McLaren MP4-28 launch

[prisonermonkeys]

McLaren will be the second team to launch their 2013 car, the MP4-28. Since there are just twenty-four hours left until the covers come off, it's time to start up the discussion thread.

Here is the launch calendar to date (now with links back to relevant threads):

Lotus E21 - January 28th (launch)
McLaren MP4-28 - January 31st
Ferrari F138 - February 1st
Force India VJM06 - February 1st
Sauber C32 - February 2nd
Red Bull RB9 - February 3rd
Mercedes AMG F1 W04 - February 4th
Toro Rosso STR8 - February 4th
Caterham CT03 - February 5th
Williams FW35 - February 19th
Marussia MR02 - TBA

 

[DemurgicDemon]

I get an odd feeling that we're in for another relaunch, seeing as last years McLaren was one of the most competitive cars the team has made in quite a while. I really can't see much being changed at all.

 

[ZEROX]

All i can do right now are making some assumption base on this picture:

-No stepped nose
-Thin and high nose

That's it.

 

[DemurgicDemon]

All i can do right now are making some assumption base on this picture:

-No stepped nose
-Thin and high nose

That's it.

I doubt that's actually the MP4-28. For the past few seasons McLaren have shown images of the supposed new car under a sheet, that turns out to look nothing like the new car. Put simply, that is most likely an older model under that sheet, and not the new car.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

And the image itself is intentionally deceptive - it's actually on a pedestal and tilted about three degrees:

 

[ZEROX]

I doubt that's actually the MP4-28. For the past few seasons McLaren have shown images of the supposed new car under a sheet, that turns out to look nothing like the new car. Put simply, that is most likely an older model under that sheet, and not the new car.

It could be and it could be not.
I just love making assumption, that's all.

And the image itself is intentionally deceptive - it's actually on a pedestal and tilted about three degrees:

Yeep, notice that when the front tire looks awkward.

 

[dhandeh]

I'm hoping it is Mclaren Orange.

 

[hawkeye122]

I'm hoping it is Mclaren Orange.

Not as much of a stretch as it may sound- McLaren no longer get anything from Mercedes, so they many not have to carry the silver color anymore.

 

[Pezzarinho17]

Please McLaren, no stepped nose... More importantly, be a championship winner!

 

[sumbrownkid]

Not as much of a stretch as it may sound- McLaren no longer get anything from Mercedes, so they many not have to carry the silver color anymore.

But they don't they have place their sponsors colors on it regardless? Might conflict with the Historic Orange color.

I personally think that when an anniversary year for Mclaren comes around, they should run it in all orange with minimal sponsor colors beyond black.

 

[Samus]

They're still title sponsored by Vodafone which means large parts of it need to be red, I can't see the rest of it being anything but silver/chrome again.

 

[MagpieRacer]

But they don't they have place their sponsors colors on it regardless? Might conflict with the Historic Orange color.

I personally think that when an anniversary year for Mclaren comes around, they should run it in all orange with minimal sponsor colors beyond black.

This year is a anniversary of some kind I think.

http://m.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/289519/mclaren-reveals-logo-for-50th-anniversary/

50th anniversary, a more black car perhaps?

 

[sumbrownkid]

A more black car is always a good thing. Something about black and F1 cars just go together for some reason.

 

[Pagey279]

Are matte colours do-able on a Formula 1 car? A car in matte black with hardly any sponsors would look incredible....

 

[Silver-Sylph]

Why does everyone love matte colors? Matte black would look awful on a formula one car and it looks just as bad on street cars.

 

[lbsf1]

Are matte colours do-able on a Formula 1 car? A car in matte black with hardly any sponsors would look incredible....

Matte colours would definately be doable, when at work experience at McLaren there were various parts that are in Matte black, they just arn't obviously visable on the finished car. It probably would be easier for teams to do matte black aswell because (I think) its less coats then a normal finish thus less man hours.


EDIT: The pirelli test car is almost matte black.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Toyota TF109?

 

[Centura]

Are matte colours do-able on a Formula 1 car? A car in matte black with hardly any sponsors would look incredible....

Then we would miss out on seeing the amazing reflections on the car at circuits like Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

 

[dhandeh]

It's a few years old, but it could almost work.

 

[Pagey279]

Then we would miss out on seeing the amazing reflections on the car at circuits like Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

Good point, didn't think of that.

Okay I don't want matte paint anymore

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Not as much of a stretch as it may sound- McLaren no longer get anything from Mercedes, so they many not have to carry the silver color anymore.

I believe they have already confirmed that the car will be silver.

Please McLaren, no stepped nose...

Why would they have a stepped nose? The 2014 regulations call for a lowered nose similar to the one they used in 2012. Designing a stepped nose would be a waste of time.

 

[Furinkazen]

Not as much of a stretch as it may sound- McLaren no longer get anything from Mercedes, so they many not have to carry the silver color anymore.

Mercedes Engines....

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I think he means that because they're not getting any funding, they don't owe anything to Mercedes. McLaren will be a fully-fledged customer team of Mercedes this year, and so they will be paying for their engines. Force India is also a Mercedes customer team, and they don't use silver in their livery.

That said, I'm still pretty sure McLaren have confirmed - back when there was speculation that Vodafone would leave the team and Coca-Cola would join them through the "Relentless" energy drink brand - that they won't be changing the colour of their livery.

 

[Pezzarinho17]

Why would they have a stepped nose? The 2014 regulations call for a lowered nose similar to the one they used in 2012. Designing a stepped nose would be a waste of time.

There is still 2013 to think about. They raised the nose at the Spanish Grand Prix last year, and I reckon it was to the maximum they could allow without changing the chassis with it. Still didn't feature a step, but I'm getting more anxious now that with the new car they will have the ability to adopt it.

The 2014 regulations are so far from the current regulations in that area that I wouldn't see having their 2012 style lower nose would benefit them greatly with increased data come 2014.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The 2014 regulations are so far from the current regulations in that area that I wouldn't see having their 2012 style lower nose would benefit them greatly with increased data come 2014.

The 2014 regulations call for an overall-lower nose that is pretty much what McLaren were using last year.

 

[Bigbazz]

I hope they don't ditch the colour scheme, Mclaren cars look great and are instantly recognisable by their colouring just as much as a Ferrari is.

 

[magpie1997]

This year is a anniversary of some kind I think.
50th anniversary, a more black car perhaps?[/QUOTE]

Can't agree more I think a nice black would look awesome on the McLaren. It would also make the Vodafone red stand out which will keep the sponsor happy

Maybe they have already confirmed silver/chrome so be it i still have hope and wish it would change

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Three hours to go!

In the meantime, watch this:

 

[Wardez]

Thanks for sharing that absolutely incredible featurette there. Wow.

2 hours to go

Can't wait to see Checo : DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

[niky]

Are we seriously counting down the launch of a car that will likely be a mock-up disguised with 2012 parts?

One and something hours to go... do they have a livefeed?