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McLaren change car name

Published on 03 Feb 2017 12:33
17
By: Fergal Walsh

McLaren have officially changed the name of their car, shining away from the MP4/x that they have used for the last three decades.

The new car will be called the MCL32, and the change is more than likely due to the departure of Ron Dennis, who started the trend of naming the cars MP4/x.

2017 is all about change, and our car name is changing too. Ladies and gents, get set for the McLaren-Honda MCL32. #MCL32 #ChangeYourName pic.twitter.com/Q2WJmR4us7
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 3, 2017

talktohenry

Posts: 362

Wonder, why they waste money on video, when they at the bottom, this all fine when they are winning, but they ain't!

1
Feb 3 2017 - 13:13

F1 News Jake Dennis McLaren Honda

Replies (17)

f1fan0101

Posts: 1,804
Another part of RD departs the team!
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- Feb 3 2017 - 12:41
Kevin

Posts: 5,332
My god.. What a failure to destroy long standing traditions the team has had. Can't Ron start a new team, so I can switch too? I'm not a fan of this new management at all.
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- Feb 3 2017 - 12:54
talktohenry

Posts: 362
Wonder, why they waste money on video, when they at the bottom, this all fine when they are winning, but they ain't!
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- Feb 3 2017 - 13:13
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Blue text... BLUE MCLAREN LIVERY CONFIRMED!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOLLOLOL!!!

This was pretty much expected. Either way. MP4 was first a Marlboro thing anyway, and McLaren's partnership with Marlboro ended long ago, so I dont mind.
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- Feb 3 2017 - 13:35
- Kevin
  
  Posts: 5,332
  It's incorrect that MP4 had anything to do with Marlboro. Marlboro becoming main sponsor at the same time as the cars were named 'MP4' was just a coincidence. MP4 stands for 'McLaren Project 4', and the name came after Ron Dennis chose to merge McLaren and his Project Four (F2 & F3 teams) into one organisation.
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  Feb 3 2017 - 14:02
- f1fan0101
  
  Posts: 1,804
  Nope. the 'M' in the title stands for Marlboro ;)
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  Feb 3 2017 - 14:18
- Kevin
  
  Posts: 5,332
  Then better tell that McLaren too, because they don't seem to know that yet.
  youtube.com/watch?v=WtxXpsR-GWE
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  Feb 3 2017 - 14:20
- mclarenfan1968
  
  Posts: 1,027
  @Kevin: Long time Mclaren fan here, Marlboro Project Four is what MP4 stands for.
  + 1
  
  Feb 3 2017 - 14:26
- mclarenfan1968
  
  Posts: 1,027
  @kevin: obviously that video is done in the health conscious era where tobacco sponsorship is shunned. The team Ron Dennis took over while he ran Project 4 was called Marlboro Mclaren, hence the Marlboro project 4 fusion name. This has been well documented in several old early 80s publications. It is convenient now to call it Mclaren Project 4 but that's solely down to fitness conscious era looking down on Tobacco sponsorship (for good reasons I might add)
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  Feb 3 2017 - 15:45
- Kevin
  
  Posts: 5,332
  Maybe you're right, it's a possibility they changed it to McLaren Project 4 later on. But searching on the internet, there is no one who can agree on this matter. To me, it seems a bit odd that McLaren makes a video about their history and heritage, and we are arguing that the official story isn't true. I would assume McLaren knows pretty well what their own history is. It would be very pathetic to change the story out of political correctness, as no one would give a damn about it being called Marlboro.
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  Feb 3 2017 - 16:58
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Well, that is what happened. But they did probably not change the name out of political correctness. Correct me if Im wrong, but the change from Marlboro Project 4 to McLaren Project 4 occurred when Marlboro switched to sponsoring Ferrari, and McLaren got West as new title sponsor. Chris Harris mentioned what the abbreviation usd to stand for in a review he made for Pistonheads on the McLaren MP4-12c.
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  Feb 3 2017 - 17:08
- mclarenfan1968
  
  Posts: 1,027
  @Kevin: not unless Mclaren deliberately wants to distance itself from Tobacco sponsorship connections. This spin to pretend Marlboro wasn't in the name won't fool the old-timers.
  
  Mclaren have been pathetic about many things for eg: Alonso leaving Mclaren at the end of 2007 was one such pathetic thing Dennis and his cohorts managed.
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  Feb 3 2017 - 17:55
mclarenfan1968

Posts: 1,027
Mclaren's halo is destroyed, the king is dead.

Whatever this new sh!t is, may it not live long.
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- Feb 3 2017 - 14:28
mclarenfan1968

Posts: 1,027
If you want some popular sites referring to MP4 as Marlboro Project Four look no further than Autosport's article on it today. But really we don't need these articles to point this out, much older authoritative reports are there for those are interested:

Nye, Doug (1984). McLaren the Grand Prix, Can-Am and Indy Cars. Hazleton Publishing. p. 222
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- Feb 3 2017 - 17:59
- Kevin
  
  Posts: 5,332
  I see. My mistake then, but at least I became a bit more knowledgeable today, thanks. If I search further, it's correct they changed the 'M' to 'McLaren' when West stepped in, like Calle said. I still find it weird McLaren changes the story to the point where Marlboro was never part of the name of the cars. If it's indeed done to distancing themselves from tobacco sponsorship, that's pretty hypocritical.
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  Feb 4 2017 - 09:18
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Well, thats business strategy for ya, and it rarely makes any sense. :)
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  Feb 4 2017 - 09:30
Kevin

Posts: 5,332
Btw, I think we've managed to make this the longest thread on the English site yet. Maybe we're getting somewhere, guys.
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- Feb 4 2017 - 09:21