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Posted
Feb 01 2012, 03:02 AM
by
Rod Chong
with 21 comment(s)
Mclaren have just taken the wraps off of their new MP4-27 Formula One machine, with a technical presentation taking place at their Woking HQ earlier today. The new car is said to be an evolution from last year's machine, built with the goal of challenging for race wins from the get go....
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Posted
Jan 24 2012, 01:00 AM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 14 comment(s)
One of the highlights of the International Racing Car Show is always the Formula 1 Grid: a rare opportunity to examine up close an almost full-house of current F1 machines – and perhaps the only way without having some very well-connected friends and a whole neck-full of passes. Even dedicated racing magazines and sites only infrequently show close-ups of the detailing of the cars, so I found it very interesting to be able to see for myself the surprisingly large differences between the current...
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Posted
Jan 15 2012, 08:00 AM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 28 comment(s)
Ayrton Senna. A name that still reverberates around the modern era of Formula 1 – a hero to even some contemporary Grand Prix drivers, but a villain to others. The release of the award-winning Senna documentary last year has brought his name back into the headlines, and given everyone a chance to relive his career through the film. The Autosport International Racing Car Show at the Birmingham NEC provided an opportunity to see some of his cars in the flesh: a dedicated exhibition area was bolstered...
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Posted
Dec 16 2011, 11:00 PM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 12 comment(s)
The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in England has a full-house of Formula One races from across the decades, chronicling the evolution of the Championship in physical form. Beginning with racers from the '50s and finishing with examples from the most recent era, some vital cars are included in the collection that would normally only be seen in the hands of private collectors or in the museums of the manufacturers themselves. It's what makes Beaulieu such a special place, like the equally...
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Posted
Oct 11 2011, 02:00 PM
by
Patrick McGrath
with 38 comment(s)
The 1989 Formula One season was the first season where the cars returned to the now traditional normally aspirated engines. Forced to abandon the incredible 1.5 litre Honda RA168E twin-turbocharged engine - which made an astounding 900BHP - the Woking team needed a new car to accomodate the new 3.5 litre Honda RA109E V10 unit but still match the incredible results of 1988's MP4/4 where Prost and Senna managed ten 1-2 finishes and Senna was crowned 1988 F1 World Champion. McLaren developed the...
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Posted
Oct 10 2011, 02:00 PM
by
Patrick McGrath
with 14 comment(s)
It's been over three years since a Speedhunter last set foot inside the world's largest collection of Grand Prix cars, so when passing Donington one morning in August, I couldn't resist dropping in for my own first visit. I've been to Donington a couple of times in the past for Prodrift and JDM Allstars events, but could never find the time to visit this rather humble looking museum. Donington Park has quite an illustrious history with Formula One and has featured some amazing battles...
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Posted
Sep 23 2011, 07:00 PM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 20 comment(s)
 A car manufacturer's logo tells you a lot about a car. Your preconceptions of a brand tell you everything you need to know once you see a badge, hence the number of examples where brands are merged (a positive example that could be seen all around at Goodwood being of Lotus and Cortina) or re-badged (does anyone believe Daewoo as Chevrolet?). But then there are some names that just ooze style and substance.  It doesn't have to be a word – even abstract symbols mean that you know...
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Posted
Aug 29 2011, 06:30 PM
by
Charles Kha
with 6 comment(s)
The past few days have been great for the city of Manchester. Man City beat Tottenham 5-1, while United pummeled the Gunners 8-2. But for car enthusaists in Manchester, the Bank Holiday will be remembered for a different reason: the sound of Jenson Button's McLaren F1 screaming through the heart of the city. Straight after taking third place in the Belgian Grand Prix, Jenson Button today flew in to Manchester for the Vodafone VIP Fan Zone event in Albert Square. Before getting behind the wheel...
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Posted
Aug 06 2011, 01:37 PM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 3 comment(s)
Surprisingly, heavy rain at around 1am in the morning didn't add to the number of retired cars: with wet tyres fitted it looked like most drivers slowed to a sensible pace and went into survival mode in the pitch black. With the late afternoon start of 4pm the previous day, it's sometimes difficult to process that in a race this long the dead of the night is barely halfway through the 24 hours you have to get through. The bad news was that as the track dried around 4am, drivers got back to...
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Posted
Aug 05 2011, 07:30 PM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 5 comment(s)
Audi might have had the pace around the epic Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix track – with an almost two second advantage in the dry – but they were forced to fight for their right to win this year's Spa 24 Hours, the 63rd running of the historic race. At the start of the race, 62 GT cars blasted down towards Eau Rouge for the first of 545 times: barely half would make it the full 24 hours, and of those just a handful in anywhere near prime condition.  The race showed the best of GT...
