Autoblog

We reported ex-Fiat boss Frank Stephenson was tasked with a clean-sheet redesign of the upcoming McLaren supercar, codenamed the McLaren P11, just two months ago. Now we are hearing word that the exotic has been totally redesigned and is scheduled for a launch in 2010. Prototypes of the two-seat, mid-engined coupe (and convertible) are in testing as you read this.

Both body styles are reportedly built on a carbon fiber tub with aluminum front and rear subframes. Weight is expected to be less than 3,000 pounds, making it one of the lightest high-performance cars on the road (the current Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren coupe, more than a bit on the porky side, tips the scales about 750 pounds heavier). Power for the supercar is expected to come from a 550-hp V8 built by famed engine builder Mahle.

Now that the design of the P11 is theoretically set in stone, McLaren needs to find a factory in which to build it. Sites across Europe, including those in Italy, Austria, and Britain, are being considered. Insiders say the factory will announce their manufacturing decision next summer.

[Source: Autocar]

We're not going to tell you who won yesterday's season finale at the Brazilian Grand Prix. We'll leave that to Noah in his usual race recap. What we will tell you is that Lewis Hamilton bounced back from a scandal-ridden season that saw his McLaren team excluded from the championship in 2007 to capture this year's World Drivers Championship. That makes Hamilton the youngest F1 champion ever in only his second year as part of the grand prix circus. British-born Hamilton won the title 67 days before his 24th birthday. With five wins in 2008, he successfully managed to avoid the sophomore jinx. Hopefully he won't follow in the footsteps of Jacques Villeneuve and abandon a successful team for a startup with lots of money and zero success. The really big question for Lewis now is will he acknowledge that he is in fact the Stig? Thanks to Richard for the tip!

[Source: Formula1.com, Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty]

It's the end of the run for the McLaren SLR Roadster, but Mercedes wants to give Yanks another shot at owning one. Beginning November 1, those of you who still have bank accounts can sign up for the auction of the final topless SLR to be sold in the U.S.

You'd be right to assume the final edition of a limited run model would bring a huge premium when it goes on the block, as collectors have always put higher values on the first and last of most anything. But if you plan to take this particular knick-knack home, prepare to drain both savings accounts. Mercedes says the car will be the only SLR Roadster wearing Sienna Pearl metallic paint and Tobacco Brown leather. So when you show up to accept your Oscar, no one else will be driving the same one.

The auction begins November 20 at 1 p.m. EST and ends that night at 5 p.m. Bidding starts at $529,500, and anything above that will go to St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Thanks for the tip, James!

Click to view the SLR Speedster rendering courtesy of the artist

With a host of new exotics coming out from both Mercedes-Benz and its F1 and erstwhile supercar partner McLaren, the ageing Mercedes SLR McLaren is about to be shown the back door. But not before one last hoorah. And if this illustration is any indication, it will be one rip-roaring, ear-piercing hoorah indeed.

Based on the spy shots that have already surfaced of the SLR McLaren "Speedster" (we don't know if that's what it'll be called officially, but that's the name we've been tossing around), talented illustrator Jon Sibal has crafted the rendering you see above. According to Sibal, the headlights will be the only element of the exterior carried over from previous incarnations of the SLR to the new, more hardcore roofless swan-song. The hood, which previously melded into the A-pillars, is more flat; the nose draws even more direct inspiration from McLaren-Mercedes formula racing cars; the exhaust pipes have been moved into the side vents... oh yeah, and there's no roof. None whatsoever. There's barely any windshield for that matter, just a couple of deflectors. Needless to say, we hope the actual vehicle turns out to be as dramatic as Sibal's conception.

Check out the gallery below to see the rendering in high-resolution, along with our previous crop of spy shots of the SLR Speedster.

[Source: JonSibal.com]

SPOILER ALERT

Click for a hi-res gallery from the 2008 British GP

Storms swept through Silverstone this year for the British Grand Prix. First came the announcement of David Coulthard's retirement from Formula 1, which was followed by the announcement that, starting in 2010, the race would leave its historic home at Silverstone and move to Donington Park.

The decision by Formula One Management and the FIA followed years of calls for the ageing Silverstone track -- owned and operated by the British Drivers Racing Club -- to renovate and get itself up to the modern standards set by F1's newer tracks. However, after failing to secure government funding or sufficient private investment, the decision was made to move the event to Donington. So as the storms set in to close two major chapters of British motor racing history, the rain poured down on the penultimate running of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Follow the jump to read how it turned out.

