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Mercedes and McLaren part ways (in Road Cars)

Started by Gilles4Ever , Jul 04 2008 07:24

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43 replies to this topic

#1 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:24

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will end its partnership with McLaren when their current contract expires next year.

The two manufacturers cooperated on the development of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren roadster and were reported to be working on a new flagship roadster called the SLC.

"The partnership ends in 2009 and it will not be renewed," a Mercedes spokesman told Automotive News.

Instead, the SLR replacement due in 2010 is likely to be built by Mercedes-Benz's in-house AMG performance unit.

It is not clear how the latest developments will impact the manufacturers' current Formula One agreement.

So Mercedes don't need the McLaren name to sell high end road cars. Where does this leave the Mclaren name in the future of their relationship in F1?

Mercedes going to take over McLaren and drop the name?
Will Mercedes rather promote the AMG name over the McLaren name in motorsport?
Is this the first step to a complete withdrawal from McLaren/F1?
Is it a raod car issue and has no bearing on F1 at all?

#2 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:27

It's quite clearly road cars and not racing.

#3 peroa

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:28

That`s G-OLD.

#4 S�bastien

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:32

Hardly surprising, let's hope this is only step 1 of Mercedes distancing itself from McLaren.

#5 Mika Mika

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:45

Originally posted by Sébastien
Hardly surprising, let's hope this is only step 1 of Mercedes distancing itself from McLaren.

Doubt it.

#6 Owen

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:52

That was yesterdays fish and chips packaging. The F1 partnership is stronger than ever.

#7 Perigee

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:52

Originally posted by Gilles4Ever

So Mercedes don't need the McLaren name to sell high end road cars....

Of course not! The McLaren name now stands for espionage, corruption, theft of ideas and a lack of moral integrity. Mercedes have been selling high end road cars a long time...why would they need an association with the mired name of McLaren to continue selling cars?

#8 sKunk

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 07:58

link?

#9 Mika Mika

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:07

I'm not surprised the SLR has been a megga failure!!!

#10 Frogman

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:10

Originally posted by Perigee
The McLaren name now stands for espionage, corruption, theft of ideas and a lack of moral integrity

That would be the name McLaren-Mercedes, most of those things happened long after Mercedes got a stake in the team.

#11 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:10

http://www.wheels24....n...n part ways
http://wot.motortren...odel/index.html

#12 kar

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:25

It's old news too AMuS reported this at the start of the week.

#13 Enkei

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:35

From the Mp4/23 thread:
I don't see this as a sign of a near split between Mac and Merc.
As long as Ron's around, the McLaren name will stay.

#14 kar

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:39

Originally posted by Enkei
From the Mp4/23 thread:
I don't see this as a sign of a near split between Mac and Merc.
As long as Ron's around, the McLaren name will stay.

It's just a road car deal. Obviously the McLaren name isn't shifting product and after last year may even contribute to preventing people buying product.

#15 undersquare

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 08:40

I wish McLaren would revive the F2

#16 Ricardo F1

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 16:03

Originally posted by Mika Mika
I'm not surprised the SLR has been a megga failure!!!

Surely that can't be a reason they're stopping??? No, no, it must be because of McLaren's "sordid name and reputation". :lol:

Still a nice car mind, though not the genius of engineering that was the F1. Always thought it was a bit daft to have McLaren building a Mercedes rather McLaren build a McLaren with a Merc powerplant. At the end of the day what it turned out to be wasn't much more than what AMG would do (well bar the gull wings). But hey, Merc got a new front end for all their cars designed out of it!

#17 kar

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 16:22

http://www.auto-moto...13580_13987.hbs

At least they are going out with an absolute cracker.

Gosh what a car - love it

#18 mclarensmps

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 16:33

They've been wanting to part ways in terms of road cars for a while now, the only thing keeping them together was the SLR contract. The SLC was never being developed by McLaren, because they were busy developing their own small roadster called the F2.

This should, and will have no effect on their F1 partnership.

#19 F575 GTC

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 16:40

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
Surely that can't be a reason they're stopping??? No, no, it must be because of McLaren's "sordid name and reputation".

Still a nice car mind, though not the genius of engineering that was the F1. Always thought it was a bit daft to have McLaren building a Mercedes rather McLaren build a McLaren with a Merc powerplant. At the end of the day what it turned out to be wasn't much more than what AMG would do (well bar the gull wings). But hey, Merc got a new front end for all their cars designed out of it!

They should let the SLR be entered into the FIA GT series, they've got the racing spec but limiting it to a one make series is a bit of a downer, enter it into the premier European GT class (then the world one) and it'll get more appeal. Especially considering the last McLaren-Merc car didn't do too bad! :lol:

#20 Gilles12

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 16:42

For all the size of that new Paragon building do you think they can design and build a motor in it?

#21 Ricardo F1

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 18:07

Originally posted by F575 GTC
Especially considering the last McLaren-Merc car didn't do too bad!

McLaren-BMW.

#22 BMW_F1

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 18:10

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
McLaren-BMW.

In your dreams perhaps..

#23 peroa

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 18:13

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
McLaren-BMW.

I think he means the flip-per.
http://en.wikipedia....es-Benz_CLK_GTR

#24 pingu666

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 18:37

the macca f1 supercar was powered by a big bmw lump ;)

im sure they could build there own engine, but its probably really not worth it, when you can just get some phat german engine and fist it up a car:)

#25 AyePirate

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 18:58

Originally posted by BMW_F1

In your dreams perhaps..

