As one of the UK’s most diverse and rapidly growing high-technology businesses, the McLaren Group is delighted to announce a new stage in our relationship with SAP, the market and technology leader in enterprise application software. To improve efficiency and expand our performance capability, we will transform our IT infrastructure using SAP’s portfolio of high-performance solutions. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE NOW, which is currently being held in Orlando, Florida, USA. “At McLaren we’re accustomed to handling big data,” said Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman, McLaren Group. “On every lap of every Grand Prix, practice or test session, our Formula 1 cars generate vast quantities of performance data. Our ability to process that data and act on it rapidly is crucial to creating the kind of prescriptive intelligence that enables us to transform the outcome of races. And that need resonates through every other facet of our business. “The McLaren Group is a rapidly growing business and has unique demands for our software implementation. SAP has a long-standing relationship with various parts of the McLaren Group. This latest announcement marks a new stage in our relationship, aimed at transforming our IT backbone with a view to greater efficiency and faster performance across the whole spectrum of our activities. “Big data is only going to get bigger,” said Ron Dennis. “Transforming information into intelligence in real time is a cornerstone for McLaren’s winning formula - and increasingly critical for the future of every company,” said Jim Hagemann Snabe, co-CEO, SAP AG. “With SAP HANA, mobile and the complete SAP portfolio underpinning its business, McLaren can now bring increased intelligence across the full spectrum of its business operations. SAP will be able to help McLaren better anticipate, accelerate and differentiate its business - keeping them very much in the driver’s seat. In short, working together, SAP will help McLaren run like never before.
When we were informed that our convoy was outfitted with studded tires, some of our colleagues initially groused that such specialized footwear amounted to cheating. But we soon got out on the drive route and discovered that a few steep glacial descents and lava field crossings were so icy that they were impossible to even stand on. Snow tires are legally required in Iceland at this time of year, and even the best unstudded winter rubber could've easily seen at least one or two colleagues slide off into the abyss on our route. As it was, we were pleasantly surprised not only with the faithful grip of our Pirellis, but also with their surprisingly minimal sound intrusion. Even the effort buildup and on-center feel from the electric power steering setup wasn't bad with these tires. Also figuring solidly in the plus column? The Land Rover's ride. While we've endured some stiff-legged moments and significant head-toss in the Evoque, the longer-wheelbase Discovery Sport rode rather beautifully over some really unpleasant terrain that included frozen roads, jagged two-tracks and rocky, iced-over riverbanks.
The front strut and new rear multi-link suspension also seemed well behaved on the largely vacant sections of highway and gravel roads outside of Reykjavik, utterly unperturbed by the occasional livestock grate or large rock hiding beneath the snow. Adaptive Dynamics with MagneRide is an option, and we've enjoyed the magnetorheological dampers in just about every vehicle we've ever driven. We had our Discovery Sport's Terrain Response switchgear toggled to the snow/grass/gravel setting for most of the rough stuff. It executes starts in second gear to minimize wheelspin on ice while holding sway over the throttle mapping, Haldex center differential, steering and braking systems to optimize responses in the slippery stuff. Like any self-respecting Land Rover, it's also perfectly happy to go for a swim - we tested the Sport's nearly two-foot fording depth (that's more than a Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Subaru Outback) by crossing a glacier-fed river. We had to take care to avoid the occasional coffee-table-sized chunks of ice that threatened to recontour our ride's aluminum bodywork, but emerged no worse for the wear.
In fact, despite the perilous Game Of Thrones landscapes that played out ahead of our group's electrically heated windshields all day, we were kept high, dry and reasonably coddled in the Discovery Sport's observatory-like cabin. The Discovery Sport also introduces a replacement for a longstanding Land Rover Achilles heel: infotainment. The new eight-inch touchscreen-based navigation and audio system is a solid leap ahead of the company's (admittedly terrible) last-generation solution, and it includes better graphics to go with its tablet-like gesture controls. It's still far from our favorite setup, but at least it offers smartphone app integration through its new InControl suite and available wifi. It also includes off-road-minded features like breadcrumbing for finding one's way home from the trail and latitude and longitude data in case you're into geocaching. The Discovery Sport is a vehicle that suggests you don't have to give up your all-conquering off-road fantasies just because you need a kinschlepper to help keep the peace at home.
What Was Your Favorite 2013 Detroit Auto Show Debut The 2013 Detroit auto show press days have come to a close, but not before showcasing some of the most anticipated vehicles such as the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Some automakers even came out of left field showing unexpected concepts, such as Ford’s Atlas concept, which previewed the 2015 F-150. With the Detroit show being one of the biggest shows of the season, car companies surely saved their big debuts for Motor City, but which one was your favorite? Lincoln showed the MKC concept, which got several positive reactions for its Range Rover Evoque-esque looks, while Infiniti’s Q50 sports sedan also got a thumbs-up for its sleek styling. Volkswagen brought the CrossBlue concept, showing it’s ready to dip into the midsize SUV market, and Audi’s RS7 joined the rest of the RS family in the U.S. BMW unveiled the 2013 320i, which didn’t seem so ultimate with only 180 hp, but the 4 Series Coupe concept is what really stole the show at the German automaker’s stand.
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