According to Car Magazine, the McLaren P12 will be the successor to the F1. Here’s what we know so far. The two-seater P12 will use the MP4-12C’s engine, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8, which will be paired with the KERS energy storage system that provides electric power bursts. Car Magazine says that this car will be a 2013 but according to other sources, it could be released as late as 2015. The new McLaren P12 will have around 800 hp, meaning it will be able to compete with supercars like the Ferrari Enzo. This car will supposedly be able to accelerate to 60 mph in about 2.8 seconds and will accelerate to 100 mph in about 5.5 seconds. It is expected that only 500 examples of these will be made but if the demand is out there, we’re sure the manufacturer will make an exception. More information about this car should be coming out within the next twelve months. Pricing is expected to start around €750,000, which converts to about $1,200,000.

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Dwayne Wade celebrated his 30th birthday in Miami this past weekend in usual celebrity fashion with over-the-top lavish gifts including a free $230,000 McLaren MP4-12C delivered via crane. Wait…um…what?

Ken Gorin, president and CEO of Coral Gables’s luxury dealership, The Collection, didn’t just hand Dwayne Wade the keys to a black 2012 McLaren MP4-12C sports car valued at $230,000; he went as far as to have the thing airlifted by crane onto a platform sitting above the hotel pool for a special presentation with such celebrities as Usher and T.I.

The car had to be craned into place because it couldn’t be driven through the hotel. After a little bit of careful maneuvering, the car made it successfully onto the platform, which was built specifically to make the presentation of the gift even more special for Dwayne. How did Wade receive this gift for free, you ask? According to TMZ, “Wade is the brand ambassador for that particular dealership.”

Dwayne Wade is a shooting guard for the Miami Heat. He is also attached to Actress Gabrielle Union, who reportedly threw the birthday party for him.

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Ralph Lauren is offering miniature car models based on the amazing real-life car collection owned by the man behind the brand.

These limited-edition 1:8-scale replicas are said to be exact to one-tenth of a millimeter. To produce such accurate imitations, each car was digitally scanned and more than 3,000 hours were invested creating the master molds. Another 350 man-hours were spent assembling, painting, detailing, and polishing each model.

Being marketed as a last minute gift idea for the classic-car lover, the four different models are based on some of Ralph Lauren's rarest and best-known cars: his 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, 1938 Bugatti 57 S/C Atlantic, and 1996 McLaren F1 LM. Each model is offered for $9,500.

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Aftermarket specialists bring together a combination of products from well-known tuners to create the ultimate Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR.

It all began with a 2006 McLaren SLR coupe modified by Renntech to produce 160 more horsepower through alterations to the car’s 5.5-liter supercharged V-8 engine. These modifications include a new supercharger pulley for more boost pressure as well as a re-tuned ECU. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with Renntech’s latest proprietary transmission cooler, sport exhaust, and modified intercooler pump and heat exchangers. Equipped with Hoosier drag radials, the SLR was able to consistently run 10.29-second quarter miles at Palm Beach International Raceway to both simultaneously embarrass owners of muscle cars designed for the straight-line race and claim the title of the world’s fastest SLR McLaren.

But work wasn’t finished on the 770-hp Renntech-modified SLR McLaren even after it claimed the title in April. Its carbon-fiber panels attributed to its high-performance levels, but it was still dressed in the stock sleeper body. That’s why the decision was made to apply an SLR Renovatio kit to the SLR coupe, the first time the kit would be applied outside of the Mansory factory. The entire car was stripped down to replace its panels with Mansory’s sculpted and aerodynamically enhanced units. For example, a new front apron channels cool air to the intercooler while the rear diffuser adds downforce at speed. The whole thing was dressed in a gloss white to hides its black carbon-fiber weave.

Topping things off is a set of Forgiato wheels. Forgiato says it uses forged aluminum parts to custom manufacture three-piece wheels to the exact specifications of the application. In the photo above, the SLR McLaren is wearing Maglia ECLs finished in the same white as the rest of the car.

Rounding out the changes is an interior swimming in Alcantara and carbon fiber.

