The new architecture, designed specifically to accommodate new hybrid powertrains, has been entirely engineered, developed and produced in-house at McLaren’s £50m Composites Technology Centre in South Yorkshire, opened back in 2018.

The new flexible vehicle architecture utilises new processes and techniques to strip out excess mass, reduce overall vehicle weight, while also further improving safety attributes. It will underpin the next generation of McLaren hybrid models as the supercar company enters its second decade of series vehicle production.

Hundreds of pieces of carbon fibre cloth are cut for every chassis, the shape and orientation of each cut piece is controlled by software to optimise the strength and weight of the finished chassis. Lasers guide the alignment of the cut material into 2D Preforms.

These preforms are then loaded into McLaren’s own resin transfer moulding process where the resin is infused while the parts are clamped together under force. The moulded lightweight chassis is then removed from the press and machined to accept the mounting of multiple components during the vehicles final assembly.

The first new McLaren hybrid supercar to be based on the all-new architecture will launch in 2021.

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Primarily used in the production of linen, flax is an incredibly versatile plant that has been around for millions of years. It differs from many biomaterials in that it’s ideal for use in crop rotation programmes and can be grown without directly competing with food crops. Flax is a CO2-neutral raw material and its fibres are biodegradable. At the end of the seat’s life, for example, it can be ground down into a new base material or thermally recycled without residual waste, rather than end up in landfill.

Inspired by the thin veins on the back of leaves, Bcomp’s powerRibs technology provides a three-dimensional grid structure on one side of the seat, which is then used to reinforce the spun and woven flax fibre reinforcement fabric, ampliTex. Made by twisting flax fibres to form a thick yarn, the powerRibs act as a backbone to the ampliTex flax fabric that is bonded to it

With the introduction of the new regulation in 2019, the seat now forms part of the driver’s weight budget, so it’s over-engineered as a result

McLaren saw a clear opportunity to use this technology in this area of the car based on the current F1 technical regulations. Since 2019, a minimum driver weight of 80 kg has been mandated. And if a driver weighs less than that, ballast must be used to bring them up to the minimum weight. But instead of allowing this ballast to be placed in other areas of the car, which could improve weight distribution, it must be located within the immediate area of the driver’s seat.

While the environmental benefits are clear, the mechanical properties of flax make it an attractive renewable raw material for high-performance composites. The tubular structure of flax fibres provides low density and high stiffness, which affords the opportunity to reduce weight while simultaneously improving vibration damping, as well as resistance to breakage, torsion and compression.

Flax fibres are 9% lighter than any equivalent carbon material and offer significantly better vibration damping. 

Greater vibration absorption and impact resistance make the natural fibre material well suited to use in the driver’s seat. It improves comfort and reduces vibration in the cockpit, which can have a fatiguing effect on drivers and if the seat were to break, unlike carbon fibre, it’s not prone to brittle fracture and splintering.

The ductile fracture behaviour of natural fibre composites opens the door to other possibilities too. One of the most spectacular, but equally dangerous, aspects of an on-track incident is the shards of carbon fibre that result from a collision. Not only do they present an immediate risk to the drivers, but they are also notorious for causing punctures and leaving a driver’s race in tatters. By using natural fibre composites in other areas of the car, such as front wing endplates and the floor, it’s possible to reduce carbon fibre debris and therefore the risk of punctures.

The cost of materials is going to be a big focus and the use of natural fibre composites has the potential to help in this area

With a budget cap set be introduced from 2021, many F1 teams will need to reduce costs while maintaining and improving performance – no mean feat in a sport where, typically, a team can pursue more development routes the more resource it has available. Teams are going to have to work even smarter, McLaren says that using these natural composite solutions has seen a reduction in raw material cost by up to 30% compared to traditional carbon fibre.

Most of the moulds used to make parts of the car are made from carbon fibre composite because of its low thermal expansion. However, flax fibres also possess this property, potentially making them a suitable tooling material for moulding performance parts that are made from standard composites. So even if the part being produced isn’t made from natural fibre materials, the tool to produce it can be – allowing us to reduce the cost of mould tools and our carbon footprint.

