Mercedes dumps Mclaren

[Danny]

Not looking good for MB.

M-B are doing fine. They can easily afford to cut off this project.

McLaren are at a disadvantage, not being in every possible niché in the car market though.

 

[den brakke]

Perhaps BMW wil get interested again??

 

[Layla's Keeper]

I'm so glad your not in charge of McLaren, the F1 was one of the greatest achievments in automotive history, the SLR is making an impact for different reasons but it's leaving good impressions.

The M8D as you said was a Can Am car, not a road car. The F1 was a road car, if McLaren made cars like the M8D they WOULD go out of business, because ther'd be no market for them.

Actually, McLaren made more of a profit with their sports racer chassis back when Bruce was alive than the company turned with the damned F1 road car project.

It's ghastly that McLaren, under Woking control, didn't enter sports car racing until the F1 was built in the 90's. The company was founded on sports car racing. Founded on Can Am because of the expense of building Le Mans cars at the time, particularly when Bruce also wanted to build formula one cars.

But now look at the company. Can't turn profit enough to finance the F1 division (as they did in days of yore, selling M8A and M8B chassis to the likes of Oscar Kovaleski, Lothar Motschenbacher, and Dan Gurney) and so the company is forced to kowtow to (ugh) Mercedes-Benz.

Damnit, the cars aren't painted Kiwi Orange any more nor do they have any association with Yardley. That's sign enough for me that things have gone awry. Yes, if I were in charge of McLaren, the F1 never would have been built. What would have been built would have been an LMP chassis that would have embarassed Audi for pennies on the dollar.

That's the real McLaren spirit.

 

[ExigeEvan]

So your saying that a car, voted by many to be the greatest, was 'damned'.

But didn't they only make the road cars to coincide with the FIA rules?

Anyway, I remember a past Top Gear magazine article on the SLR thats leading quote was 'it has good air conditioning'. And to honest that is what the SLR is. It was a super/hyper car with luxury. Not comfort, but luxury.

 

[Dave A]

No the F1 was a road car first and was modified for GT racing after, racing it was never part of the plan at first.

 

[kensei]

Frankly there couldn't be a better thing for McLaren. Mercedes is not the compay it once was. Merc is dead weight to McLaren, in their road cars AND F1 (especially F1). I only hope to goes into their F1 program and Merc is gone in the next year or so.

McLaren would be FAR better off with a real engine like a BMW or Toyota in F1.

Lets face it with the SLR, the best bits about it were the McLaren bits. The Merc bits just muddled the design and I've not read anything exceptionally praising the engine.

McLaren is far too good of a company to have to deal with Merc.

 

[den brakke]

Lets face it with the SLR, the best bits about it were the McLaren bits. The Merc bits just muddled the design and I've not read anything exceptionally praising the engine.

McLaren is far too good of a company to have to deal with Merc.

Totaly agree. I think that if Mercedes had nothing to do with the SLR it would be MR, the engine would be a V12 and it wouldn't be fited to a damn automatic. The styling wouldn't have those wrong proportions i guess. But then again ther wasn't any SLR without Mercedes.

 

[GT3mich]

Bad news?

This is awesome news. The DCX execs are easily the worst in the industry.

And you base this on what?

 

[kensei]

I can find no reference to this anywhere on the web. Not that I've looked that hard but all the usual sources and the McLaren and Mercedes sites have no news on this, nor do F1 news sites......

 

[Double_R]

Totaly agree. I think that if Mercedes had nothing to do with the SLR it would be MR, the engine would be a V12 and it wouldn't be fited to a damn automatic. The styling wouldn't have those wrong proportions i guess. But then again ther wasn't any SLR without Mercedes.

The reason y the car is all that it is, is because they built it how they wanted it.

 

[Double_R]

Totaly agree. I think that if Mercedes had nothing to do with the SLR it would be MR, the engine would be a V12 and it wouldn't be fited to a damn automatic. The styling wouldn't have those wrong proportions i guess. But then again ther wasn't any SLR without Mercedes.

The reason y the car is all that it is, is because they built it how they wanted it.

 

[Dave A]

It would appear to be a hoax then cs I can't find anything on it wither.

