2008 Cars thread.

[shonguiz]

Ok guys here you will find all about official launches of new cars.
Here is the official Agenda:
Ferrari: 6 jan at Fiorano
McLaren: 7 jan at Stuttgart
Toyota: 10 jan at Cologne
BMW: 14 jan at Munich
Red Bull: 16 jan at Jerez
Honda: 29 jan at Brackley
Renault: 22 jan on track at valencia and official launch for the 31 jan at paris.
Williams will not organize an official launch.

So Today is the big Day For Tifosis and here two images from the official teaser:


And for infomation, Rai 2 will air at 17.30 live from Maranello.

[shonguiz]

Ferrari F-2008

F2008: Description and technical specifications

Maranello, 6th January 2008 - The F2008 is the fifty fourth single-seater built by Ferrari specifically to take part in the Formula 1 World Championship.

The design, codenamed internally as the 659, represents the Scuderia's interpretation of the regulations in force in 2008. A major new element of these is the introduction of a new electronic system to be used by all teams, known as SECU (Standard Electronic Control Unit) and produced by MES (McLaren Electronic Systems.) It consists of a single control unit and a software system, the development of which ends as the season begins. Other areas affected by rule changes are: gearbox, which must be used for four consecutive events; safety, with the introduction of higher side protection around the driver's helmet; materials, with a limit to the type of composites that can be used. As a result of these rules, there has been an increase in the weight of the car. All aerodynamic surfaces have been completely revised, however the current version will be replaced by a completely different configuration in time for the first race. In fact, an intensive and all encompassing development programme is planned to run throughout the season. The monococque has been further cut away under the driver's legs and the side pods and engine cover are more tapered. The suspension system has been reworked and developed around the new aerodynamics.

The wheelbase and weight distribution have been adapted to meet the challenge of the new regulations and on the basis of lessons learned last year in terms of the performance of the Bridgestone tyres. Changes to the technical and sporting regulations in terms of electronics, alongside the introduction of the SECU, have led to the removal of a host of a driver aids, such as traction control and engine breaking and the electronically assosted starting system, and also mean that management of the differential, engine and gearchange are much simpler. The gearbox casing is produced in carbon, while the transmission continues to be mounted longitudinally. For the second consecutive year the gearchange is fitted with a quick shift system, adapted to the SECU software and further speeded up. In dealing with the reliability aspect of the new regulations, Shell has played a key role in defining the lubricants for the gearbox. The braking system has been updated with new callipers and innovative concepts regarding cooling.

The 056 engine is mounted longitudinally and continues as a load bearing element. Its basic structure remains unchanged compared to the unit homologated at the start of last season, while its auxiliary systems, air and fuel intakes have been further developed. The technical regulations also call for the use of fuel corresponding to European Union norms, with a content of components derived from biological sources equal to 5.75%. As usual, during the design and development stages of the entire car, our technical partners played an important role. Apart from previously mentioned significant input from Shell, also worthy of note is the contribution of the Fiat Research Centre, especially in providing simulation systems and Brembo for its work in developing the braking system. As is now traditional, a great deal of attention was paid to the performance and optimising of the materials used at the design stage and through quality control, striving to maximise performance levels while attaining the highest possible safety standards.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Chassis

Carbon-fibre and honeycomb
composite structure

Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
Limited-slip differential

Semiautomatic sequential
electronically controlled gearbox
quick-shift

Number of gears: 7 + Reverse

Ventiled carbon-fibre
disc brakes
Independent suspension,
push-rod activated torsion
springs front and rear

Weight (with water, lubricant and driver) : 605 kg

BBS Wheels (front and rear) : 13''

Engine

Type: 056

Number of cylinders: 8

Cylinder block in cast
aluminium: V 90°

Number of valves: 32

Pneumatic distribution

Total displacement: 2398 cm3

Piston bore: 98 mm

Weight: <95 kg

Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Magneti Marelli static
electronic ignition

Fuel: Shell V-Power ULG 64

Lubrcant: Shell SL-1098

[Monster]

Dam you beat me to it, thanks mate for the photos. As usual, the car will look different on the 1st GP, as always.

[shonguiz]

Here is a comparaison between first photos of F-2007 and first photos of F-2008:
F2007


F2008


F2007


F2008


F2007


F2008


http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/6810/f20078hp5.jpg

[Centurion]

Sweet job with the pictures mate.

