The McLaren MP4-12C Velocita With COR Rims and Carbon Fiber

The McLaren MP4-12C Velocita With COR Rims and Carbon Fiber

After taking a few years off from building cars, McLaren has come back with a great deal of momentum by stealing headlines with two new super cars, the first of which was the new MP4-12C. The new mid-engined super car offers a superb mixture of everyday driving dynamics and high-performance driving characteristics that make it at home on the race track or the roadways.

The new MP4-12C has been arriving at dealerships around the world for over six months and a variety of aftermarket tuning companies have already designed and produced new upgrade programs for them. One company, DMC Tuning in Germany, decided to wait and work on fine-tuning their upgrade program to produce the best upgrade program for the new super car. Called the "Velocita", the new carbon fiber upgrade program includes aerodynamic body work, a new exhaust system, and lightweight COR rims made from forged aluminum alloy.

The first part of the new upgrade program that was addressed was the aerodynamics of the McLaren MP4-12C. The German aftermarket tuning company developed a carbon fiber body kit using advanced CAD software and lengthy wind-tunnel testing to create a functional option with an OEM fitment. The new body kit consists of a new front fascia that uses new grille inserts and a splitter to generate downforce at the front axle and improve cooling to the front radiators and braking system.

A pair of new side skirts helps to redirect air away from the new set of COR rims at the rear and reduce drag for the super car. The rear of the MP4-12C Velocita features a new diffuser with dual fins to help create a suction effect with the pavement and a large rear spoiler atop the engine cover that generates downforce without increasing drag.

The next step was to upgrade the engine. The 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine was outfitted with a new lightweight titanium exhaust that improves performance. Everything from the exhaust manifold to the rear tailpipes is constructed form titanium to reduce weight and backpressure for better overall performance. The result is over 600 brake horsepower being sent to each of the rear COR rims with a sub 3.5-second 0-62 mph acceleration time.

The final aspect of the new super car that the team at DMC Tuning upgraded as part of the new McLaren MP4-12C Velocita program was the wheel and tire setup. The team opted for a new set of COR rims made from forged aluminum alloy to keep weight to a minimum at the wheel hub. The wheels were installed with a 21-inch diameter at the front and rear axle and shod with 255/30 ZR21 front and 355/25 ZR21 Continental Sport Contact high-performance tires for better grip.

The McLaren F1 Turns Twenty Auto Car

The McLaren F1 Turns Twenty

Every day, it seems, newer and faster cars are appearing on the automotive scene. Ferrari just debuted the V-12 hybrid LaFerrari. Porsche is soon to roll out its 918 Spyder hybrid. Pagani has the new Huayra. Koenigsegg has the Agera. And, Ascari has the KZ1R. Bugatti is up to around 12 variations on the Veyron. Each is more intense than the last. Now, it looks like the Hennessey Venom GT will steal the fastest car crown. Hell, there's even a $1 million electric hyper car on the market called the Rimac Concept One.

With each new model, each new new bit of technology and each new idea, manufacturers are trying to eek out every bit of horsepower, torque and performance to make their cars just that bit faster and better than everyone else's. But, no matter what the end result of the all of the design, testing and development is, every hypercar shares something in common: they all have the McLaren F1 as the inspiration and impetus for their existence.

Whereas the Lamborghini Miura is the progenitor of all supercars, the McLaren F1 took everything that is "supercar" and ramped it up. It is the granddaddy of hypercars. It blew its contemporaries out of the water, which was no small feat. The F1 comes from a generation of cars that includes the Ferrari F40, the Porsche 911 GT1 and the Jaguar XJ220. Last Monday, the McLaren F1 celebrated its 20th birthday. On 28 May 1992 McLaren unveiled the F1 at a launch party at The Sporting Club in Monaco during Monaco F1 Week. In honor of this momentous occasion, it seems like a good time to look back and see what made the McLaren F1 a truly great car and a centerpiece of automotive history.

It all begins, as many stories like this do, with racing, specifically with Formula One. In 1988, McLaren's Formula One team won 15 out of 16 races. Not a bad starting point for creating the world's fastest car. Anyway, after that season, McLaren Cars Ltd of Woking, England thought it a wise move to extend past racing into creating a road car. Being the same McLaren who just won 94 percent of their Formula One races, the car had to have the highest power-to-weight ratio to date but still retain daily driver usability.

Normally, that kind of refusal to compromise is a non-starter when it comes to designing a car. Not for McLaren. Because of their success in racing, they had nearly endless funds to spend on development of the F1. Oddly enough, that same attitude led to the car that dethroned the F1, the Bugatti Veyron, a little over a decade later.

McLaren Cars Ltd. tapped technical director Gordan Murray and designer Peter Stevens to make the McLaren F1 a reality. Keeping in mind the need to produce sufficient power while still maintaining reliability, Murray opted to equip the F1 with a naturally aspirated V-12.