With so many potential applications, McLaren sees the natural fibre racing seat as just the beginning and will continue to work with Bcomp to identify other components that can be replaced. The seat was run in pre-season testing without any problems and McLaren hope to be racing with the Bcomp flax seats in the near future.

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Mclaren are looking for applicants with experience in a wide variety of sectors from boat-building to the textiles trade and sporting goods industries are being encouraged to apply for the next wave of jobs, apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships that will help double the workforce at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) to over 200 by the time it is in full production next year.

The new roles that are set to be phased in next year will all help to make the next generation of McLaren carbon fibre tubs that will then be sent to the company’s McLaren Production Centre, around 170 miles away in Woking, Surrey. There the rest of the cars powertrain, gearbox, body panels, electrical systems, wheels and tyres will be added before being exported to over 32 territories around the world.

The advanced technologies and processes they will be working on could one day be used in other industries to produce lighter, and therefore more efficient, vehicles which will not only help McLaren to continue to innovate, but the UK to become a global leader in composite materials expertise. Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive, McLaren Automotive

McLaren’s ability to tap into the Sheffield region’s extensive materials expertise, skills and universities will help it to innovate quickly and continue to be the lightest in their class. The target is that the MCTC will deliver £100m of gross value-added benefit to the local economy by 2028 as well as supporting skills development in the region.

Well over 90 per cent of just over 4,800 cars made last year by the firm were exported meaning the new Yorkshire recruits will get to work on some of the most advanced and admired cars in the world.

The announcement of the new roles comes a year to the day since the MCTC, built on the regenerated site of a former opencast coal mine, was officially opened by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain alongside McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt.

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Staying true to the ‘Longtail’ ethos, established by the McLaren F1 in the late 1990s, the MSO Carbon Series LT has been developed with a focus on light weight and features around 40% more carbon fibre parts over the standard car.

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As with the 675LT Spider, the front bumper with larger splitter and end plates, front under body, side skirts, side intakes, lower side intakes, rear bodyside lower, rear fenders, rear deck, rear bumper, diffuser and ‘Longtail’ Airbrake are all carbon fibre but with a gloss finish revealing the weave of the material. In addition, the MSO Carbon Series LT is fitted with a gloss finished carbon fibre electrically retractable roof and tonneau, A-pillars, bonnet and rear deck, side blades, complete front and rear wings, and even fuel filler flap.

Under the gloss carbon fibre skin sits a heavily revised 3.8 litre twin turbo V8 powertrain from its Coupé brother, which kicks out 666bhp getting you from 0–60 in under 2.9 seconds. The changes to the powertrain saw more than 50% of the components replaced to ensure optimised levels of power, torque and drivability. These include new, more efficient turbos, detail design changes to the cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and lightweight connecting rods, and a faster-flowing fuel pump and delivery system.

Production of the MSO Carbon Series LT begins this autumn with first deliveries expected before the end of 2016.

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The special operations team has also created a bespoke version of its 675LT Spider which makes its first public appearance at the show after selling out in weeks. They will line up alongside the recently confirmed 650S GT3 racing car and a still-to-be-announced addition to the Sports Series family.

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The McLaren P1 by MSO, one of the 375 road legal versions produced, is presented with a full visual carbon fibre body which has been hand-laid, with a bespoke ‘Lio Blue’ tinted lacquer. The Geneva Motor Show marks the first time the full visual carbon fibre body conversion has been displayed publicly after it was made available to McLaren P1 customers earlier in the year. Other key upgrades completed by MSO include a gloss black finish to the wheels, an extensive retrim of the interior with carbon black alcantara and contrasting blue stitching, and a 24-carat gold exhaust heatshield.

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Also making its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the 675LT Spider is limited to only 500 examples worldwide, with each model already accounted for. The team at MSO has developed a one-off example of the track-honed Spider finished in Ceramic Grey from the MSO Defined range with even greater levels of carbon fibre than the standard model. The satin carbon fibre retractable hardtop and tonneau can be operated at speeds up to 40km/h (25mph) and saves 1kg, while the front wings include carbon fibre louvres.