[shonguiz]

Originally Posted by Luwalira

Sweet job with the pictures mate.

Thanks for that but truth is that i only posted them.

[Monster]

I guess the Mclaren engineers are working overtime trying to measure all the dimensiosn from the photos and studying them really hard.

[Remy Zero]

the front wing looks very Toyota-ish....

anyways, not much of a difference between the F2007 in Brazil and the F2008. they said the shortened the wheelbase, and there's the Italian flag to at the chimney...

[shonguiz]

Remy don't Forget the car will be heavily updated aerodynamicaly for the first GP.

[Zonda]

The nosecone look really interesting. Will also be interesting to see what they come up with for the first gp.

[Centurion]

So it has a V8. I thought the F1 cars were downgraded to 3L V6s.

[Monster]

Originally Posted by Remy Zero

the front wing looks very Toyota-ish....

anyways, not much of a difference between the F2007 in Brazil and the F2008. they said the shortened the wheelbase, and there's the Italian flag to at the chimney...

[S'Pimp]

.....

[shonguiz]

Technical Analysis by Autosport

Having secured both championships in 2007, Ferrari have been careful not to rest on their laurels, by understanding that McLaren's opposition was challenging and beat the Italian team on reliability and sometimes on outright pace.

In comparison to the 2007 McLaren, the F2007 had its faults, largely being a lack of pace at circuits devoid of fast corners and, to a lesser extent, reliability.

In addition to countering these issues the team have had new rules to contend with; the single ECU (SECU), four race gearboxes and some structural changes affecting the monocoque.

The team's response to these challengers is the new car, the F2008. Outwardly the car is a clear progression from the F2007, with only its Toyota-like nose and new cockpit padding initially suggesting its a new car.

However, the team have worked hard and have completely redesigned the aerodynamics despite initial appearances, as well as the development work to integrate the SECU and the monocoque changes.

The team's first task was to understand the problems with the 2007 car. Technical director Aldo Costa pointed out the team wanted to regain the performance lost on slow, slippery or bumpy tracks without sacrificing the virtues of the F2007's fast corner performance.

This encompassed work on the aerodynamics as well as the suspension. Nick Tombazis, the chief designer, told autosport.com, that this work was not as simple as making the aerodynamics work over a greater range of attitudes. He also suggested that it was not just the aero being too sensitive last year and that the suspensions job was just as important.

In addition to the work to recoup low speed grip, the work also encompassed the needs of the drivers, particularly Kimi Raikkonen after his first year with the team.

Equally, the winter design work needed to make the car sympathetic to the lack of electronic aids, as both traction control and other engine management functions are prohibited from helping the driver control the car going to and out of the corner.

The resulting car is within a few millimetres of the F2007. Costa would not be specific, but did admit the layout of the car was unaltered and only the front wheel position was altered to make the wheelbase change.

What has changed is the aerodynamic treatment under the front of the car, from the bulbous nose conjoined with the Biplane wing ala Toyota TF107, the nose cone is sculpted underneath to make more room for the front wing to work.

This process is aided by the monocoque being raised all the way back to the sidepods, necessitating a bulge in the otherwise smooth shape to clear the drivers hips. This has led Kimi Raikkonen to point out that the cockpit is smaller as he had less space around his thighs than before.

The Ferrari F2008Ferrari have retained the zero keel set-up and again have spaced their upper wishbone mounts from the tub for better geometry.

Around the cockpit opening, the car features the new regulation cockpit sides, higher to react to the near miss between David Coulthard and Alex Wurz back in Australia 2007.

The bulkier cockpit sides are offset slightly by a narrow footwell, as evidenced by the tear-dropped bulges ahead of the cockpit to meet the meet the minimum width rules.

Above the cockpit the engine inlet snorkel is simpler and without the split duct used last year which had one duct feeding the hydraulics cooler. However, the cooler is still mounted behind the engine and fed by a take-off within the airbox.

The sidepods retain the shape of last year, albeit with a lower deck height forcing the exhausts to protrude from the cover. The spine of the engine cover is a lot slimmer, requiring neat little fins to be added to the tail end of the cover to meet the 'toblerone' 305mm width requirement.