After shopping the project to Honda and Toyota and being rejected by both, BMW and their famed M Division took an interest and designed the 6.1 liter 60 degree V-12. The engine, designated BMW S70/2 produced 618 horse and 480 ft/lb of torque. The BMW engine was 14 percent more powerful than Murray's original specs called for, but that was offset in part the engines weight. At 586 pounds, it was 35 pounds heavier than Murray's specifications.

The dry sump BMW S70/2 has an aluminum block and head, quad overhead cams with variable valve timing, a chain cam drive to maintain reliability and was mounted to a six-speed transmission with a triple plate clutch. As the engine was high revving (reaching max torque at 7,400 rpm) it produced a fair amount of heat. To guarantee insulation between the engine and the carbon fiber bay and monocoque, Murray lined the engine compartment with gold foil, a great heat reflector. A little less than an ounce of gold was used in each car. I wonder if the value of the F1s fluctuates with the market price for gold.

Thanks to BMW, McLaren achieved their goal of having the industry's best power-to-weight ratio, 550 hp/ton. In comparison to today's hypercars, the Ferrari Enzo reached 434 hp/ton, the Bugatti Veyron reached 530 hp/ton and the SSC Ultimate Aero TT bested it with 1003 hp/ton. And, that ratio showed in the car's speed. The F1 could accelerate from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, 0-100 in 6.3 seconds, 0-200 in 28 seconds and run the quarter mile in 11.1 seconds at 138 mph. The McLaren F1 hit a world record top speed of 243 miles per hour. To this day, it is still the fastest naturally aspirated production car in existence.

That amazing power-to-weight ratio was made possible through the use of carbon fiber, Kevlar and magnesium throughout the cars body to save weight. The McLaren F1s ranged in weight from 2,341 pounds to 2,509 pounds, depending on model. The F1 was the first production car to use a complete carbon fiber reinforced plastic monocoque chassis. The body's attachment points were constructed out of aluminum and magnesium. To top it all off, Peter Stevens' body design achieved a drag coefficient of 0.32, as compared to the Veyron and Ultimate Aero TT both at 0.36.

Completing the hypercar look of the car, the F1 features swan-wing doors and very very unique and awesome luggage compartments in front of the rear wheel arches. The F1 also has an unusual 3-seater configuration with the driver in the center to maximize visibility.

Formula One inspired suspension, 235/45ZR17 front tires, 315/45ZR17 rear tires, Brembo vented and cross-drilled brake discs (332 mm in the front and 305 mm in the rear) with four piston calipers all around and a computer controlled handbrake gives the F1 handling and performance commensurate with its speed.

The McLaren F1 was offered in three street legal variations, the standard road car, the F1 GT and the F1 LM. The F1 GTR version was offered for the racing circuit. Only 106 F1s were built, 69 of the standard, 6 F1 LMs, 3 F1 GTs and 28 F1 GTRs. The standard F1s originally sold for about $970,000 with the LMs and GTs being a bit more expensive. Because of McLaren's dedication to this car, they are still offering service and maintenance on all F1s. A good example of an F1 can sell at auction for over $3 million. In 2010, Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction sold a 1994 F1 for $3,575,000.

Murray and McLaren achieved their goal. The F1 is an uncompromising speedster and a successful daily driver. As the granddaddy of all hypercars, the McLaren F1 is still an amazing thing. It may not be the fastest, but it was the first. Definitely on my bucket list of cars to test drive. Hmmm, I wonder if Jay Leno will let me borrow his. Happy birthday McLaren F1.

McLaren F1 and the Future of the McLaren F1 Team! - Auto Cars

McLaren F1 and the Future of the McLaren F1 Team!

McLaren F1 team will be hoping to add another world title to the CV of Lewis Hamilton. After 10 years in the wilderness they will also desperately want to win the constructors title. Last time they won that Mika Hakkinen was at the wheel for the first of his two drivers titles. In that 10 years for Ferrari and Renault have dominated the championships, leaving McLaren consistently either second or third on the list!

Now that Lewis Hamilton has proven to be a winner at McLaren his chances of repeating his success for years to come are high to say the least. Even if his championship win was shrouded in controversy he still has the evidence procedure in place that he is able to win.

Allow me just to take a moment to define evidence procedure. This is basically the fact that you have achieved a certain task and therefore gives you the belief that you are able to replicate that task again. For example if you have a goal to win a race then once that first race is won winning your second race is not going to be as difficult because you have established the evidence procedure. You can now replicate that success instead of creating it from scratch, like you had to when you hadn't won a race or the evidence procedure was non-existent.

With that in mind the prediction that Lewis Hamilton will win another championship grows stronger. He will undoubtedly outshine his teammate and continue to become the number 1 driver for McLaren. As the desperation of getting that first championship title under his belt has also disappeared he will become a calmer driver in fraught situations that will also contribute to his future success. Kovalainen didn't experience a great first season with McLaren, and frankly with the calibre of their team I am surprised they retained him. It seemed as though he was frequently outgunned at the front with only one victory for the F1 08 season! He will only improve with his second stint at the McLaren. He has shown that he was a quality driver in the past and obviously this contributed to him being chosen however there will be pressure to perform for him this season or he could find himself searching for a drive in 2010.