The ‘Longtail’ Airbrake is finished in body colour on the upper surface with the lower plane shows the natural carbon fibre weave, while the aerodynamic front bumper end plates, side skirts, side intakes and rear bumper are also finished in visual carbon. A pair of black alcantara trimmed racing seats include contrasting Xenon Yellow contrast stitch with the rotary Handling and Powertrain controls on the Active Dynamics Panel finished in Solis, a unique colour to the 675LT Spider. The gold detailing is also visible through the exposed engine bay with a 24-carat gold heatshield around the titanium exhaust system.

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With the car weighing in at just 1,313kgs you would expect some carbon fibre voodoo to be at work here and you would be right. Thanks to the company’s unique lightweight carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis weighing in at just 80kgs it features a lower, narrower sill to aid cabin access. The Sports Series is the only model range within the sports car segment to offer a full carbon fibre chassis and is around 150kgs lighter than its closed rival.

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The carbon fibre MonoCell II is 25% stiffer than a comparable aluminium chassis, and has an even greater margin of superiority over steel. This structural stiffness improves handling, agility and ride comfort. It is stronger and safer in a crash, and needs no extra bracing or reinforcement (such as side intrusion beams). The carbon fibre has enough intrinsic strength without ‘bolt on’ safety beams. It is also more durable than metal, and its greater dimensional accuracy improves build quality.

For the first time on a McLaren road car, the models in the Sports Series feature aluminium body panels instead of composites or carbon fibre. This change reflects the higher production volumes, with aluminium offering “superior quality of finish”, especially in surfacing for larger production numbers. The downside in using aluminium is that it gives less design freedom, for complex shapes, than moulded composite or carbon fibre panels.

Utilising a new ‘superform’ method, in which hot aluminium can be blown into complex shapes over a mould has allowed McLaren to produce intricate parts, most notably the large rear deck, which has also reduced weight. The aluminium body panels are no heavier than the composite panels used on the Super Series cars. Aluminium is used for the front and rear fenders, bonnet, rear deck, lower doors and roof. The upper section of the doors including the ‘tendons’ and the front splitter are made from composite.

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The interior of the car mixes race car with the required refinements of every day use. Leather upholstered seats match the trimmed dashboard and steering wheel, sitting on the floating centre console is a full infotainment system that includes a TFT digital instrument cluster, a seven-inch IRIS touchscreen with bluetooth connectivity.

The car will be shown for the first time at the New York International Auto Show, and will retail from £143,250. McLaren also confirmed that the pricing for the 540C Coupe will start at £126,000. This model will be unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show when further details and pricing information will be made available.

The post McLaren 570S Coupe Launches New Sports Series appeared first on Composites Today.

The LT in the name refers to its long-tail aerodynamic design, something first used on the 1997 F1 Longtail, the cars active air brake is 50% bigger than the one fitted to the 650S and runs from the extended carbon fibre front splitter through an extended door blade and cooling intake, to the circular and titanium forged, twin titanium exhaust pipes.

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Now this is a McLaren so you won’t be let down on the carbon fibre front, weight reduction has been a key focus throughout the development, and carbon fibre has been used extensively for the body panels, along with lightweight engine, chassis and body part structures, even the air conditioning has been removed in the pursuit of lightweight nirvana.

Below the redesigned front bumper sits a new carbon fibre splitter, which works in partnership with the front wing end plates to increase downforce. The turbulent air from the front wheel arches is ‘cleaned’ as it flows towards the rear bodywork by sculpted carbon fibre side sills which run the full length of the lower bodywork. A subtle air intake is incorporated ahead of the leading edge of the rear wheel arch, below a more pronounced side intake behind the door, both of which feed clean cool air into the side-mounted radiators.

The re-profiled design flows into the lines of the new carbon fibre rear wings. Two circular exhaust pipes, made from titanium, exit centrally through exposed bodywork below the rear wing. Despite a more complex design, the bespoke crossover system is designed to optimise performance and reduce weight. The rear deck and sections flanking the exhaust pipes remain exposed; designed to evacuate hot air from the engine bay as efficiently as possible, while a lightweight polycarbonate rear screen features further louvres. A louvred carbon fibre rear bumper reduces air pressure over the rear wheels, while the rear design is completed with a dramatic integrated carbon fibre diffuser.

