VelocitE55

Bummer, they had some great projects in the works (P8 and P9). I thought it was worth discussing their break up as well as the powerplants mentioned below. I think its a great loss considering the cars that were being developed for release as early as the '07 model year. We are gonna be missing out, everyone is. Many of you have probably seen the skectches of the P8. It was totally jaw-dropping! What a shame that it will never fully materialize.

Anyway, in the new issue of Automobile, page 14, which breifly details the split, there is mention of NA V8 engines, one being a 6.3L unit developing 626hp! Another producing 503hp. Can you say E63 (or CLS63)! I hope so! Its good to see this info in print, I think its safe to say that we may be seeing these engines in the near future.

You have to look for positives in any situation.

JD5000

why'd they split?

VelocitE55

The article cited fundamental differences in financial and marketing ideas between the Germans and the Brits as the primary reason for the split.

MercedesBenzAMG

Can you please scan the article?

benzdetailer

Yes, I'd like to see this article also. MB owns 33% of Mclaren and is looking to aquire a larger stake (possibly 100% ownership) within the next few years. It makes no sense for them to walk on that investment, and very few would be in a position to buy them out... certainly not Ron Dennis or his partners. A MB/Mclaren split of any kind would be a major headline, and I've seen nothing to suggest that it actually happened.

VelocitE55

Here are some pics (lol) of the article.

CHB

Are they still together in f1?

benzdetailer

The pics work... lol. Thanks for the effort. Very interesting... have not seen anything about this on any sites. If its in print the news has to be at least a week or two old by now.

That 6.3 would be a BEAST! I'll take the E63 please... wouldn't that be nice!

Beowulf

How 'bout at least a month old? Some of the facts in the Automobile article are correct, but overstates the case, according to: http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...ports+car+plan

P8 project killed = true, M-B & McLaren parting company = definitely untrue. M-B has a 40% ownership in McLaren.

MBE55AMG

Man, Mercedes-McLaren divorcing...

benzdetailer

Thank You.

MBH

Hey thanks for that article. I had no idea of the split.

MBH
2005 E55 Silver/Charcoal

Beowulf

Read my post above. Yes, the P8 project was shelved. That's been confirmed by many sources going back to at least mid-December, about the time the Automobile story was probably sent to the printing galleys:

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000987023861/
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101504

Isn't it a bit strange that no other source is reporting the alleged MB-McLaren divorce?

Mercedes owns 40% of McLaren. Looks to me like someone at Automobile took a kernel of truth in a late-breaking story and decided to embellish it for effect.

I'll believe otherwise when I see confirmed proof.

VelocitE55

What your saying does have some merit to it and I hope your right! There is definetly a delay (3 months?) from when they put these articles together to the time they hit the stands and your mailbox. I too would have expected more coverage of such a split. Nonetheless, its there in print and has to be considered.

RossN

Mercedes and McLaren are tightly bound together in F1, in which Mercedes spends 100's of millions of dollars each year.

I to do not think there is to be a split, just no road car for now. Didn't Mercedes just dumped a ton of money into McLarens new Design center in Woking England?

tifosiv122

MB would be better off. McLaren wasn't profitable...their 'technology' was learned by copying their competition...well, close to 10 year old competition...

Erik

Jim Banville

Idiot! MB and Mclaren aren't splitting up! They just had differences w/ and dropped these roadcar projects. Big deal. It has ZERO to do w/ their racing relationship!

AMGfan

How's that XM Roady working for you?

ATS

Exactly, they are a strong partnership and there is no split between the two. C'mon..

egxpimp

to be honest with you guys as a mercedes fan....i personaly im not happy what mercedes is doing and i dont think is mclaren thats lagging its mercedes thats lagging...i think it would be mercedes lost if mclaren left and mclarens benefit...besides the w126....and i have tested out many many new benzes and 90's too....mercedes has gone retarted in my point of view...i see the new benz and it reminds me of a toyota with over priced tagg...BMWs in the other hand are growing on me ...and i hope it keeps growing in me ! hopefully ill get myself a new 740 soon and i reallly hope benz and mclaren break up their racing partnership in formula one so mclaren can actualy start winning something! but i still love ferrari and want ferrari to win :v

RossN

I agree with you that Mercedes would be hurting in Formula1 if a split actually took place (not going to happen this year).

What really bugs me about Mercedes philosophy on racing, is that if they have a serious incident, like the CLK-CLR flip at Le Mans in 1999, they just pack up the whole program and quit. What does that say about them? Yes the publicity was bad, but so what.

Now personally, I would enjoy Mercedes going it alone in F1 in the near future. At this time, only 2 teams go it alone without partnering and they are Ferrari and Toyota.

I would also like to see a AMG Factory team in the American Le Mans series.

trench

MB has been a bit sensitive about cars that take to the air ever since they had a car fly into the grandstands at LeMans in 1955 and kill 84 people.

RossN

Point taken Trench, but I don't think that event should influence todays Racing.

The flips in the CLR where not isolated, as I recall other Teams, possibley 2, experienced the same thing,. (Toyota and Porsche are coming to mind, but I'm probably off) They continued to race, as they should. There are risk in racing. Mercedes and the Team Boss know that, and ultimately he represents the Mercedes name, he is supposed to keep the Team going. If that means grounding the cars after the first incident, so be it. I also recall, the CLK's flipped at least 2 times prior, in practice so it could have been avoided during the actual race. Attaching extra winglets to the nose of the car was an attempt, but an unproven attempt. Result, Mercedes Image tarnished. Thank goodness the drivers where not injured on any flips.

So what should Mercedes have done? Personally, I would have started fresh the following season.

Back on Topic. This discussion is most likey moot anyway as the partnership will continue for a long while. Go Mercedes!

trench

Porsche flipped a GT1 at the Petit LeMans the year before (I don't recall Toyota ever flipping a prototype).

Mercedes was the only flipper at LeMans that year. I beleive they officially decided that the car had "inherent aerodynamic instability." I think Mercedes completely quit top-tier LeMans sportscar racing (instead of coming back the following year) not because of the flip so much, but because, other than LeMans, it really isn't popular enough to justify the cost.

That said, I agree with you - I think a semi-factory or AMG effort running SLR's in the ALMS GTS class would be sweet.