By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

The launch of the McLaren MP4-12C wasn’t just about the on-stage presentation – there was also unprecedented access to the production floor where the prototype cars are being assembled, and where the first customer cars are due to roll off at the beginning of 2011. As a factory, it’s perhaps a little disappointing. Grease? Pools of oil? No. More like hospital levels of cleanliness; stark white walls, ceramic tiled floors and gleaming work surfaces. Everything is white and sparkling. McLaren’s approach: if it’s white, it’s either clean or it’s dirty. And everything has to be all clean, all the time. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Jonathan Moore

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

March 18 turned out to be a pivotal day for the famous McLaren team. The day was marked for the launch of their new supercar, the McLaren MP4-12C – announced as a concept last year and now about to be unveiled for the first time in public at the architecturally stunning McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey. But amazing as the car is in its own right, it also marked a huge shift for the team as they announced they were entering the shark-infested waters of becoming a car manufacturer. The MP4-12C is going to be the first in a line of McLaren street cars. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Jonathan Moore

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

Cars that radically shake up the status quo are rare, whether in racing, rallying, drifting or on the street. Often it’s down to performance or the implementation of new technology under the body, but upon its launch in 1971 almost every aspect of the Lancia Stratos was shocking. Remember, the car that won the previous year’s World Rally Championship was the Renault Alpine A110 with its ’60s curves. The Stratos didn’t just represent a new decade but a whole new style of race car attitude – dedicated to win on the track, to capture the imagination of customers and make their wallets follow. The livery of this 1974 example (chassis 1590, the 90th car built) may have changed to reflect current owner (and drinks magnate) Steve Perez’s sponsor, but the soul of the car hasn’t changed and Goodwood’s rally stage was the perfect chance to get up close. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Jonathan Moore