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Posted
Aug 03 2011, 01:22 AM
by
Larry Chen
with 10 comment(s)
The McLaren MP4-12C stood out from the rest of the GT3 cars at the 24 hours of Spa. It just looked so amazing. It was very hard for me to narrow down just six images for your downloading pleasure. I heard the brand new super-car was going to be competing at the event but I had no idea there will be three nearly identical cars. I found myself closing my eyes to listen to the 3.8 liter twin turbo V8 as it was downshifting going into a corner. I may have missed some shots here and there while enjoying...
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Posted
Jul 31 2011, 12:38 AM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 6 comment(s)
 We're over two-thirds of the way through the race now: it's after 9am here in Belgium, the sun is up – somewhere there behind all the cloud that still cloaks the circuit that is – and now it's the race to the flag. Just the seven hours to go… Up front it's still the #33 Audi Sport Team WRT R8 LMS of Mattias Ekstrom, Greg Franchi and Timo Scheider, as it has been on and off since the fourth hour. But just a lap behind is the #76 BMW Z4 of Team Need For Speed! ...
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Posted
Jul 30 2011, 12:10 AM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 4 comment(s)
 Marc VDS ended up with overall pole for this year's running of the Spa 24 Hours after the three combined qualifying sessions on Thursday evening were done. In the end, only the times from the third, full-dark qualifying period would matter – conditions were simply too poor in the preceding two to make the times worthwhile.  After not really featuring in previous sessions, Porsche flexed their muscles when it counted with four 997 GT3Rs making it into the top six: both Prospeed (#74 and...
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Posted
Jul 29 2011, 07:04 PM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 9 comment(s)
 The circuit of Spa-Francorchamps is a law unto itself. It obeys no one, is unpredictable, dangerous and capricious. Located deep in the forests of the Ardennes, the area has its own microclimate, meaning it could be raining on one part of the track whilst it's bone dry on another. On a single lap around it a driver is faced with some of the most consistently challenging corners on the planet. Now think about doing that 550 times. For 24 hours. In a high-powered GT racing machine. In the wet...
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Posted
Jul 28 2011, 09:24 AM
by
Rod Chong
with 17 comment(s)
Greetings from Belgium! I thought I'd quickly pass on a high rez desktop of the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 from the practice session a few hours ago. I got rather wet getting this photo, but I figure a soaked pair of Converse All Stars were well worth the shot! Head over to the Desktops section of Speedhunters to download! We will be back soon with more coverage from the Spa 24Hs!
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Posted
Jul 21 2011, 01:00 PM
by
Jonathan Moore
with 17 comment(s)
This time next week, 70 GT cars will be taking to the track at the legendary circuit of Spa Francorchamps in Belgium in the opening practice sessions for this year's running of the Spa 24 Hours. One of the most anticipated entries will be the debut of the McLaren MP4-12C – that's certainly the one that we're looking forward to seeing! The Spa 24 ranks up there as one of the classic endurance races: it's just one year younger than the 24 Hours Of Le Mans – which may be...
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Posted
Jul 05 2011, 07:00 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 6 comment(s)
Was browsing Autoblog when I came across this video from the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed featuring Jensen Button in the McLaren MP4-12C, Dan Collins in a Lotus 88, and perhaps the coolest - Johnny Milner in his 800 horsepower beast of a Toyota Celica.
If this clip doesn't want to make you book a trip to Goodwood, I'm not sure what will.
Source: Autoblog
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Posted
Jun 23 2011, 04:00 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 10 comment(s)
How's this for a storefront? This rendering shows the new McLaren dealership in London's Hyde Park which opened this week.
Don't near live near London? You should be able to check out one of the other 34 McLaren dealerships scheduled to open around the world.
-Mike Garrett...
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Posted
Jun 09 2011, 06:00 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 2 comment(s)
Thought I'd follow up my McLaren post from earlier with this video clip of Andy Wallace narrating a lap around Circuit de la Sarthe in the McLaren F1 GTR.
My favorite part - "just sit there and enjoy the scenery" as he talks us through the Mulsanne straight.
-Mike Garrett
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Posted
Jun 09 2011, 02:00 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 7 comment(s)
With McLaren being the featured marque of the 2011 Sonoma Historic Automobile Festival, you could count on seeing dozens of different vehicles from this storied car builder.
Besides all of the private-owned McLaren race cars that came out, the McLaren Automotive Company itself had a large display in the paddock with several models representing the brand's history. ...
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