Of course, the aerodynamics will be revised with new front and rear wings before the first race and in steps through out the 2008 season. Both the wings, barge boards and cooling ducts on the launch car were taken from the 2007 machine.

Mechanically the car retains its carbon titanium gearbox, albeit the press release saying it was carbon, but Tombazis confirmed to autosport.com that the gear case still used the same construction method as last year.

As the engine is still subject to the engine freeze, development work has largely been to improve tractability by working on the electronics and inlets. To this end and with the huge workload the SECU demanded, Gilles Simon now heads both the engine and electronics group.

This change also bears in mind the Kinetic energy recovery systems allowed by the rules in 2009.

We continue with the comparaison but this Time F-2007 brazilian spec vs F-2008






F-2007 Steering Whee VS F-2008 Steering Wheel

F-2007 Steering Wheel

1. A row of lights that indicate the right revs for when the change gear.

2. Multifunctional dispal, showing the laptime.

3. Indicates the engaged gear.

4. Speedlimiter.

5-27. Buttons that permit you to go up or down in selecting mappings (settings) for corners.

6. Lights indicating the flags that are waved among the track.

7. Radio.

8. Switch managing the differential for each corner.

9. The so called burn out button which serves to get extra heat in the tyre on the formation lap.

10. Switch controlling the torque of the engine.

11. Drink button.

12. Switch controlling the revving.

13. Safety Car mode.

14. Button to save fuel (I think)

15-17. Switches that changes the information on the display.

16. Watch.

18. Switching off the engine.

19. Switch controlling the traction control.

20. Activates the auxiliary fuel pump.

21. A button for the fuel mixture.

22. Switch controlling the amount of traction going into a corner.

23. Bit Finder. Button that is there to find the optimal moment to activate the clutch.

24. Switch that operates the differential going into a corner, being in the middle of one and coming out of one.

25. Over Revs, a button permitting extra revs to overtake.

26. Emergency signal on track.

28. Neutral.

F-2008 Steering Wheel

1. A row of lights that indicate the right revs for when the change gear.

2. Multifunctional display that shows the gear the car is in. On the side of the central display the waved flags are displayed in colours (green, yellow, red, black etc.)

3. Buttons that allows various information to appear on the display.

4. Speed limiter.

5. Button that permits different levels of revving.

6. Radio.

7. A new button that regulates response of the accelerator.

8. A switch that takes care of the fuelmixture.

9. Activates the auxiliary oil pump.

10. Switching off the engine.

11. A new button that regulates the power supply in function of the type of tyres mounted on the car.

12. Confirmation of the radio, you never know...

13-14-16. Switches that operate the differential going into a corner, being in the middle of one and coming out of one.

15. Button that looks for the moment to activate the clutch.

17. Engine boost allowing more revs for a short while.

18. Neutral.

From RAI2

- Gilles Simon says there's an important innovation in the top half of the engine/airbox, he wasn't particularly clear on what or where. Could that explain the unusual bulge?

- Aldo Costa seemed to hint that most of the innovations are under the hood. He said rear of the car and dampers in particular. "we're trying to correct the defects of last years' car". "The aerodynamic profile will eb completely changed by Melbourne".

- Almondo: "The rate of development will be even more than last years'".

- Aldo Costa was asked about the new vent which is supposed to be at the top of the nose and he basically skirted round the question.

The New Celebrities from Gestionne Sportiva


The Guy on the left is Aldo Costa the new technical director, on the left of kimi it's Michael Almondo, ex technical director and now director of operations (i guess it's the new name of the sporting director role), next to him is the new boss & ex sporting director: Stefano Dominicalli, next to him is Gilles Simon, the Chef of engine departement and also newly boss of electronic departement .


Here's a comparasion between the 2007&2008 rear suspension.


More details about the new car:

[shonguiz]

Baldisserri: ''We haven't been this early with the new car since 1993 !''

Simon about 2009: ''This new organizational structure is set up with regard to 2009 with the development of a system retrieving kinetic energy that will keep us busy a lot this year: in this regard, the synergy between the 2 workinggroups was fairly obvious. We are conducting and will conduct a lot of tests on the testbench, and then we will also go on track to really try it out with energy coming from the engine. This is the second year after the development of the engines has been frozen: From March 2008 the engine was essentially defined and approved of. From that point on we've worked focusing mainly on what is placed above the cilinders: such as the trumpets, the injectors, and the float chamber to optimize the lubrication also. In the wintertime we have also developed a new fuel with the help of Shell: The 2008 regulations demand a 5.75 percentage of bio-fuel. We will already start using this fuel at Jerez next week.''

