Take a look at the British supercar that’s got the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 in its sights! This striking machine is an all-new entry-level ‘baby’ model from Formula One racing team McLaren – and it will take the company into uncharted territory, rivalling established brands with a price tag of around £80,000. The sports car is a key part of McLaren boss Ron Dennis’ plans to expand McLaren Automotive – the division responsible for the Mercedes SLR McLaren and original F1 road car – into a volume producer.

Already in the pipeline is the P11, a Ferrari F430 rival that we’ve scooped undergoing final testing. A hi-tech, expensive flagship that would revive the spirit of the original F1 supercar is on the horizon, too. However, McLaren has ambitious plans to produce several thousand units from its factory in Woking, Surrey, over the next five years. So, it needs to enter an entirely new sector – and that’s where this ‘baby’ model comes in.

Based on the same rear-wheel-drive chassis as the P11, it will boast a composite body and be very compact – slightly smaller than the Audi R8. Ex-Fiat and Ferrari designer Frank Stephenson has been installed as styling director at McLaren Automotive, and is working on a range of projects – including this car. These artist’s impressions give you the best idea yet of how the newcomer could look – and as you can see, there are clear influences from the P11, as well as cues from the original Peter Stevens-designed F1. To keep costs down and prevent the small McLaren from stepping on the toes of the turbocharged P11, power is likely to come from a normally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 sourced from Mercedes’ AMG division.

With 450bhp in a car that weighs around 1,300kg, performance will still be scintillating. A 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds and top speed of 195mph will more than match the V8-powered R8. A semi-automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddles and carbon ceramic brakes will be standard. The baby McLaren is still some way off, though – it’s unlikely to appear before 2012.

 

Personally it looks horrible except for the last rendering )the silver one)

 

I agree DJ, it looks pretty bad. The first two pics it kinda has a hint of Audi R8 to it. Every company guns for Porsche but.....after the hype wears off we always go back to Porsche.

 

+2. The silver one really does look like a second coming of the Macca F1. The first one looks like a bastardized R8.

 

The silver one is passable, but still boring.

 

Well...it looks like the Ferrari replica in GTA IV...

 

Design = fail

 

450hp not very exciting even for 2012.

 

I think I could get into it. I think cars always end up looking better in the flesh and this I think will be that way. Will be interesting to see what the final car looks like...

 

Were those R8 wheels in the first two pics