The McLaren F1 has a 6.1L BMW V-12 engine.

Don't know much about BMW_F1 perhaps ;)

#26 Mika Mika

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 19:00

TAG McLaren Porsche
Has a ring to it.....

#27 Scotracer

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 19:10

Originally posted by AyePirate

The McLaren F1 has a 6.1L BMW V-12 engine.

Don't know much about BMW_F1 perhaps ;)

lol I was just going to post that -- how can someone on this board NOT know the Mclaren F1 had a BMW engine?!

#28 AyePirate

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 21:10

I thought McLaren were developing a smaller rear engine Ferrari 430 competitor-the P11. I didn't see any Mercedes badging on that one (although I thought the engine was an AMG product).

#29 BMW_F1

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 21:28

Originally posted by AyePirate

The McLaren F1 has a 6.1L BMW V-12 engine.

Don't know much about BMW_F1 perhaps ;)

they don't make them no more...

#30 big x

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 23:12

Originally posted by BMW_F1

they don't make them no more...

Just listen to the noise the orange crusher makes

Still the ultimate

#31 BMW_F1

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 23:44

For sports cars, I'll go with Ferrari all the way..

The Mclaren's interior looks like a NASCAR since its actually a race car..

I like the sound of this..

#32 Fatgadget

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Posted 04 July 2008 - 23:54

Originally posted by Sébastien
Hardly surprising, let's hope this is only step 1 of Mercedes distancing itself from McLaren.

You really detest MacLaren don't you !

#33 HP

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 00:51

Originally posted by Mika Mika
TAG McLaren Porsche
Has a ring to it.....

Certainly nice memories considering the drivers who drove the F1. However the Porsche, Audi connection, dunno if that's workable.

#34 big x

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 01:26

Originally posted by BMW_F1
For sports cars, I'll go with Ferrari all the way..

The Mclaren's interior looks like a NASCAR since its actually a race car..

I like the sound of this..

Actually, Gordon Murray designed the F1 as a road car with no thought of racing. The later LM racers were more hardcore and somewhat compromised.
Murray wrote a good article in Road and Track magazine a while back pointing out the design defects of the Bugatti. In short it's ugly and compromised in to many areas to be considered a design classic.

#35 Ricardo F1

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 02:46

Originally posted by BMW_F1
For sports cars, I'll go with Ferrari all the way..

The Mclaren's interior looks like a NASCAR since its actually a race car..

Did you ever see the interior of the production F1? Makes a Ferrari look . . . well like a Ferrari. Which is nice. But the McLaren was lovely.

#36 AyePirate

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 03:19

Originally posted by BMW_F1
For sports cars, I'll go with Ferrari all the way..

The Mclaren's interior looks like a NASCAR since its actually a race car..

I like the sound of this..

There are differing specs for McLaren F1's. The standard one had a nicely appointed interior complete with sound insulation, air conditioning and a special lightweight CD player and enough room in the boot for a set of golf clubs. A gent I know that drove one
these models said that the McLaren F1 was quite docile in city traffic unlike most supercars..

The LM GT and GTR variants were stripped of all of these niceties for racing purposes and FIA homoligation.
The interior noise is such in these models that all verbal communication must be by headset.
Some of these cars were modified to make them street legal. You may have seen one of these.

#37 BMW_F1

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 06:37

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
Did you ever see the interior of the production F1? Makes a Ferrari look . . . well like a Ferrari. Which is nice. But the McLaren was lovely.

never in person not even on a car show.. .. Only in pics..
I do like it the style..
Posted Image

#38 Mika Mika

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 07:40

Originally posted by HP
Certainly nice memories considering the drivers who drove the F1. However the Porsche, Audi connection, dunno if that's workable.

Well it's porsche who own the share in VW-Audi so id of though so. If merc did pull out of McLaren id imagine most manufactures would jump at the chance of striking a partnership!!!

#39 britishtrident

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 09:25

Mercedes seem to not know where they are going first they broke off the deal with Chrysler now this, however anything with an expensive German badge will sell to rich idiots who need an ego boost --- I have seen 2 BMW X6 in the last hour -- and I used to think the Range Rover Turbo Sport was an oversized pointless gas guzzling road hog.

#40 F575 GTC

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 09:51

Yep, i was thinking of the SLR racing and forgot about the F1 being BMW powered. Whoops! :drunk:

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
Did you ever see the interior of the production F1? Makes a Ferrari look . . . well like a Ferrari. Which is nice. But the McLaren was lovely.

The interior of the racing version looks good!

#41 mclarensmps

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 13:49

This topical tangent reminded me of this video:

#42 AyePirate

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Posted 05 July 2008 - 15:22

Originally posted by The Big Guns
This topical tangent reminded me of this video:

Hmmm.....McLaren F1 or Enzo? Both. Bastard. :lol:

#43 HP

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Posted 06 July 2008 - 00:16

Originally posted by Mika Mika

Well it's porsche who own the share in VW-Audi so id of though so. If merc did pull out of McLaren id imagine most manufactures would jump at the chance of striking a partnership!!!

Why would anyone be interested?

Also, while Mercedes doesn't have the majority stake in McLaren, would Ron go ahead inviting another manufacturor without Mercedes consent?

#44 Scudetto

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Posted 06 July 2008 - 05:18

This news is no surprise at all. The writing was on the wall last May when it was decided that Mercedes would develop its next "supercar" without McLaren's involvement. So if McLaren is not involved in developing Mercedes A-list halo cars, what's the point of the road car partnership?