Big News - Mclaren To Be Bought Out? F2 And F3 To Be Made?

[moslerporschefreak]

Hmmmm.... thanks for the link. Anways, I say hmmmm because while it's interesting that there may be a new 150k competitor, it concerns me greatly as to what this will do to the idea of Mclaren. Notice in the article they compare some parts of the concept to the Sl55. I'm just hoping that McLaren does become too M-B'ized. Not only will it just the image and mystique of the company, but also, I'm afraid that it will drastically affect the engine note of McLaren cars. Give it a lower more german sound, not the old higher wail, near LM sound.

[CRXloon]

I think i see where you're coming from...

In the full article, it is intimated that Gordon Murray was unhappy about the SL55, insofar as although the car itself is undoubtedly a fanastic vehicle, his doubts remain, for example, regarding the validity of the mid-front engine layout, as compared to a purely mid-emgined layout. Added to the other information i've read in the press regarding the SL55, it is clear that the SL55 is more Mercedes than McLaren, was not built with the F1 "ethos" in mind, and therefore is a compromise from a financial point of view. You only have to look at areas such as the door shut line at the "A" pillar to see that from concept to finished item, the SL55 has financial compromise built in: had McLaren made the car as their "own", such compromises probably would not have arisen...

I believe the danger with the new and proposed McLaren badged cars is that the McLaren name will be used as a marketing exercise. Indeed, the Autocar article makes reference to Mercedes wanting McLaren to be viewed by the buying public as a sort of "AMG+" organisation.

The thing that keeps resounding around my head is that the F1 was concieved as being built from the finest materials and using the best engineers and technicians that were available at the time. The only way to build such a car is as a "no-compromise" product; i do not believe we will see another vehicle from McLaren built in such a way, despite their expertise and the amount of "moneyed" customers who would be more than happy to own one.

The F1 retailled at around £650,000 when it came out, (someone's going to put me right on this, no doubt), and out-performed all-comers, as it still does today. A £150K/200mph supercar aimed squarely at the likes of the Gallardo/360 Modena etc. will be, by definition, a compromise.

If McLaren really want to "follow up" the F1, (and i wish they would), then their new car must be built without compromise, for them to retain their place both in the "marketplace", (if such a place truly exists for a car like the F1), and the hearts of those of us that appreciate what an extraordinary vehicle the F1 was/is.

[moslerporschefreak]

wait, you say SL55, do you mean SLR?

[CRXloon]

Originally Posted by moslerporschefreak

wait, you say SL55, do you mean SLR?

Yes, i did mean the SLR; i was following on from your comments, and used the wrong model number; DOH!

[zx4000]

today i came across this article in the autoweek. According to this article, they say incoming new project might be approaching close to the real :



(08:30 May 31, 2004)
DaimlerChrysler, McLaren looking at creating 'new brand'


By GERHARD MAUERER | Automobilwoche


LONDON - A joint venture of DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars may develop another vehicle in addition to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren sports car.

"We are currently looking into possibly building a further vehicle," McLaren chief Ron Dennis said at the opening of the McLaren Technology Center last month in Woking, near London.

Juergen Hubbert, head of DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz car operations, said: "Our focus is currently on the sales start of the SLR.

"But we are already looking into the future. We want to create a new brand."

Hubbert said the proposed vehicle would be positioned between the Mercedes-Benz SL and the $400,000 SLR McLaren.

Although they emphasized that there is no decision to build the model, Dennis and Hubbert said they believe a production volume of 15,000 units would be realistic.

The first 30 SLR McLarens were finished quickly when the technology center opened May 12. The car's production volume will be 3,500 vehicles.

"The SLR took some doing," Dennis said. "In the beginning we thought we were better than we really were."

He said McLaren lost a lot of time and money at the start of SLR production because the company underestimated Mercedes-Benz's high quality standards.

Customers face the consequences of these delays.

Hubbert said a customer who orders an SLR today and pays a deposit of $50,000 will get the car at the end of 2006 at the earliest.

The car has a base price of about $400,000.

Gerhard Mauerer writes for Automobilwoche, a sister publication to AutoWeek.


http://autoweek.com/search/search_di...3964&record=12

[Sasanian]

Sorry all you people who think a Mclaren F1 is a legendary dream car, it has lost its title to the Bugatti Veyron and it will never recover that because the Veyron supercedes it in every way and always will.

[rr_ww]

Originally Posted by Sasanian

Sorry all you people who think a Mclaren F1 is a legendary dream car, it has lost its title to the Bugatti Veyron and it will never recover that because the Veyron supercedes it in every way and always will.

You're absolutely right.

Its much wider
Its much taller
Its much heavier
It takes less occupants
Its got less responsiveness from the engine (Turbo Lag)
Its much uglier
Its much less exclusive (predicted to make 400 or so IIRC)
Its got a higher drag coeffiecient
Its got less pedals in the footwell
It sounds much worse (like a Bus actually!)
It needs 400BHP more to go 10mph faster!
Drive goes to more wheels
It carries much less luggage
It had no racing pedigree whatsoever

A far better motorcar!!!

The only things I like about it are
a) It runs Ceramic brakes that appear to work better than SLR ones
b) The DSG box is quite trick from a technical point of view but a damn site heavier than a regular manual
c) The fact VAG (Piech) fooled everyone into believing this was a great idea.

I'll paraphrase Gordon Murray a little. "If somebody like Ferrari or Porsche or even Koenisegg came along and said "We've looked at the F1 and we've seen several ways we can improve it (in terms of packaging and engineering/technology ) and we are moving things onm then I would say Great, we've had our time heres our mantle"

The fact is that Bugatti only went after one facet of the F1. The top speed. If you get suckered into believing that only being faster in a straight line is what makes a supercar the best, then I pity you....

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by Sasanian

Sorry all you people who think a Mclaren F1 is a legendary dream car, it has lost its title to the Bugatti Veyron and it will never recover that because the Veyron supercedes it in every way and always will.

You're welcome to your opinion as are the rest of us, however please try to find something more productive to do with your time here than resurrecting a 2-year old thread to make an off-topic, flame-baiting comment like that.

>8^)
ER