 

[McLaren]

Good at building road cars? They haven't built one since 1998, and won't ever again.

Mercedes offers technology, luxury, and a world-famous label.

Yes, but who's the company that took LeMans first time out?
Who's the company that held and still does the World's Record of Fastest Production Car?
McLaren.

McLaren was a company that was F1 racing long before Mercedes teamed up with them.

And den brakke, BMW wasn't even the first choice for the F1 engine.
Guess who was though?

You'll find the answer by seeing who raced with McLaren in F1 and during the relationship, McLaren becoming very famous and successful.

Here's a hint.
They're Japanese.

 

[MrktMkr1986]

It would appear to be a hoax then cs I can't find anything on it wither.

I think you're probably right. I haven't found any other article stating this. Perhaps the publication had inside information and then leaked it?

 

[rico13]

I wouldnt mind that a American car company to hire Mclaren to build a true supercar.

 

[MrktMkr1986]

I wouldnt mind that a American car company to hire Mclaren to build a true supercar.

Didn't Buick collaborate with McLaren when they made the Buick Regal Grand National GNX?

 

[VIPFREAK]

You guys do realize in the original post is the proof?! it's a news ad isn't it?

 

[MrktMkr1986]

You guys do realize in the original post is the proof?! it's a news ad isn't it?

True -- but I couldn't find any other sources with the same information...

 

[fangorn_forest]

u lot are mad. no other car has a presence like the slr. just imagine 1 steaming up from behind ud shat a brick n get out its way.

Ya, you'd see it in your rear-view mirror and think, "WOW! That's a great looking car!". Then it would pull alongside and drive past and you'd vomit all over the inside of the car.

 

[Danny]

With the SL65/55 there was little point anyway.

 

[McLaren]

Didn't Buick collaborate with McLaren when they made the Buick Regal Grand National GNX?

Yes, but after that, the deal was done.

 

[MrktMkr1986]

Yes, but after that, the deal was done.

That car was perfect. McLaren should work with an American car company again.

 

[jimjamm]

It [the article scan] is from this month's Automobile magazine. In case you were wondering.

 

[87chevy]

First off..... who cares????

the SLR is probably the ugliest car of late, maybe tied with the RX8. i'll never own one anyways, who gives a flip...... Mercedes is better sticking to what they do best. Expensive Luxo rides, and let AMG make'em sporty if they want.

And if the SLR is the kind of styling McLaren likes, i don't want them to lay a finger on any American Car!!!!!!!

 

[Double_R]

First off..... who cares????

the SLR is probably the ugliest car of late, maybe tied with the RX8. i'll never own one anyways, who gives a flip...... Mercedes is better sticking to what they do best. Expensive Luxo rides, and let AMG make'em sporty if they want.

And if the SLR is the kind of styling McLaren likes, i don't want them to lay a finger on any American Car!!!!!!!

I know exatly what you mean. We dont want to see american cars with curves now do we

 

[Pebb]

It would be kool if McLaren joined forces with either of these car companies:

TVR
Aston Martin
Lotus
Lister

 

[McLaren]

It would be kool if McLaren joined forces with either of these car companies:

TVR
Aston Martin
Lotus
Lister

I'd love to see McLaren and TVR make a new Speed 12.

 

[eliseracer]

We dont want to see american cars with curves now do we

Current day american companies can't get anywhere in automotive design. I think having someone take them by the hand and show them would be good.

 

[JoeyL]

Yes, but who's the company that took LeMans first time out?
Who's the company that held and still does the World's Record of Fastest Production Car?
McLaren.

McLaren was a company that was F1 racing long before Mercedes teamed up with them.

And den brakke, BMW wasn't even the first choice for the F1 engine.
Guess who was though?

You'll find the answer by seeing who raced with McLaren in F1 and during the relationship, McLaren becoming very famous and successful.

Here's a hint.
They're Japanese.

It would be excelllent if McLaren and Honda teamed up to build an NSX replacement.

 

[psonefreak]

someone needs to beat some of the japanese auto designers... some of the "new" models killed what the cars used to be.. IMO at least. .. like the poor skyline

and yeah, Chrysler dropped the ball with the PT Cruiser... but.. most american cars aren't THAT bad.. at least not as bad as that thing