Naked at the NEC

[Mike Pass]

Autosport Show at the NEC

No - not what you were thinking! I have included one pic of some young ladies as a small compensation but these are some pics of the new new Mclaren sports car without it's clothes. The car is basically a central CF tub with aluminium castings and extrusions bolted on front and rear.
Interesting points are the tiny crossover/silencer - hard to see how this can silence the motor even allowing for the turbo deadening effect. Also the twin pipes linking the front pair and rear pair of shocks. Not sure what these do as there is also a decent antiroll (sway) bar.
I did promise the two very attractive young ladies that I would get them onto the internet but they might be a little disappointed to end up on here!
However a nice change from all this political stuff.
Cheers
Mike

 

[Garry]

+1 Mike. Thanks for posting.
Garry

 

[Mike]

Great post. Thanks. What a gorgeous car. Wish I could afford one...do we have a clue what they're going to ask for it here in the States? And where you'd get it serviced?
Re. mufflers, could those vertically mounted catalytic converters (I assume) also provide some silencing?

 

[Andy Sheldon]

I am not so sure that putting that chassis on display like that was a good idea.

Andy

 

[Mark]

I am not so sure that putting that chassis on display like that was a good idea.

Andy

Why Andy? Because it makes it easy to copy or because it shows that you could do a better job at home? Very Heath-Robinson looking IMO

 

[Jack]

Maybe because the carbon fiber work looks like crap!

 

[Andy Sheldon]

Well I did not want to put it like that and I am a Mclaren fan but yes. It looks like its been made out of off cuts of cloth and patched together.

I know a guy who was going to buy one. I think he may have changed his mind.

Andy

 

[Jack]

Andy, I am a Mclaren fan as well but that looks horrible! Perhaps (hope so) it is merely a secondary bonding for something...

 

[Andy Sheldon]

No I had a good look at it and its the main chassis lay up. Even if the production cars are like this and covered by a nice moulding that is part of the body they would make sure that a chassis to be displayed like this would be perfect.

There was another maufacturer showing a new car that had black tape stuck on to represent air vents, very poor fitting light covers and a peice of wood holding the steering column in.

Its totally beyond me. These are not Micky Mouse companies and they certainly don't charge Micky Mouse prices. The McLaren is £170K.

Andy

 

[SouthernGT40]

Well I can't see anything wrong with those Ginetta chassis!

 

[Mark]

Oow-Err Missis

 

[Chris Huck]

It does look a tad rough but think it`s where they had some peel ply as Molleur said for secondary bonding.

 

[Chris P.]

Hmmm... well something about the overall design and execution of that car does not look like Gordon Murray. Is he still there?

 

[David Sturch]

Martin,

I would take the Mclaren chassis over the those Ginetta's any day. Ginetta's costs more over the long run. The older chassis the more it cost to trade in.
Dave

 

[Andy Sheldon]

Whats with the Ginetta chassis? I thought the thread was about the McLaren chassis?

Andy

 

[David Sturch]

Andy,
The Blond and Brunette Ginetta Chassis. Very Costly.

 

[Andy Sheldon]

OK I see now.
I think a lot of you are gonna go blind!

Andy

 

[Jack]

Martin,

I would take the Mclaren chassis over the those Ginetta's any day. Ginetta's costs more over the long run. The older chassis the more it cost to trade in.
Dave

High maintainance for sure!

 

[Olivier S]

Hi guys,

concerning the chassis, it is said to be molded in only one piece, no bonding of an upper and a lower part.

What can be seen is probably vacuum bags traces.

I'm not a McLaren fan, but I guess the McLaren boys are fairly competent regarding CF technology...

Concerning the Ginetta's chassis: really coooool, look sweet and warm. Must be really comfortable to get in.

 

[J. Salmon]

Also the twin pipes linking the front pair and rear pair of shocks. Not sure what these do as there is also a decent antiroll (sway) bar.

I wonder if this is anything like audi's DRC? It would seem odd to link the opposite shock, especially if you have anti-sways. Was there any connection front to rear? The audi system diagonally links them so that so get anti-squat, anti-dive, and anti-roll.... in theory. In my experience, the shock valving is not high enough quality to really make the technology effective. I would bet the valving in this car could be a higher level.