On the inside sits a pair of ultra lightweight Alcantara clad carbon fibre-shelled bucket seats, that keeps you nice and comfy without compromising the weight. A subtle 675LT logo features on the headrest of each seat, and is also present on the rev counter.

The new McLaren 675LT will make its global debut at this years Geneva Motor Show and will be priced at £260,000

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The British made supercar comes with a host of carbon fibre composite additions, including roof, rear diffuser, sill panels along with the instrument panel. Unique finishing touches done to the car include a 24-carat gold-plated exhaust head shield, a sating black starter switch and a kiwi bird decal on the engine cover as a hat-tip to New Zealand born founder Bruce McLaren.

The Project Kilo is expected to be on show next to McLaren’s other supercars at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. The company did not disclose how much the custom-built coupe costs or who it was built for.

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Six projects will share £80 million for aerospace research to help deliver growth and innovation in key areas of technology. This funding comes from a £2 billion pot committed jointly by industry and government as part of our industrial strategy, through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). The projects involve 18 companies, 11 academic or research institutions and 5 Catapult centres from across the UK.

The 6 projects receiving funding from the ATI are:

• £14 million for 9 partners led by Rolls-Royce – and including McLaren Racing – for high-tech research projects, using Formula 1 know-how to help develop high power gearboxes for future jet engines.
• £14 million for 9 partners, led by Airbus, to design improved landing gear for future aircraft, including introducing electric taxi technology so that engines can be switched off immediately after landing, saving fuel and reducing emissions.
• £9 million for 7 companies, led by Airbus Group, to improve the management of power used on aircraft and replace hydraulic systems with electric control systems. This will deliver lighter, greener aircraft, reducing CO2 emissions and saving airlines up to an estimated £2 billion annually.
• £10 million for 5 companies, led by GE Aviation Systems, to develop advanced printed circuit board test equipment, to improve the manufacture of high quality electronics that can operate in harsh environments.
• £17 million for a project led by Rolls-Royce working with suppliers to develop new concepts for future engine architectures to improve environmental performance.
• £16 million for Airbus, Marshalls ADG and Bristol, Loughborough and Cranfield Universities to research and test innovations in wing design.

Along with the Governments investment, top aerospace firms are also investing £20 million in the skills that will take the sector to new heights. The funding will provide a boost to industry skills at all levels, with the creation of new high-tech Masters courses, apprenticeships and careers opportunities for young people and graduates alike.

Led by global aircraft manufacturer Airbus, through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, the skills project also sees leading employers including Augusta Westland in Yeovil, BAE in Hook and GKN in South Gloucestershire joining together to develop existing and future aerospace talent.

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The lineup started with the 12C back in 2011, and was followed by the 12C Spider along with the 650S and the 625C for the Asian market. The Super Series is now the highest volume carbon fibre supercar range ever. The company says that it’s Super Series is now the highest volume carbon fibre supercar range ever, with the milestone being reached only four years into full production.

Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer at McLaren Automotive said;

McLaren has come a long way in four short years. The completion of the 5,000th vehicle in the Super Series is a fantastic milestone for the brand. The 12C was, and still is, a groundbreaking supercar and, true to the values of McLaren, we have continued to develop and build on this great product into the 650S which has delighted our customers and won countless awards across the world.

The Carbon MonoCell weighs in at just 80kgs and is made in a single pressing by using a specialised patented process using Bi-Axial and Tri-Axial carbon fibre multi axial fabrics. The Carbon MonoCell is manufactured at a custom built facility in Austria by Carbo Tech, who won the contract back in 2011.

The 5,000th car, a Volcano Yellow 650S Coupé commissioned for a customer in Australia rolled from the assembly line in the McLaren Production Centre on Monday 2nd February. It was joined at the end of the production line by the first production 12C, which has now become part of the McLaren Heritage Collection.

The Super Series forms the core range of McLaren supercar offering and sits above the recently announced Sports Series in the model hierarchy. The family of models will be soon expanded with the recently announced McLaren 675LT, confirmed for global reveal at the 2015 International Geneva Motor Show in March.

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