When a car begins its official production run, most automakers celebrate with a detailed press release or media event. To kick off the assembly of the maniacal 675LT, McLaren jubilated with a symphony of roaring engines, tire smoke, and fire. The scene was the striking Castelloli racetrack, a technical course situated in the hills of northeast Spain. There, surrounded by the countryside’s natural beauty, a near-florescent Napier Green 675 Longtail made its track debut, and boy was it a doozy. The supercar’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 bellowed through its unique titanium exhaust, unleashing 666 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque onto the pavement below. The Longtail, which made its
Recommended Videos
public debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March, sits atop McLaren’s Super Series lineup. After watching the British brand’s brilliant 4K track video, it’s easy to see why.
1 of 7
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Image used with permission by copyright holder
220 pounds lighter and 25 hp more robust than the 650S, the 675LT was born for the track. Compared to the 650S, the front and rear tracks have been widened by 20mm, and the springs are stiffer all around. Thanks to its revised bodywork and prominent carbon fiber air brake, the vehicle creates 40 percent more downforce as well, and the steering is quicker, too. In fact, compared to the 650S, a third of the parts are either new or modified. According to McLaren, 0 to 60 mph comes in just 2.9 seconds, 0 to 124 mph comes in 7.9 seconds, and top speed is rated at an eye-opening 205 mph. Despite its elemental philosophies, the LT is completely road-legal, and it boasts a multimedia system, air conditioning, and even some Alcantara upholstery covering up the metal bits. The first units are currently being manufactured at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England. Unsurprisingly, all of the 500 planned units are already sold out.
Tesla and Elon Musk sued over use of AI image at Cybercab event
Tesla’s recent We, Robot presentation has run into trouble, with one of the production companies behind Blade Runner 2049 suing Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for alleged copyright infringement.
Tesla used the glitzy October 10 event to unveil its Cybercab and Robovan, and also to showcase the latest version of its Optimus humanoid robot.
Qualcomm wants to power your next car with the Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Elite platforms
It’s been a big year for Qualcomm. Alongside its massive launch into laptop chips through the Snapdragon X Elite series, Qualcomm is now entering the automotive space. The company has announced the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite platforms at its annual Snapdragon Summit, which it flew me out to attend.
The two platforms are designed for different purposes, and can be used togetheror separately. The Snapdragon Cockpit Elite is built for in-vehicle infotainment systems and services, while the Snapdragon Ride Elite is built to power autonomous vehicle systems, including all the cameras and sensors that go into those systems.
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.
Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.
