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McLaren P1 XP2R caught at the Nurburgring. A ‘Special Edition’ P1?

The McLaren P1 XP2R (pictured) caught at the Nurburgring The McLaren P1 is pretty much out in the open, and has even had it’s dynamic debut – in the hands of Jenson Button – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. So why is there a McLaren P1 blatting round the Nurburgring wearing a small badge that says ‘XP2R’? Is this a ‘special’ P1; perhaps the first hint that McLaren are going to produce an even more extreme P1?

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.

Ferrari 458 Italia is the latest masterpiece from Maranello

Ferrari has drawn from the visual spirit of the Enzo to create a power-packed replacement for the F430 that shuns the rounded curves of its past V8s in favor of chiseled, unmistakable aggression. Boasting a new 4.5-liter V8 engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 202-mph top speed, Ferrari has revealed that the car--code-named F142 and long rumored to be named the F450--will be called the 458 Italia. Following Ferrari lore, it stands for a 4.5-liter engine with eight cylinders, though why Ferrari thought people would forget it came from Italy is anybody's guess.