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McLaren has used the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed to reveal its all-new GT3-spec race car based on the latest 650S supercar. McLaren had said it was planning to showcase the latest track-focused car developed by its McLaren GT motorsport arm, and now we have it in the form of the 650S GT3.

Just as the road-going 650S is an evolution of the 12C, McLaren’s new 650S GT3 is an evolution of the 12C GT3. To date, the 12C GT3 has secured three championship titles, 51 race victories and 71 further podiums, and it currently leads the highly competitive Blancpain Endurance Series and the GT Asia championship. However, as with any car, there is always ways to improve performance. According to McLaren, in developing the new 650S GT3, the key areas of improvement have been cooling, handling and safety.

At the front, an aggressive splitter and larger air intakes dominate the purposeful new look, while on the flanks the all-new lightweight carbon fiber bodywork wraps around revised air intakes, which offer further optimized cooling. The fixed carbon fiber rear wing works in tandem with the large splitter to complete the management of air as it is worked across, through and beneath the sleek lines of the car.

Underneath the pretty carbon fiber body, revised suspension geometry, a wider track (up 52 millimeters) and updates to the overall setup can be found. The front suspension also allows the fitment of larger diameter tires. In conjunction with the optimized aerodynamic package, this provides increased levels of front-end grip and steering feel on turn-in. New forged aluminum wheels measuring 18 inches across are held in place with a single wheel retaining nut on motorsport axles. The braking system is also new and consists of monoblock six-piston callipers on the front and four-piston on the rear.

Inside the cockpit, the 650S GT3 provides improved levels safety for the driver. Protection offered by the carbon fiber MonoCell chassis is further enhanced with the addition of an FIA-approved roll cage. Redesigned and lighter than that of the 12C GT3, the 650S GT3 roll cage provides a greater degree of driver comfort, with increased leg and headroom.

Also new to the 650S GT3 is a fully FIA-approved McLaren GT-developed race seat, fitted with a six-point race harness as standard. This seat offers increased levels of support and driver comfort through the use of bespoke moulded seat inserts. The seat is directly mounted to the chassis, with the steering wheel and pedals being adjustable.

The powertrain is the familiar twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 fitted to all McLaren cars. In the 650S GT3, the engine is coupled to an all-new six-speed sequential gearbox and matches the 493-horsepower rating of the 12C GT3. Cooling is improved through larger intakes within the front bumper and revised side intakes. In addition to this, the gearbox oil cooler has been relocated, now incorporated into the larger side intakes, giving the rear of the car a cleaner, more aerodynamic flow.

Around 15 examples of the 650S GT3 are planned to be produced and delivered for the start of the 2015 motorsport season, and pricing is set at £330,000 ($561,900) plus taxes. Any teams that have just bought a 12C GT3 will be happy to note that McLaren is offering an upgrade package that will transform their cars into the 650S GT3, further extends the life.

As mentioned, the 650S GT3 is on show at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed currently taking place in the U.K. Also on show is a special version of the 650S developed by the McLaren Special Operations personalization department.

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McLaren revealed one of its latest race cars earlier this year ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours. Now the automaker has stated that the 650S Sprint is ready to hit the track. Want to see it? You'll need to get out to Donnington Park in the UK to catch the GT Cup race.

The 650S Sprint is based on the road-going 650S, but the dial has obviously been twisted past 11 and on to Race. A series of aerodynamic enhancements should help keep the car planted to the racing surface, and the increased cooling is a welcome effect of the revised air intakes. The engine is the same as the street car, but McLaren have upgraded the calibrations for both it and the transmission.

Von Ryan Racing will handle the trackside duties as the 650S Sprint makes its competition debut. Behind the wheel will be Rob Bell, who is McLaren's own factory driver, and he'll be joined by Dale Lomas. The car is also now eligible to compete in a handful of other GT series, so you can expect to see it making the rounds all over the globe.

Since this is McLaren at the helm of the efforts, we suspect the 650S Sprint is more than ready to take on the track.

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Following the most successful season for McLaren GT, with the 650S GT3 winning on each of the four continents it competed on, 2016 will see more cars competing in more championships across the world. Plans for Factory Drivers Rob Bell and Alvaro Parente are now finalised along with confirmation of the signing of Côme Ledogar to the works line up. In addition, the recently-announced Driver Academy is further strengthened with Colin Thompson joining for the 2016 season. The announcements coincide with confirmation that the 650S GT3 will line up as part of an impressive display at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show alongside the three tier model range from McLaren Automotive for the first time.

Joining the Factory Driver line-up for the 2016 season is 24 year old Côme Ledogar. The young Frenchman made the switch from single-seater racing at the end of 2011, and has since enjoyed success in GT racing including champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France in 2014, and runner-up in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and Porsche Carrera Cup Italia last year. Among his plans for the season, it is confirmed that Ledogar will contest the Blancpain Endurance Series in a McLaren 650S GT3.

Rob Bell, 36, and Alvaro Parente, 31, will continue the relationship with McLaren GT having been part of the Factory Driver line up since 2012. The pairing has proved a formidable team with both claiming championship wins with the 650S GT3. Both drivers will join Tekno Autosports this weekend for the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

Having recently secured the Asian Le Mans Series title with customer team Clearwater Racing, Bell will now compete throughout Europe with the 650S GT3. He will take on the Blancpain Endurance Series and the Blancpain Sprint Series. Further plans for the season will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Having secured the International GT Open title in 2015, Parente is taking on a new challenge for the 2016 season as he joins customer team K-PAX Racing / Flying Lizard Motorsports as part of the assault on the Pirelli World Challenge which will see four examples of the 650S GT3 on the grid. The Portuguese driver will make his championship debut at the Circuit of the Americas in March for the first of the 20 race calendar. His valuable experience of European circuits will also be added to as he is confirmed for the Blancpain Sprint Series.

Colin Thompson, 21, is the fourth driver to join the McLaren GT Driver Academy alongside Alex Fontana, Struan Moore and Andrew Watson. The young American from Doylestown, Pennsylvania has made a strong impression over the past few seasons securing the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup title in 2014, followed by the Pirelli World Challenge Porsche Cup championship title last season. Thompson will join Parente as part of the K-PAX Racing / Flying Lizard Motorsports two car line-up in the Pirelli World Challenge.

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