RideLust

This is one press launch that I think both Kurt or myself would have donated a body part to have gotten an invite to. The new McLaren MP4-12C utilizes a mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that pumps out 592 bhp and around 443 lb-ft of torque. It also weighs under 3000 lbs, will rocket from 0-60 mph in just a tick over 3.1 seconds, and with the right tires will also run the quarter mile in under 11 seconds. Ladies and gentlemen, if those numbers don’t get your heart rate up then there is something seriously wrong with you. To top it all off, McLaren enlisted the help of British Formula One Driver Jensen Button so the journalists would get a proper feeling of exactly what the McLaren MP4-12C was capable of. Cars like this are in a class all their own and push the limits of suspension and tire technology. As with all things exotic, the McLaren MP4-12C will not be cheap, in fact its starting price will be well over 200K for the U.S. market. This places it firmly in line with offerings from Ferrari and Lamborghini. Click through for the video.
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One of these men looks happy, the other does not.

Let me be clear about this up front: I think Evo magazine’s Chris Harris is a tool, who represents the worst of the jaded, egotistical print journalists. His recent, misguided attack on the Mazda MX-5 aside, it seems like Mr. Harris only “gets” cars that are stratospherically expensive, handle on a razor’s edge or are chock full of more plushness than a French whorehouse. He’s like a bitter Jeremy Clarkson, minus the wit, intelligence and sense of timing. Imagine the entertainment value for me, then, to see him squirm in the passenger seat as Jenson Button laps the new McLaren MP4-12C at speed. Read More…

Workers building an MP4-12C. Image: McLaren Automotive

If you’ve been holding your breath waiting for the successor to McLaren’s legendary F1 supercar, go ahead and breathe. Production of the MP4-12C has begun, and McLaren estimates that they’ll produce 1,000 units this year. At a starting price of $229,000, that could be enough to meet initial customer demand, but McLaren plans to ramp up production of the MP4-12C next year. The first cars will be built in McLaren’s current Technology Center (MTC), with production switching over to McLaren’s new Production Center (MPC) in May of 2011. Both facilities are located at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking, Surrey, UK. Read More…

Remember a few years back, when Michael Jordan was everywhere? He was probably the only sports star in the history of the world who was universally admired; like the ad jingle, we all wanted to be like Mike. You still can’t be like Mike, but you can buy his former ride if your bank account is big enough. Up for sale on eBay is Jordan’s 2007 special edition Mercedes-Benz SLR 722, with a “Buy It Now” price of just $429,990.00. That’s steep, but the SLR isn’t exactly an everyday ride, and McLaren isn’t cranking out any more.

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Nigel Stepney (l) with Jean Todt at the '05 Italian GP. Photo: Silverarrows

Nigel Stepney could be a character out of a cold war spy novel. First, he’s got the perfect British-sounding name, so you just know that there’s a KGB agent out there waiting to jab him in the leg with a ricin-capsule-tipped umbrella. In this case, however, it’s not the Russians out to get Stepney, it’s the Italians. Stepney, you see, was an F1 engineer for Ferrari before his termination in July of 2007. Prior to his departure, Ferrari alleged, Stepney had been taking home more than just coffee mugs and staplers. Stepney, it seems, had been spying for the McLaren F1 team.

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Photo: Jameslist

Let’s say you had a serious chunk of change to invest: where would you put it? The stock market is a little better than going to Vegas and betting everything on “red”, but not much. Bonds don’t yield much return, precious metals are all over the place and there’s no guarantee that art will appreciate, either. You could blow all of your money on hookers and beer, which would give you some righteous stories to tell, or you could sink your money into an automotive investment.

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Vodafone is getting their money’s worth out of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren Mercedes teammates have appeared in a series of ads this year, most of which have been subtle plugs for the British telecom company. It’s rare to see F1 teammates get along, let alone riff on each other and enjoy a laugh or two. Who knew that Jenson Button has two VW camper vans in his collection?

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Gordon Murray designed the legendary McLaren F1. This is his latest creation, a tiny city car with center seating and a slick tilting canopy that swings up to allow entry and egress. A performance car it is not. The T.25 has a wee inline three cylinder with just 51 horsepower and the trip to 62 miles per hour (100 kph) takes an excruciating 16 seconds. But the 1,200-pound welterweight gets almost 62 miles per gallon and seats three—the pilot sits front and center while the passengers sit behind and to the side. I think it’s a slick little ride, despite its dreadful performance. And I can’t wait for it to go into production so someone can drop a Hayabusa engine into it. Hit the jump for more photos and a big giant press release.

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Formula One drivers have reputations for being hedonistic and self-centered, so it’s a bit touching to see the reverence that Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have for the cars (and their former drivers) in McLaren’s storage garage. Just like kids who get their picture snapped in a race car at a store grand opening, Button and Hamilton take pictures of each other behind the wheel of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4-4, which won 15 of 16 races in 1988.

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Photo: Andrew Griffith

At least half the Red Bull Renault Formula One team had a good weekend in Valencia, Spain. After capturing the pole position, Sebastian Vettel went on to take the win at this Sunday’s European Grand Prix. His teammate, Mark Webber, who started outside of Vettel in P2, had his weekend cut short in a huge crash with Heikki Kovalainen.

Webber, who had fallen back to 9th position, desperately needed to pass the Lotus of Kovalainen to catch the race’s front runners. Misjudging how quickly Kovalainen was slowing for a corner, Webber’s Renault hit the Lotus in the right rear wheel. The impact launched Webber’s car, which landed upside down before rolling and sliding into the tire barrier at triple digit speeds. Despite the severity of the crash, Webber walked away with no significant injuries.

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