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.CompactBased 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. For more details click here.
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