Is this the next McLaren supercar? - UPDATED
We reported some time ago that McLaren was already brainstorming its next vehicle that will replace the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR. The SLR is surely awe-inspiring, but it hasn't made a name for itself in the current crowd of supercars like the McLaren F1 that will go down in history as one of the finest road cars ever built.
As it turns out, McLaren has enlisted the help of students attending the European Institute of Design in Turin, Italy by way of a thesis project called "One Sport from 320 km/h" (rough translation) that charged 39 students with designing a super sports car for street use. From what the translation indicates, McLaren went so far as to bring the students to McLaren Technology Center in Woking, England to get to know the brand better and learn more about its accomplishments in F1 racing that could be incorporated into the vehicle's design. Fourteen groups of students produced three concepts each, of which one per group was selected to be developed further. Those resulting fourteen concepts were then further refined and built into 1:4 scale models that were judged by the people at McLaren.
The design featured above called "M eleven B" by Alexander Belosio, Vito Possidente and Massimo Terranova was chosen as the best overall design of the 14 produced.
If we've misread the translation, please tell us in the comments and we'll update the post with the correct information. Our Italian translator is still celebrating his country's World Cup victory and likely won't be back, at least not for another four years.
(Follow the jump for pics of two more entries, including the one that's our personal favorite)
UPDATE - Thanks to cbennett for finding a gallery of all the entries that can be found here.
[Source: VirtualCar via autoblog.it]
"MP 11" of Giuseppe Mariniello, Carl Olivieri, David Valpreda received third place overall from McLaren.
"Can-Am" of Cosimo Amadei, Jean Paul Fondeur Gill, Stefano Laruffa received a prize for best representing the McLaren brand and it won our hearts, as well. Build this one, McLaren.
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg "2011 Audi A8: Live from Miami")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
PBCrunch 11:19AM (7/11/2006)
A transmission without a lame fluid coupling would be a good start.
Reply
Autonews 11:22AM (7/11/2006)
Looks to SF, my opinion
http://www.auto-power-girl.com/
Reply
jon F 11:22AM (7/11/2006)
It needs to be at least 3x that size!!!
Reply
steve 11:23AM (7/11/2006)
what the hell? another car that goes 300 mph? why not one, just one, super rally car for the street. Way more practical and probably way more fun. Way less poseur too.
Reply
Rambling Wreck 11:25AM (7/11/2006)
Not trying to grab this thread but wanna see the New Caddy CTS?
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiasts/Spy_Shots/Spy_Shots_08_Cadillac_CTS.S178.A10620.html
Reply
david 11:44AM (7/11/2006)
My 2cts go for the third one, too.
Reply
Lee Gibson 11:46AM (7/11/2006)
Steve, what exactly makes it "less poseur"? You think that your average buyer is a better dirt track driver than road track driver?
One thing that would be nice about driving a car like that...I absolutely wouldn't care what anybody else thought of it. Oh, wait...I don't care what anybody else thinks anyway...
Reply
V 11:48AM (7/11/2006)
I think the chosen concept will look great, it would look just about as good as the "Can-Am" if it too were finished in a sleek black.
The CTS comment should probably be deleted by the way...
Reply
JackOfShadows 12:14PM (7/11/2006)
It looks like someone puked plastic over a car frame.
Reply
amp 12:56PM (7/11/2006)
...zoolander...quality
Reply
epp_b 12:59PM (7/11/2006)
That first one looks somewhat like the ProDrive P2, which was designed by the same guy who designed the McLaren F1.
Reply
Jason 1:12PM (7/11/2006)
I do hope they keep the F1's seating arrangement. The middle-set driver's seat iconic.
Reply
Phelix 1:24PM (7/11/2006)
first picture looks like a lotus.
Reply
steve 1:30PM (7/11/2006)
Lee I guess i'm biased as i lean more toward dakar style bikes than rice rockets and toward audis and subys rather than corvettes. A rally car for the street just seems like it would be more functional than a 250 mph mclaren. As for such a vehicle being any less "poseur" than a mclaren/bugatti i guess it's in the eyes of the beholder. These supercars are made for smooth open highways or tracks,take one on a backroad with your average american road surface and i bet it sucks. Not that i can afford it anyway but I'll take my poseurmobile with the biggest possible performance envelope. Something along the lines of a cosworth rs200.
Reply
dre 1:57PM (7/11/2006)
Nice.
I think the first one resemble the Italdesign/Toyota Volta though. Come to think of it, the second one looks Enzo meets lotus elise and the last looks like the original F1 molded into a Murcielago
Reply
Autobots 2:17PM (7/11/2006)
Looks like an Acura NSX front and Lamborghini back.
Reply
jon F 2:32PM (7/11/2006)
Obviously they haven't read Gordon Murrary's articles in Road & Track. You can't start out with a shape then expect the car to perform. Funtion first, then form on 200+mph cars.
Reply
Ab 4:30PM (7/11/2006)
The translation should simply be "A 320 km/h sportscar" and not "one sport from 320 km/h"
Reply
cbennett 1:24AM (7/12/2006)
I did a little searching and found pictures of the rest of the contest cars.
http://www.ied.it/torino/2006/news_mclaren/index.htm
Reply
julian 4:10PM (7/12/2006)
could anybody help me get pictures of these cars...coz i want to copy the pictures onto my site....
Reply