McLaren's elusive P11 has moved from the realm of rumor into reality with spy photos of the first prototype caught testing. Tentatively scheduled to be officially introduced in the spring with production beginning in 2010, the P11 is McLaren's replacement for the SLR, a F430 competitor. A successor to the McLaren F1 is also reportedly in the works.

Details on this car, caught here winter testing in Sweden, are naturally sketchy, but the heavily-camouflaged silhouette does resemble the renderings that have leaked over the past few months. No specific details have been released, but current speculation calls for the lightweight supercar to be powered by a Mercedes-sourced V8 pumping out around 550bhp, possibly hooked up to an F1-style quick-change transmission.

 

Nice! I'm really looking forward to this! I have an engineering buddy that told me he was working on a project for McLaren to introduce this car at the Paris auto show this year! Apparently it's being lowered down via helicopter and he was working on the brakes for the cable system that is lowering the car.

I can't wait to see what it looks like with all the body cladding taken off!

 

Exciting developments from the F1 World Champs!

Now it is time for my soap box . . .

Any replacement for the F1 will be a disappointment. I just don't think they can reproduce the excitement of the F1. Even if the performance numbers are the same, it won't have the same history or provanance. If they try to hype any car as an "F1 replacement" it will end up being a let-down - much like the SLR has been. On its own merits the SLR an incredible super car worth every penny. But in the shadow of the F1, it almost feels like an imposter.

Just my 2 cents.

 

The side scoop camo is ver y gallardo-ish LOL