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Cruisin’ in a McLaren 650S

1/17/2018

2 Comments

 
If you are truly a car guy, you can count on one hand the number of cars in the world that became an instant classic as they left the factory doors.

The McLaren 650 Spider is such a car. Built by hand and one at a time in Surrey, England, it takes approximately 3,000 hours for each car to come off the production line. The cars are extremely rare on Indiana roads, and when one is spotted they typically turn people’s heads and leave them wondering, “What was that?”

Last summer at a Cars & Coffee event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the owner of one just waved me off as the continual bombardment of strangers’ awe and questions about the car can sometimes become overwhelming. So the trustworthy internet helped me get the answers to share this magnificent beast’s story with you.

Every detail of the body lines has been engineered to be as aerodynamic as possible. Having a history of 50 years in Formula 1 racing to draw upon, the 3.8-liter twin turbo V-8 paired with a seven-speed dual clutch rocker paddle shifter can take you from zero to 60 in less than 3 seconds. The car can easily top the 200 mph barrier with its 640 horses. Track times displayed 0-125 in 8.4 seconds.
The Spider even has a computer-controlled air brake for the rear wheels to bring you back under control from such high speeds.

One of the most famous McLaren owners in this country was George Harrison of Beatles fame.

His car was a three-seater with the driver in the center; passengers sat on the left and right sides. That was the famous 1994 F-1, which typically sold for over a million dollars and came with gold-plated tools in the trunk compartment. Jay Leno emotionally struggled with paying that much in 1994, but he finally went for it. In 2016 he had the car appraised and was astounded to learn it’s worth 12 million!

McLaren introduced the Spider at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show and was still producing small quantities in 2017.

What is the cost to join such an elite group of car enthusiasts? A new unsold 2015 Spider listed for a cool $349,500 while used ones with about 20,000 miles were listed between $220 grand and $230 grand.
So just keep buying those lottery tickets my friends!

Until next time, happy cruisin’!


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2 Comments

Cruisin' in a 2017 Ford GT

1/10/2018

0 Comments

 
By Bill Thorpe

In mid-November I received a phone call from a neighbor asking if I would like to drive with him to Brazil, Ind., to see someone he knew take ownership of a famed 2017 Ford GT.

To me, that’s more fun than going to the North Pole to see Santa’s workshop, so off we went on a fantastic adventure to admire one of the rarest cars in Ford’s elaborate history of auto making. 

Blake Hartman was a most gracious host and shared all the little things making his car so special with me. He even opted for the all- carbon fiber wheels that really set off the finishing touches for sure.

In a Nov. 4, 2015, “Car Nutz” story, a detailed history of Ford racing its GT-40s in the 24 Hours of Lemans in the mid-1960s and winning against Enzo Ferrari’s famous cars was shared with readers when we showed off Terry Hankins’ 2005 model. To celebrate that 40th milestone, a street version 2005-06 GT example was offered by Ford to the public in limited quantities.

To mark the 50-year anniversary of that event, Ford introduced at the 2015 North American Auto Show its plans to update a new limited number of GTs in 2016. Production actually got underway in December 2016 at the rate of one car per day at a facility in Ontario, Canada. The first car sold to the public went to Jay Leno, as did the first GT in 2005. Leno sure is in the right place at the right time ... you could say. Ford is expected to produce only about 1,000 of these cars by 2020.

The GT is powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine that produces 647 horsepower. It is capable of doing 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Quarter-mile times were 11.1 seconds at 130 mph; top speed was 216. EPA mileage estimates suggest 11-18 mpg. Sticker prices range from $450,000 to $500K, but only if you’re fortunate enough to be chosen by a committee overseeing the sales of the GT.

Maybe this summer I’ll get an invite to the Putnam Park Road Course near Greencastle and see Blake turning hot laps in his amazing automobile!
​
Until next time, happy cruisin’!
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