All in all the McLaren F1 Team are not going anywhere anytime soon. They have established themselves as a force within F1 racing and whether they continue to repeat the success of 2008 or they have to wait a couple more years one thing that you can bet your money on is that they will without a doubt win another championship. It is very difficult to say that Lewis Hamilton won't win another title the mind set he has is truly that of a champion. A man called Kerry Speckman can be credited with instilling him with that. He is a renowned neuroscientist that brought some groundbreaking techniques to the way the F1 drivers train. I had the good fortune of working alongside Kerry during his time at McLaren.

Keep racing!

McLaren Formula One - The Early Years - Auto Cars

McLaren Formula One - The Early Years

The start of the 2007 formula season has seen the spotlight fall firmly on the McLaren Formula One team with the arrival Lewis Hamilton on the scene. With his incredible success so far in his debut season and a few controversies along the way, McLaren has barely been out of the sports news pages.

However this success is not new for the team. During its history the team has won 8 constructors championships and 11 drivers championships with motor sport legends such as Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Ayrton Senna and more recently Mika Häkkinen. In fact they are the second most successful formula one team after Ferrari, with more Grand Prix wins under their belt than any other constructor other than Ferrari.

The team was founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren and was at that time know as Bruce McLaren Motor Racing limited. They spent their first three years building a formula one car and were finally ready to make their debut at the Monaco Grand Prix of 1966 with the team founder at the wheel The first race ended in failure as a result of a serious oil leak however the team went on to score their first championship point later that year. !968 saw the team score their first race win as Bruce piloted the McLaren Ford to victory in Belgium. They then went on to record further wins in Italy and Canada later that year.

The 1970s started in tragedy for McLaren as Bruce McLaren lost his life in a testing accident at Goodwood. Although the team continued his legacy they wouldn't see another race win for two years. Finally at the South African grand prix in 1972 Denny Hulme, former world champion, recorded his first race win for McLaren since Bruce's death..

1974 saw a turnaround in the teams fortunes. Emerson Fittipaldi joined the team and with his driving managed to win their first world constructors title as well as the world drivers title. They even managed to win the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. The team's next championship win came in 1976 with James Hunt taking over from Fittipaldi and taking the drivers championship.

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By the 1980's McLaren were back on form. The McLaren team merged with Ron Dennis' Formula 2 team to from the current McLaren F1 team and they began their dominance of Formula one. A succession of top drivers over the next few years, the likes of Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna brought great results with McLaren taking the championship in 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1989.

Team mates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost achieved the highest number of double race wins of any pair in F1, notching up 14 wins between them in 1988 and 1989. This partnership holds the record for the most wins in a season, winning 15 out of the 16 races in 1988. 1988 was seen as the pinnacle of their success to date.

The winning combination of Senna & Prost together with class leading new Honda engine meant that not only did they win all but one race, they also led all but 27 laps of the season, a record still unbeaten today.

Kovalainen Happy with McLaren-Mercedes

Kovalainen Happy with McLaren-Mercedes

McLaren's team boss Ron Dennis stated that their new driver Heikki Kovalainen has become a new man since he is driving for Mercedes this year. Kovalainen recently joined McLaren after his 2007 rookie season with Renault during which he showed extraordinary progress and remarkable skills.

At the very first race of the 2008 Formula One calendar in Australia; Kovalainen achieved a great fifth place and at the Malaysian Grand Prix only a week ago he arrived in third position.  Dennis is very confident with the new driver and mentioned that if he keeps on working the way he has been doing it he will be pushing his team mate Lewis Hamilton for the rest of the year.

"Heikki is a guy who was systematically taken apart last year and we have systematically put him back together again," Dennis told The Daily Telegraph. Give him three more races and he will be giving Lewis a real hard time. Lewis knows it and they are happy and joking about it. I hope as and when it becomes competitive between the drivers that the harmony keeps on."

Hamilton's Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix brought him fame and a podium visit but it also brought him a hard time regarding his ex team mate and top driver Fernando Alonso due to the rumors of their ongoing rivalry both on track and off track which has been fired up by the media. In Kovalainen's case Australia was his very own baptism and a good finish place for this one being his first time as part of McLaren.

Kovalainen performance was described by the Renault's boss Flavio Briatore as "rubbish", but in a car much more less competitive than the ones they had when they won the world titles in 2005 and 2006. But let's not forget Kovalainen gave Renault the best results for last year's competitions finishing in a fine second place with Hamilton in September of  last year at the Japanese Grand Prix.

After Fernando Alonso transfer to the Renault team due to the dreadful relation with ex team mate Lewis Hamilton as well as the rest of the team; it only seemed the best choice as a replacement for the McLaren team was Kovalainen without a doubt.

When they started looking for a  replacement, and after seeing the characteristics they were looking for in a driver like who had the best driving patterns and skills?, who was on the best team? That for sure applied to Kovalainen despite just being a rookie.

During his time with Renault Kovalainen lost his motivation and that was reflected in his driving but now he is gaining his confidence back and the McLaren team is part responsible for such improvements as the driver continues to try to be physically and mentally ready for each race.