Showing posts with label McLaren MP4-12C. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McLaren MP4-12C. Show all posts

Thursday, March 21, 2013

All-Weather Machinery

Who says a supercar isn't practical in the winter?

Certainly not Rhys Millen, who flawlessly navigates a snowy Pikes Peak road known as Loveland Pass with a McLaren 12C Spider in this video. Why does he do it? Because he wants to beat Chanelle Sladics and her snowboard to the bottom, of course.


Maybe Rhys & Chanelle can double date with Pilar Lastra and me someday.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Auto Eroticism: Arrinera Hussarya



You're looking at Poland's first supercar.

...Well, at what Poland's first supercar will kind of look like. As the guys at Top Gear explain:
We say made, when of course, we mean, will be made, at some point soon. Probably. Because these pictures are just renderings, albeit the final computer renderings of what the finished product should look like.

But it *should* be pretty nifty, not least because a certain Mr Lee Noble sits on the management board of Arrinera Automotive, and was involved in the chassis design. You might remember his earlier work - the Noble M600 - which, as Jeremy put it, is "head alteringly quick". There's already a prototype of the Hussarya - built and tested last year for investors to gawp over - so it's more real than most rendered supercars we see on the Interwaves. Underneath sits a 6.2-litre V8 producing 650 horses, all sent to the rear wheels via a ‘Graziano' gearbox.

A relatively lithe kerbweight of just 1,300kg means the 0-62mph sprint is estimated at 3.2 seconds, 0-124mph in around 8.9 seconds, and a top speed of 211mph. The looks have been changed since its early conception, along with the cockpit design, to keep "up to date with current trends in automotive design".
Those numbers, if they hold true, are impressive. I'm inclined to toss out a joke or two about the quality and competency of Polish workmen, but I'll just save those for my homie Dupa.

My only real criticism here is the design. It's a beautiful car (again, presuming the finished product looks at least similar to this). But that's because of how closely it resembles other beautiful cars. The Hussarya looks like a McLaren MP4-12C got drunk at a foam party on Ibiza and knocked up a Lamborghini Murcielago nine months ago. And that could be a bit of a problem, at least for those looking to buy a supercar for the status that it portrays. These are the vehicles of the rich and famous, and as such are often accessories, much the same as a diamond necklace or an Armani suit. And while pulling up to the curb of a posh L.A. club in an MP4-12C will garner esteem from those in the know, doing so in a car that no one's ever heard of may not fetch the same (albeit shallow) approval.

If, however, you make your six-figure automotive purchases based on performance and novelty instead of status, then the folks at Arrinera might just have something for you. You know...if it actually makes the car.




Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Life Ain't Fair

Know why? Because when Dwyane Wade, who by age 29 has already been blessed with ridiculous athleticism, a sweet gig as the starting point guard for the biggest sports franchise in Miami (of all cities!), an NBA championship, and Gabrielle-hot-as-fiyah-Union for a girlfriend, finally turned 30—that turning point which most of us meet with angst and trepidation—he was given a brand new McLaren MP4-12C.


Let me state that again: Wade was GIVEN a new McLaren. The superstar, millionaire, A-list-Hollywood-actress-tagging NBA player was handed the keys to a beautiful, top-of-the-game $230,000 supercar, free of charge. Think about that long and hard. And then try to sleep tonight.

TJ with the assist.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Auto Eroticism: McLaren MP4-12C

There's a new McLaren supercar on the road, and she's a sexy bitch. With a 3.8 litre V-8 engine and happy-in-the-pants performance, the MP4-12C is being toted as a Ferrari 458 Italia killer. Those of you out there who are currently searching for a birthday present for me: I'd like mine in silver, please.