Almondo on the new teamstructure: ''In the world of a high tech industry, the role I have is essentially a traditional one. For Ferrari this means I will be working on technical issues that do no include in the design of the car. But the team always counts on the same people so that is reassuring. I will concentrate on things such as the logistics, the strategic planning of facilities and investments, the management of the circuits (Fiorano and Mugello - AFCA), the computing centers and acquisitions, technical development as well as taking care of the technological development (as a whole in the factory - AFCA) and the quantity of the partners. In addition, I take care of the management of the A1 GP, of which the cars will be made in collaboration with Ferrari. The start of this championship is a good business chance for us, and garantuees a consolidation of our mark in the Far East. "

On the development of the F2008: ''In 2007 we've worked on 4 substantial developments and many corresponding developments for almost every race. This year we hope to do even better, with refinements scheduled for every race that will be specially made for the circuit. It will be a very difficult job and the the simulations, the windtunnel tests are very important in this respect, as well as the greater number of testbench tests (that will be done) and the electronic technicians because the testdays on track will be little. We try to keep a clear upgoing line of progression from the first Grand Prix onwards with the objective to solve all the problems linked to individual circuits.''

Costa on the aerodynamics: ''The evolution of the aerodynamics have been excellent, the group have worked very well, despite this being the fourth year with the same regulations in place. Despite this we've managed to make this development. Without taking anything away from the working groups in other departments, this car has a lot of hidden new things: we hope this will pay off in terms of reliability and performance.''

On the wheelbase: ''We haven't communicated the dimensions of the car to not give away too many advantages to the competition, but it's clear to everyone that the car is a bit shorter. Particularly, we've reduced the wheelbase a bit considering that last year it was really long.''

On the ban on traction control: ''We've had to improve the driveability of the engine.''

On the gearbox: ''We don't want to take a step back in th performance, we want to maintain the level of performance from 2007, we want to develop the seamless gearbox even more. We have to make a gearbox that lasts 4 races, limiting the weight and the dimensions of the structure of it. The drivers have greater responsability now, with electronic aids they will need to save the gearbox a bit, understanding the behaviour of it well. At the end of the day the technicians are in the hands of those who drive the car.''

Tombazis plays down the shape of the nose: ''The shape is overrated. It derives from the shape of the frontwing (which we haven't seen yet - AFCA).'' On the higher cockpit edges: ''This influences the airflow towards the rear.''

[Remy Zero]

great pics, thanks for all the info, shonguiz.

[Remy Zero]

i was wondering, anyone got clear pics of the car's rear? i wanna have a look at the wing properly.




that bulge was there last season itself, from the Spanish go onwards. the sidepods, they say it's new. looks pretty much the same to me

[Remy Zero]

a friend of mine on another forum did this. what do u guys think?



copyright emrehusmen

[PanterroR]

10 times better!

[shonguiz]

I know him, he has also done hat for the 2007 pre season, his cars look great (i remember his 2007 bimmer that was simply gorgeous) but not realistic

[PanterroR]

Yep, this is it:



And it looks/looked great!

Btw, Tunisian, nice work with this thread, karma given!

[Monster]

Kimi did a few shake down laps in his F2008 in Fiorano. The car does look shorter than the old one in these photos.



Formula One news: F2008 completes first miles at Fiorano - GPUpdate.net Formula One

[shonguiz]

Better resolution pics from the shakedown:

[shonguiz]

Here we go for the Merc:

Stuttgart, Germany / Woking, UK, Monday 7th January 2008: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes today presented the MP4-23, the team’s 2008 Formula 1 car, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board, and Ron Dennis, Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group, welcomed all the guests to the official presentation, with Lewis Hamilton, who celebrates his 23rd birthday today, and Heikki Kovalainen joined on stage by Pedro de la Rosa and fellow test driver Gary Paffett to unveil the MP4-23. The car was completed yesterday and left the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK at around 18:00 GMT on Sunday and was driven in a Mercedes-Benz Actros to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, having covered approximately 1000kms, arriving around 10:00 this morning.

