IN THE FAST LANE

MCLAREN VICTORIOUS AT GOODWOOD FESTIVAL

McLaren Automotive enjoyed a fine victory for the 720S GT3X in the Timed Shootout Final at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed.  As crowds returned to the summer event in the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, UK, the new McLaren Artura made its public debut on the iconic Goodwood Hill. It was joined by a GT, a 765LT and a 620R – the latter two with Bruno Senna at the wheel – and an Elva, which was driven in typically exuberant style by McLaren chief test driver, Kenny Bräck.  “Winning the Timed Shootout Final was the perfect end to an excellent 2021 Festival of Speed for McLaren,” said Mike Flewitt, CEO, McLaren Automotive. “Rob Bell drove magnificently, showcasing the outstanding capabilities of the 720S GT3X to great effect in mastering the challenging Goodwood Hill. And with so many of our cars on display and in action – including the all-new Artura making its public dynamic debut and the remarkable Elva – this was a wonderful opportunity to meet customers and fans face-to-face once again and celebrate all things McLaren.”  Designed and developed in-house by the motorsport arm of McLaren Automotive, McLaren Customer Racing, the 720S GT3X is for track use only. Weighing just 1,210kg and powered by a hand-built 4.0-litre twinturbocharged engine producing 720PS – with an extra 30PS available via a ‘push-to-pass’ system – it is not restricted by racing regulations and has a power-to-weight ratio of 620PS-per-tonne. O

AUDI’S ELECTRIC DREAMS

Audi has finalised the design of the Project Artemis electric car, which is set to arrive in 2024 as the firm’s new flagship. The motor giant will preview a concept at the Munich Motor Show in September.  The Grand Sphere will succeed the A8 saloon as Audi’s luxury flagship. It will be one of three show cars that the German manufacturer will produce to demonstrate its approach to levelfour autonomous driving systems. It is due to go on sale in early 2025.  Audi design chief Marc Lichte told Autocar that the Grand Sphere will be “a very concrete teaser of the Artemis project”. He said: “I asked our design teams not for their vision of an A8 successor, but for something completely new. [Sales] volumes for three-box saloons such as the A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class are going down and there are new, more attractive body-styles.” O