The Mac is back. This is McLaren’s new baby supercar, which distils the excitement of the legendary original F1 road model into a smaller and less expensive package.

Due on sale in 2010, the incredible machine is gunning for Ferrari’s F430 and the Lamborghini Gallardo with a price tag of between £150,000 and £200,000.

Auto Express is the only magazine in the world to have spied the McLaren on the road, and we’ve used our exclusive pictures to produce these amazing images, showing just how the newcomer will look. Codenamed P11, this is the spiritual successor to the F1, and has been designed and built completely in-house.

Unlike the Mercedes SLR McLaren, it’s not a joint venture. Instead, the car is the work of engineers at the Formula One team’s factory in Woking. And it was just outside the Surrey base that Auto Express reader Steve Taro caught the first prototype undergoing testing.

As you can see from his spy pictures, the development mule wears a heavy disguise, but we have peeled that back to reveal the car underneath. And it’s clear that the designers have taken inspiration from the F1 – look
at the side window shape, the high tail, the short overhangs, plus the bold headlights and large bumper air intakes.

Elsewhere in the design are nods to McLaren’s logo in the side air intakes. But overall, the P11 has enough visual strength to mark a totally new direction for the company.

While firm details on the newcomer are scarce, it is likely to use as much grand prix-related technology as possible. McLaren will be keen to draw parallels between the P11 and its F1 track models, so it will sit on a strong yet light carbon fibre chassis.

The body will also be made from advanced composites, and as a result the P11 will weigh around 1,250kg. A mid-mounted 6.2-litre V8 sourced from F1 engine supplier Mercedes will drive the rear wheels via a semi-automatic transmission, complete with steering wheel paddleshifters.

Boosted by a turbocharger, the AMG-tuned powerplant will produce at least 500bhp. And thanks to the car’s low kerbweight, it’s expected to accelerate from 0-60mph in less than four seconds and post a top speed of 200mph. Carbon brakes will make sure it stops as well as it goes.

As was the case with the F1, McLaren will give customers the chance to personalise their car, so a long specification list is likely. There is set to be a whole host of interior trim options and paint colours.

The cabin itself will be very modern, with a unique feel and appearance. The dashboard and steering wheel draw inspiration from the firm’s racers.

Once McLaren has finished the last run of SLR Roadsters and special-edition roofless SLR Speedsters, work will begin on building the P11. And while production of the roadgoing F1 ended after only 64 examples, volumes for the newcomer are set to extend into four figures. The first customers will take delivery of their cars in 2010.

By AutoExpress

Martin Whitmarsh and Ron DennisMcLaren will not allow themselves to get too comfortable about their position in the world championship, despite Lewis Hamilton’s Chinese Grand Prix win helping him open up a seven-point advantage going into the final round in Brazil.

Hamilton’s margin over Felipe Massa means he needs just four points from the Interlagos race to guarantee himself the title. But even though a fifth-place finish should be fairly straightforward for Hamilton and his team, McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh is aware of the potential pitfalls that could hinder them.

“It is very easy not to finish a grand prix,” explained Whitmarsh. “And, no one is going to go and beat Ferrari in Brazil. It is not a super comfortable position, but it is not a bad position going into the last grand prix.

“I think the way Lewis conducted himself over the course of this weekend - he had a lot of criticism flowing from last weekend, and he answered that. He was totally mature, he was driving within himself and that is how you win championships. He did a great job.”

McLaren are evaluating a series of car updates for the final round of the season to try and help boost their performance – although a decision about whether or not they will be used will wait until later this week.

“Well, ordinarily given the pressures you have on the resources of the company you choose whether you want to use some of those resources developing a performance package,” explained Whitmarsh. “I don’t know what it will be at the moment because we are working on it.

“It may be nothing, but we have put the effort into primarily an aerodynamic package to enhance the efficiency of the car. And hopefully that is delivering while we have been away, and if it is we will have it on the car.”

And Whitmarsh has praised the efforts and attitude of Hamilton, who faced huge pressure over the weekend amid criticisms of his driving tactics in the wake of the Japanese GP.

“I think you have to say that the whole weekend he just got on and dominated every session, so I don’t think he was unduly affected by it (the criticism),” explained Whitmarsh. “I had several drivers come to me to say that they didn’t really say what was reported and it was taken out of context.

“You learn in this industry and in these situations, if you are at the top of your game people are going to be more critical of you. That goes with the territory. It is the same for this team – if we stumble as a team then we will probably get panned to a much greater extent that some of the smaller teams. But on balance I would rather have that than the other.”

By AutoSport