Enter the rumormill: McLaren F2 under development, again
There's this thing about sequels – they normally suck. And this time of year the suck surrounds us. Autocar decided to add to the detritus by reviving the return of the McLaren F1 legend in the form of the F2. The information surrounding the new supercar is sound, considering that Mercedes originally tapped the engineering firm in 2004 to produce a less expensive alternative to the SLR. The mid-engine prototype – codenamed the P8 – was put on hiatus after some financial and quality woes hampered Mercedes' forward momentum, combined with the less-than-stellar reception of the P8's big brother. In short, Mercedes was pissed and didn't want to explore future projects with McLaren.
Although we've always taken Autocar's pontifications about as seriously as our local read through the supermarket tabloids, they claim to have sources within McLaren that says the F2 has been testing around the company's Woking headquarters, wearing Ferrari 360 bodywork. Time will tell, but in the meantime, watch out for Batboy.
[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stuart 2:07AM (7/01/2007)
This will one hell of a car. Hopefully they will use the 6.0ltr quad turbo ffrom the Chrysler ME 4/12. Should easily whopped the bugatti ass
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Val 3:14AM (7/01/2007)
The day McLaren starts borrowing technology from Chrysler will be a sad day for motoring... And how exactly could an engine developed by chrysler, that nobody has ever seen running (or at least making those 700-800 bhp) end up in a McLaren now that MB no longer owns Chrysler and has just parted ways with McLaren? Anyway, even today you can buy cars that are almost as fast, have better 1/4 mile, and cost less, e.g. Saleen S7, Koenigsegg CCS, CCR or whatever they are called, Azcari and a few others. Top speed is unreachable on normal roads anyway, only on a track, and a straight one at that. Many people here have said numerous times that MB stopped chrysler from building the ME4/12 because it would kick SLR's ass at a fraction of the price, well now is the time for chrysler to do it, them being free of the german shackles and all. Oh wait, they don't have any money... hm, thats gonna be tough, building a supercar without money. Money is something that VW was not stingy about when they designed the Veyron, thats why it is said to cost around $4 million to build, selling it at a $1.2m.
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Stuart 9:53AM (7/01/2007)
Val seriously do some research cos when you do you will realise that the engine in the chrysler me 4/12 was actually the same 6.0ltr V12 in the sl65/cl65/s65. Its the same spec with the only difference being the two additional turbo's making it a quad turbo rather then the twin in the 65 range.
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stratos66 12:12PM (7/03/2007)
If the information surrounding this story is sound, why does it suck?
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