Upon arrival in Stuttgart, the car was transported to the 53,000 sqm Mercedes-Benz Museum, one of the world’s largest and most renowned car museums. About 700 Mercedes-Benz employees from the nearby manufacturing plant Stuttgart-Untertürkheim had the opportunity to attend today’s event at the end of their early shift alongside the more than 400 media and other guests. The Mercedes-Benz employees had the opportunity to enter a draw of which the lucky winners were able to meet and spend some time with Lewis and Heikki.

Following today’s event the car will be transported to the Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain, where on Wednesday 9thJanuary Heikki and Pedro will start the test programme with two MP4-23 chassis at a private test. The team will remain at the circuit for five track days, excluding the weekend. Lewis will drive the 2008 car for the first time on Thursday 10th January alongside Heikki.

LEWIS HAMILTON
"The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 is the coolest birthday present you can get, well it is for me anyway! To see the car for the first time at such a great place as the Mercedes-Benz museum makes it an even more memorable day. I have had the past three weeks off and spent the time training and relaxing with family and friends. I know how much work has been going on in Woking, Brixworth and here in Stuttgart and it is a great looking car. My engineer has told me that approximately 14,000 manufacturing man hours have been involved to produce the car in time for today. I will be testing it for the first time on Thursday. It is going to be a busy time but myself, Heikki, who I welcome as my new teammate, and everyone within the team is looking forward to it as we push forward together."

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
"Today is my first official event as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver and it hasn’t come soon enough. After joining the team on the 14th December, I have already spent some time at the McLaren Technology Centre getting to know everybody and working with my engineers. It is also great to be here at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart today to meet the Mercedes-Benz employees, media and VIP guests for the first time as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver. I was able to learn a lot last year, and hope to take that knowledge into the 2008 season. I am looking forward to contributing to the development of the car during the six main tests in the build-up to Melbourne. It is a really exciting time for me to be joining Vodafone McLaren Mercedes."

Dr DIETER ZETSCHE, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE MANAGEMENT OF DAIMLER AG AND HEAD OF MERCEDES-BENZ CARS
"I am confident that, with Heikki and Lewis, we’ll have a very strong driver team on the track. All of us at Daimler are extremely proud of the tremendous track record of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. They prove once again: You can’t be with Daimler or Mercedes-Benz without wanting to belong to the best - that’s in the DNA of our company in a way. And that applies also for the motorsport."

RON DENNIS, CHAIRMAN & CEO, McLAREN GROUP
"The ultimate goal of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team is to fight for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships. We are looking forward to another competitive season as we look to build on the momentum of last year. Every single member of the team has worked extremely hard since the end of the 2007 season to get the MP4-23 on track as soon as possible, to ensure we have the maximum amount of testing time available before the cars leave for Australia. We are all extremely pleased to have the opportunity to launch our new car at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart underlining the strength of our partnership."

MARTIN WHITMARSH, CEO FORMULA 1, VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES
"Development of the MP4-23 began in earnest 10 months ago and everyone in Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart have worked very hard during the last few weeks, and particularly over the Christmas period, to make today’s presentation here in Stuttgart happen. In addition we have continued to benefit from tremendous support from all of our Technology Partners. We are confident, based upon the simulation and analysis which has been an integral part of the development process, that the MP4-23 represents a step forward. Of course we will continue to develop the car from now until the first race in Australia and see whether we have done enough to be at the level where we want to compete this coming season. From today we have 68 working days until the Australian Grand Prix, and everybody within the team is highly motivated to travel to Melbourne with the most competitive package possible."

NORBERT HAUG, VICE PRESIDENT, MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT
"Our Museum is a unique place for this event. More than 160 Mercedes-Benz cars, amongst them 30 historic racing cars representing more than 100 years of Mercedes-Benz motor sport heritage create a most remarkable environment for the presentation of the new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23. I am really pleased that we are able to present with this car launch many of our colleagues from the nearby Untertürkheim manufacturing plant a New Years surprise today. The media presence at our compact presentation today was massive, which is an additional motivation for everybody in the team to start the 2008 season with the target to finish one point ahead instead of one point behind the opposition."