[Images: Getty/AFP]

Formula One teams have long tried to glean insight into what their competition is doing, but this year's spying scandals have exploded into all-out espionage. After the whole Stepneygate/Ferrari vs. McLaren thing, we thought that was the last we'd hear of spying until at least next year. But now we have some new accusations of espionage to consider. And in an odd twist of fate, the alleged culprit in the first spying scandal is claimed to be the victim in this most recent one.

According to the AP, the FIA has asked Renault to appear before the World Motor Sport Council on Dec. 6 to face accusations that it had "unauthorized possession of documents and confidential information" of McLaren's (!) cars between September 2006 and October 2007. As tired as we are of this whole spying thing, the result could be that next season is contested with McLaren and Renault unable to earn points. The FIA is still waiting to look at the 2008 McLaren car to see if it can spot any evidence that the team may have learned something useful from the Ferrari technical data it allegedly stole. We don't want to jump to conclusions, but if McLaren and Renault are both found guilty of spying, it could mean Ferrari has a lot less competition next year. We'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the tip, Devin!

[Source: AP via ESPN, photo by Clive Mason/Getty]

We're going to call this one a rumor for at least a little while, but wow. We just got wind of this monster deal that would really cause a major stir in the already tumultuous world of Formula One. News of the World just reported that two-time world driving champion Fernando Alonso is leaving McLaren-Mercedes next year. While that was considered a sure thing in the wake of Stepneygate and all, the real shocker is that he isn't headed to Renault to be reunited with Flavio Briatore as expected. Instead, they have him going to Ferrari of all places. The report says that a cool $40 million was the price to secure Alonso for the scuderia. As they point out, it should be a relatively easy transition for Fernando, who has already been *ahem* studying design features of the Ferrari all season.

With current Ferrari pilot Felipe Massa headed to Toyota, Fernando will be joining current #3 in the driver's race, Kimi Raikkonen, in '08. It should make for another interesting battle over who's number one. The same article that tells of Fernando going to Maranello also bolsters the rumor that Ross Brawn will be stepping up as team manager when Jean Todt leaves at the end of the season. It's not often that the silly season starts this early, but this has been a very atypical year for the FIA and its premier racing class. We'll do some digging and see if we can find other sources to back this one up. But until then, this can only make the last three races of the season more compelling TV.

[Source: TopSpeed]

Remember the case of the former Ferrari Formula 1 tech who shared his company's secrets with rival McLaren-Mercedes? The FIA has announced that it has concluded its investigation into that matter and Team McLaren-Mercedes will not be penalized. Formula 1's governing body held an "extraordinary meeting" of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris today and found that although McLaren did in fact have possession of confidential Ferrari material, there was 'insufficient evidence that it had been used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula 1 World Championship'. So no penalty was given to McLaren-Mercedes.

But the announcement came with a warning. If that information is used "to the detriment of the sport" in the future, the FIA might not be so lenient next time. The suggestion was made that if this were to occur, Ron Dennis and his team would face the 'possibility of exclusion' from the 2007 championship, which they are currently leading. They would also be eliminated from competing in 2008. Disqualification should be a pretty big deterrent, we imagine. Not getting off as easy are the two men at the heart of the issue.

McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, and Ferrari's former head of performance development, Nigel Stepney, have been 'invited' by the FIA to 'show reasons why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period'. Ouch. Should be interesting to hear their responses. We'll keep you posted.

[Source: Crash.net]

Rumors surfaced in the German press Tuesday that minority shareholder DaimlerChrysler is close to buying the remaining 60 percent of McLaren F1 and McLaren Automotive that it does not yet own. DaimlerChrysler currently owns 40 percent, with the remaining 60 percent split equally between managing director Ron Dennis, and Saudi investor Mansour Ojjeh. The Mercedes stake in McLaren was valued at $400 million in 1999 when the automaker became part-owner.

If it happens, the deal would see DaimlerChrysler/Mercedes-Benz joining Renault, BMW, Honda, Toyota and Ferrari in having controlling interest in their respective Formula 1 teams.

The deal could also make sense if Mercedes plans to increase McLaren's road car production in future, whether for new versions of the SLR, or for a less expensive supercar to compete with the likes of the Ferrari F430.

[Sources: Reuters, GrandPrix.com]