’s Hyde Park, the British company opened two more retail shops in Germany, in Dusseldorf and Hamburg just before the local Formula 1 Grand Prix. Now, McLaren has landed in Italy. Read more »

Posted on 16.35 / 0 comments / Read More

McLaren Announces New Special Operations Customizing Division [with Video]

If you are one of the few lucky people in this world to be able afford an MP4-12C, but you want the supercar to differ from the one parked in the garage of your obviously wealthy neighbor, the new Special Operations division of McLaren Automotive has a solution.

The new division, which was announced at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show, aims to create bespoke versions in order to satisfy customer needs for differentiation.

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Posted on 07.59 / 0 comments / Read More

Report: McLaren Preparing New Models Including an MP4-12C Cabrio and a Lamborghini Aventador Rival

When the launch of your first and your second road models are separated by close to two decades (19 years to be exact), then you hardly qualify as a car manufacturer.

That is the case with McLaren: production of the extraordinary F1 begun in 1992 and stopped almost 100 cars later in 1998. Deliveries of its second production model, the MP4-12C, have just begun. Therefore, McLaren may be a big name in Formula 1, but it lacks Ferrari’s cache and experience in production models.

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Posted on 13.08 / 0 comments / Read More

Gemballa Ventures Into Motorsports with New McLaren MP4-12C GT3

German based tuner Gemballa is known first and foremost for the personalisation of Porsche cars, something it has been doing for 30 years with notable examples including the Avalanche, based on the Porsche 911, the Tornado, based on the Cayenne, and the Mirage GT, based on the Porsche Carrera GT.

Now, the famous tuning company is venturing into motorsports with its newly formed racing division headed by Gemballa Supervisory Board director, Marco Marquardt.

Surprisingly, Gemballa Racing won't be using a Porsche for its motorsport debut as the company announced today that the new team will enter two McLaren MP4-12C GT3 cars in the 2012 motorsport season.

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Singapore Businessman Peter Lim Invests in McLaren

McLaren Automotive announced today that Singapore-based businessperson Peter Lim has made a significant investment in the company and has also joined the McLaren Automotive Board of Directors, effective immediately. Read more »

Posted on 11.28 / 0 comments / Read More

McLaren Sells First 20 Examples of its MP4-12C GT3 Racer

After completing its first 24-hour race test at the famous Spa-Francorchamps, and as it is preparing two factory entries for the Magny Cours race on August 27, McLaren announced that it has already sold the first 20 examples of the MP4-12 GT3 racer. Read more »

Posted on 10.55 / 0 comments / Read More

Oops…He Did it Again: "Mr. Bean" Crashes His McLaren F1

Actor Rowan Atkinson, best known for his roles in UK TV series Mr. Bean and the Black Adder, may drive an original Mini on the screen, but in real life, he is a car enthusiast. So much that he once described in CAR magazine the process of ordering a Ferrari 456 GT and let's not forget that he owns one of the most exclusive and extreme supercars ever built: a McLaren F1.

Unfortunately, the 56-year old actor made headlines today for losing control of his precious F1, and crashing into a sign. No other cars were involved in the accident, which seems to have occurred when the McLaren met a wet patch on the road.

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Posted on 08.23 / 0 comments / Read More

Coys to Auction Sculpture of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/6 F1 Racecar

Ayrton Senna may have passed away 17 years ago, but the famed three-time Formula One champion from Brazil continues live on in the hearts of many motorsport fans.

The recent documentary film "Senna" directed by Asif Kapadia that depicts his life and death sparked a new interest in anything associated with the Brazilian champion. And what could be more relative than a giant sculpture of Senna's McLaren MP4/6 F1 racer from his last season as World Champion.

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McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Completes its First 24-Hour Endurance Test

McLaren claims it is satisfied with the performance of its new MP4-12C GT3 racer, which entered a 24-hour race for the first time last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. And this despite the fact that from the three cars entered, two factory models retired early and only one run by customer team VonRyan Racing, managed to cross the finishing line. Read more »

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F1: Hungarian Grand Prix Results

It seems like someone was bound to get a present this Sunday at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. But it wasn’t meant to be Fernando Alonso, who yesterday turned 30 and also raced for the 30th time with Ferrari. Read more »

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F1: Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Report

It's probably getting kind of old, but a Red Bull has once again claimed pole position this year. This time Sebastian Vettel is the one who managed to break teammate Mark Webber's two previous pole positions, while also beating the two McLarens piloted by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to start from the first row of the Hungaroring circuit on Sunday. Read more »

Posted on 14.54 / 0 comments / Read More

McLaren to Enter Three MP4-12C GT3s at 24h Spa Race [Video]

The 24-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps that will take place the following weekend will be the first time a McLaren racecar premieres at a 24-hour endurance event since 1995, when the F1 GTR made its maiden appearance in the 24 hours of Le Mans.

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Posted on 06.41 / 0 comments / Read More

Report: Red Bull Mulling to Build Road Cars with the Help of Infiniti

Enzo Ferrari didn’t initially intend to manufacture road cars when he started his Scuderia Ferrari team in 1928. It wasn’t until almost two decades later, in 1947, that the first road car bearing the prancing horse, the V12 125S, was produced mainly to finance his team’s racing activities.

Ferrucio Lamborghini founded Lamborghini Trattori in 1948, a successful manufacturer of tractors and other agricultural equipment. In 1959, he opened an oil heater factory, and later started producing air conditioning equipment. Naturally, he became very wealthy.

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Posted on 06.51 / 0 comments / Read More

F1: 2011 German GP Race Results

Last Sunday, after the finish of the German Grand Prix there was a McLaren, a Ferrari and a Red Bull on the podium. No surprise there. So what else is new? Red Bull and McLaren obviously have the best cars from the start of the season, winning all the races except the previous one. Especially Sebastian Vettel has such a big points lead, that he looks to have this year’s driver’s title in his pocket even with half the season remaining. Read more »

Posted on 05.25 / 0 comments / Read More