DAVID WHELDON, GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER AND BRAND EXPERIENCE, VODAFONE
"Vodafone is delighted to be entering this second season as Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. Formula 1 is all about 'Making the most of Now' and similarly, we want all our customers to get the most out of their time. We look forward to building on our successful partnership and wish the team all the best for the 2008 season."






MP4-23 FACTFILE

The first design meeting for the MP4-23 took place back in November 2006 with early layout work starting in March 2007.

Wind tunnel work commenced in late May 2007.

Since then the MP4-23 has spent over 3000 hours being developed in the wind tunnel.

The first MP4-23 chassis was ready for bonding in mid November 2007.

Lewis Hamilton, Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett had their provisional seat fittings for the MP4-23 back in September 2007. Heikki Kovalainen was fitted for his seat shortly after being announced as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.

The car build process for chassis 1 began in early December 2007 and was finished in early January 2008.

Throughout the development process 150 different engineers have been involved in the whole project in all disciplines.

14000 engineering man hours have so far been put into the MP4-23 development project.

A similar number applies to the manufacturing man hours involved to produce the MP4-23 in time for its track debut on the 9th January 2008.

The MP4-23 is an evolution of the MP4-22 and as such there is no significant visual difference currently, however between now and the first race in Australia there are planned upgrades on most of the aerodynamic surfaces, wings, bodywork, bargeboards and additional bodywork components.

Alongside the development of the 2008 challenger, concept work has been started for the 2009 car since November 2007, with the KERS project (energy storage) beginning a year ago.

MP4-23 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
ENGINE
Type Mercedes-Benz FO 108V
Capacity 2.4 litre
No. of cylinders 8
Max. rpm 19,000 (FIA regulatory limit since 2007)
Bank angle 90O
Piston bore maximum 98 mm (FIA regulation)
Bore spacing 106.5 mm
Number of valves 32
Fuel Mobil 1 Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
Lubricants Mobil 1, newly developed 2008 formula for lower friction and better wear resistance
Engine 95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight)


TRANSMISSION
Gearbox Speeds Seven forward and one reverse
Semi-auto Yes
Driveshafts McLaren
Clutch Hand-operated


Chassis McLaren moulded carbon fibre/aluminium honeycomb composite incorporating front and side impact structures. Contains integral safety fuel cell
Front Suspension Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Rear Suspension Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Suspension Dampers Koni
Electronics McLaren Electronic Systems control units incorporating electronics for chassis, engine and data acquisition. McLaren Electronic Systems also supplies the electronic dash board, alternator voltage control, sensors, data analysis and telemetry systems
Bodywork Construction One-piece engine cover; separate sidepod covers; separate floor section, structural nose with integral front wing.
Tyres Bridgestone Potenza
Radios Kenwood
Race Wheels Enkei
Batteries GS Yuasa Corporation
Steering McLaren power-assisted
Instruments McLaren Electronic Systems

[shonguiz]

ImageShack - Hosting :: 60921091hi9.jpg

What Ecclestone is doing there ??

McLaren launch the MP4-23 in Stuttgart

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Monday, January 7th 2008, 13:32 GMT

THe McLaren MP4-23The McLaren Mercedes team on Monday launched their new car for the 2008 season, the MP4-23, in an event in Stuttgart, Germany.

McLaren were the second Formula One team to unveil their 2008 challenger following Ferrari's launch of their F2008 yesterday.

The McLaren event was a lot more straight-laced than last year, when the team staged a major extravaganza in Valencia, Spain.

The MP4-23, which will be driven by Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen during the season, has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor.

It also has a straightened nose and sports a more wrapped bodywork with tighter undercuts. The car includes an all-new carbon fibre gearbox.

McLaren's launch coincided with Hamilton's 23rd birthday.

"It is Lewis' birthday today, we've gone to a lot of trouble... He is 23, it is the MP4-23 and he will carry (number) 23 on the car, but that is more by accident than judgement I must say," said team principal Ron Dennis.

Dennis, whose team lost all their constructors points in a spying controversy that overshadowed the season, said McLaren were ready to move on.

"This is a year of forward thinking for us, we are looking forward," Dennis added.

"We are not spending any time dwelling on the past. We are intent with everyone in the company in producing a competitive racing car, a car that is constantly evolving and will look radically different by the time we get to the first Grand Prix."