Innovation at the Heart of McLaren’s Success
Want a challenge? Talk about Formula One racing without mentioning the name McLaren. Numerous awards, championship teams, and innovative designs forever link them to the sport. McLaren Technology Group (MTG) uses advancements in technology to produce some of the finest cars on the planet – and they do it from a space ship in Surrey, England.
Legacy of Bruce McLaren
Legendary racer Bruce McLaren establishes Bruce McLaren Motor Racing in 1963 and goes to dominate on the F1 circuit until his untimely death in 1970. His company merges with Ron Dennis Project 4 Race Team to form the foundation for the future: MTG. Innovation and racing is the life’s blood of the company.
Welcome to the McLaren Mothership
Nestled in the beautiful English countryside, the McLaren Technical Center (MTC) is a structure that looks more like a mothership than an office building. Resembling a yin/yang symbol from the air, the award-winning design by famed architect Sir Norman Foster sits submerged in the landscape. The glass and metal frame building is surrounded by man-made lakes used to cool two stories of office space and a wind tunnel. It is the extraordinary headquarters for all the MTG divisions.
Everything for a Reason
The McLaren wind tunnel is used to test the aerodynamics of different parts and setups. It helps to reduce drag and improve balance on the cars. As the McLaren website says, “everything for a reason”. Every part and feature on the cars must have a purpose.
Great Facilities Attract Great People
All McLaren cars are produced at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC), next to the MTC. This is the cleanest assembly line on the planet! It looks more like a modern art museum than a garage. Ron Dennis, Chairman of the McLaren Group, believes “great facilities attract great people”, which is why the MPC also houses a 700-seat restaurant, coffee bar, swimming pool, and fitness center for its 1,000 employees to enjoy.
Only 106 McLaren F1 Cars Produced
In the early 90’s, McLaren starts producing road cars in addition to their race cars. The first of these supercars is the McLaren F1, considered by many to the one of the greatest road cars of all time. It is the first production car to utilize carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers to construct the monocoque frame, which absorbs structural stresses throughout the body of the vehicle like the fuselage of a plane. Only 106 are produced.
McLaren P1 – Making Hybrid Look Good
Following in the F1’s footsteps is the limited edition hybrid sports car, the McLaren P1. Introduced in 2013, this agile carbon fiber hypercar seamlessly accelerates from 0-60 in a mind blowing 2.5 seconds. With both the gas and hybrid engines engaged, it can achieve 903hp. The 375 space-age cars sold out in a month. Jay Leno is the happy owner of the first P1 to arrive stateside.
Drive Your McLaren to Work
McLaren recently launched a Sports Series of cars featuring the 570S and 540C. These high performance vehicles are designed with everyday usability in mind. Lighter, more powerful and with improved driving dynamics, sales for these supercars are expected to substantially boost McLaren’s bottom line in the coming years.
50 Years of F1 Innovations Goes into McLaren Designs
Renowned for their attention to detail and cutting edge technology, McLaren has been producing high performance vehicles for over 50 years. All of their Formula One technical knowledge goes into their designs. Today’s car enthusiast can satisfy a need for speed right along with these F1 innovators.
McLaren Exists to Win
Most fledgling sports car manufacturers take up to 10 years to show a profit. McLaren achieves it in four. Their marketing proudly says it all: “We exist to win in everything we do”. McLaren employees take great pride handcrafting every element of these spectacular cars. They consider them to be the best cars in the world and perhaps they are right.
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