McLaren's MP4-12C GT3 Racer gets 100HP less than the Street Version [Gallery and Video]

McLaren has announced full technical specifications of its MP4-12C GT3 racing model, which much surprisingly, has 100 horses less than the road car it's based upon. The racer uses the same 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 engine (codenamed M838T), but in a de-tuned state deliver 500 horsepower (down from 600HP) in order to “provide optimum power for a performance-balanced race car,” according to McLaren. Read more »

Wanted: Responsible Person to Drive World’s Top Supercars

How’s this for a dream job? Britain’s Repairacar is seeking a very special someone who can drive supercars from a customer’s address to one of their repair shops and back. It’s all very glamorous – the opportunity to drive supercars as diverse as Aston Martins, Ferraris and even the occasional Zonda or Bugatti Veyron – though it does include some taking of public transport.

A company spokesperson explains:“[The successful applicant] will also be expected to make their own way back to base from any corner of the UK and Europe – using public transport.”

So what they’re offering are a couple of hours on a bus or train in return for the chance to drive a selection of the world’s greatest supercars? Who could say no? Well, Repairacar, for one. You see, they’re not just looking for any Tom, Dick or Harry:

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Edo Competition’s 722HP Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Black Arrow

The impressive SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’ may have long replaced the venerable SLR McLaren in the Mercedes-Benz’s ranks, but the tuning world is not about let go of the Stuttgart firm’s previous supercar. Edo Competition has revealed a new take on the SLR McLaren called the Black Arrow.

Edo Karabegovic and his team over at Edo Competition started out with the SLR McLaren’s body, which gains a stealthy looking flat black coating and an overdose of red livery combined with new black colored 21-inch alloy wheels with a red ring that are shod in high-performance sport tires. There’s also new exhaust tailpipes and carbon trim.

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Sebastian Vettel Takes Dominant Australian Grand Prix Win

Sebastian Vettel won the inagural race of the 2011 F1 season after a dominating performance in Melbourne. The German driver made full use of his pole-position and lead the race from start to finish, taking his 11th Formula 1 win. Vettel adopted a two-stop pit strategy and finished with a 22.2-second advantage over second ranked Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), who had to race with a detached floor after running wide on lap 33.

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2011 Formula One Season is On: Vettel to Start Australian GP from Pole Position

Red Bull and McLaren dominated the first qualifying session of the year, with the two teams getting the top four pole positions for Sunday's Melbourne race. 2010 title winner Sebastian Vettel started the new F1 season in style, dominating comfortably all three qualifying stages and sealing pole-position with a 1m23.529s lap, 0.78 seconds quicker than the second fastest driver, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

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McLaren Combines Forces with SPC to Create Venge Aero Road Bike

McLaren, a pioneer of carbon-fiber technology, which it successfully uses in Formula 1 and on its MP4-12C road car, has teamed up with U.S.-based Specialized Bicycle Components [SPC] for an unusual project: building the ultimate road bike.

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McLaren's MP4-12C GT3 Racer Completes First Tests [with Video]

After a photo preview at the end of last year, the racing version of McLaren's all-new supercar has been revealed in England, where the car undertook its first shakedown tests. Built by McLaren GT, a new company set up by the McLaren Group and CRS Racing, the MP4-12C GT3 had its debut test outings at the MIRA proving ground facility and the Silverstone Circuit.

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Head Banger Videos of the Day: Dan Picks up McLaren F1 with his Wife

It would probably take more words than you’d be willing to read if we were to write down all the memorable quotes heard in the first two videos of Dan Kennedy and his wife picking up and then driving their McLaren F1, but here’s a taster:

“Honey, what happened to the steering wheel?”; “Where does the luggage go?”; “Ms. Kennedy: What are you trying to do me? Mr. Kennedy: Do you like that? Ms. Kennedy: I like it, it was really fun! Ohhhhh, Ohhhhh, Ohhhhh!”

The story has it that the first videos were shot in 2001 (but uploaded on the net much later), with Dan selling the McLaren in 2004. It also noted that he had the car repainted from its original silver finish to “a wild candy orange” by the factory in Woking. The third video is from a program that aired on the Discovery Channel called "Million Dollar Motors" and featured Dan’s F1. For more details on the story check out the links after the jump.

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VIDEO: New McLaren MP4-12C Beats the Snot Out of Ferrari 458 Italia and Porsche 911 Turbo in Drag Race

Even before McLaren released the final specifications on the brand-new MP4-12C, we knew that the British firm's supercar was fast, but if we are to believe this video that mysteriously popped up on Youtube, then the MP4-12C has a serious speed edge over some of its most famed rivals - at least in a straight line race. The video shows the McLaren MP4-12C clearly beating both the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Porsche 911 Turbo MkII [997] in a drag race believed to have taken place at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal. You can watch the short clip along with a couple more fresh videos released by McLaren right after the jump.

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