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Has the McLaren P1 lapped the Nurburgring in a record 6 minutes 47 seconds?

Has the McLaren P1 lapped the Nurburgring in a record 6 minutes 47 seconds? We knew McLaren were back at the Nurburgring with the P1 in an attempt to make good on Ron Dennis’s promise that the P1 would lap the ‘Ring in under 7 minutes. It appears McLaren has already tried to set a sub-7 minute time with the P1 but could only manage 7:04s so, with the firts P1s now in customer hands – and full performance specs revealed – the final piece of the jigsaw (apart form a Top Gear lap record) is to set a great time at the Nurburgring.

BMW Concept M135i at 2012 Geneva motor show

This is the BMW Concept M135i, which will be revealed at the 2012 Geneva motor show, and it previews a future hot 300bhp-plus 1-series. So what is the BMW Concept M135i? It’s a glimpse at a future BMW M Performance automobile.

Plans for Smart’s three-seat sports car uncovered in patent drawings

Mercedes-Benz is developing a three-seat sports car for Smart. Depicted here in a series of European patent-application sketches obtained by AutoWeek, the radical new sports car forms part of an extended range of new Smart models planned for introduction by the middle of the next decade, including a more conventional four-seater to be produced in cooperation with Renault. Mercedes-Benz is reacting to increased competition from Toyota in the form of the iQ and the impending arrival of similar urban-based offerings from premium-brand rivals Audi and BMW.