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McLaren is preparing a successor to its acclaimed F1 supercar to rival the Bugatti Veyron and other hypercars as soon as 2014. According to AutoCar, testing is underway for a potent yet-unnamed McLaren that will carry a mix of numeric and alphabetic characters just like the MP4-12C. The future McLaren supercar will be powered by an 800-hp, 590-lb-ft-of-torque 5.0-liter V-8 engine powering the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and is reportedly going to cost £1 million, or approximately $1.5 million, and be limited to 500 units worldwide. Follow the jump above to learn more.

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Merdad has released initial sketches of its tuning program for the McLaren MP4-12C. The MehRon GT, as it will be called, is mostly a dramatic redesign with a few subtle performance enhancements. Designed to look both wider and more aggressive, it is eye catching, but we would have to wait for real pictures to know if Merdad pulled it off as planned. Along with the new look, Merdad says the MehRon GT will also feature a new exhaust system, lightweight forged wheels, and an unexplained upgrade in power.

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Comedic Actor Rowan Atkinson, best known for his Mr. Bean character, survived a crash in his million-dollar McLaren F1 early yesterday evening outside Cambridgeshire, U.K. The 56-year-old actor was hospitalized overnight before being released early this morning with a fractured shoulder blade.

Atkinson’s 1998 McLaren F1 did not fare as well. It reportedly spun several times before crashing into a tree and road sign, causing the rear of the car, where the engine is located, to burst into flames. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service quickly extinguished the fire after arriving on scene.

According to a McLaren Group spokesperson, the vehicle was moved to its headquarters for a damage assessment. The McLaren F1 is quite rare, with only 72 road cars produced from 1994 to 1998.

Known for his affinity for fast cars, this is the second time the funny man has wrecked his McLaren. The first occurrence in 1999 was shortly after he purchased the supercar. The actor recently appeared on BBC’s Top Gear, affirming that he is a car enthusiast and that the 14-year-old McLaren was perhaps his most prized possession.

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The International Engine of the Year Awards has declared the naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V-8 in Ferrari 458 Italia the Best Performance Engine of 2011. The 4499cc V-8 had to compete against the 3.8-liter flat-six from the Porsche GT3, 6.2-liter V-8 from AMG, 3.8-liter V-8 from the McLaren MP4-12C, and other engineering marvels. Some of the judge’s comments can be found below:

“Super response and extreme power,” remarked Yasuhiko Kawamura, a Japanese freelancer.

“The battle between Ferrari and McLaren comes from the F1 circus to the production cars: two explosive engines, with the Italian V-8 offering just a bit of smoothness more,” said Massimo Nascimbene from La Repubblica.

“One of the best sounding engines out there,” noted Dean Slavnich, co-chairman of the awards.

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McLaren has released its official specifications on the MP4-12C:

0–62 mph in 3.2 seconds, 3.1 seconds on the optional Corsa tires.
0–124 mph in 9.1 seconds, 8.9 seconds on the optional Corsa tires.
Quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds at 135 mph
Top speed of 205 mph
62–0 mph in 100 feet

Want one?

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A recent trend in high-end automobiles is to offer owners a watch as a sort of commemorative plaque or accessory to wear on their person. For instance, the AMVOX2 Transponder is merchandised by Aston Martin and Jaeger-LeCoultre and allows the owner of a DBS, DB9, or Rapide to unlock and lock their car with the press of the watch’s face. Spyker offers a whole collection of luxury wristwatches that are designed to match the design attributes off its cars' interiors. Like the automobiles they represent, some of the watches can be very expensive. For example, the Parmigiani Bugatti Super Sport timepiece is priced at $259,000 and strives to represent the recently released Bugatti Veyron SS.

McLaren is jumping on this trend with the announcement that it has teamed up with Tag Heuer to offer the MP4-12C Chronograph, a limited-edition timepiece for the MP4-12C enthusiast. With a production limited to 1,000 units (the same number of cars McLaren hopes to produce its first year), the wristwatch will show up at participating McLaren dealerships in late 2011.

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