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McLaren 650S GT3 Setting New Bathurst Lap Record Brings Stunning Cockpit View

The past weekend has been an important one for McLaren, with Woking's latest weapon, the 650S GT3 racecar, winning The Bathurst 12 Hours race.
McLaren 650S GT3 Bathurst Lap Record 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
However, the fact that the freshest product to have come from Woking managed to trample over a Nissan GT-R GT3 (second place) and a Bentley Continental GT3 is only half the story.

For one thing, the 650S GT3 only beat the GT-R GT3 to the finish by a blink-worthy 1.276 seconds. After twelve hard hours of racing, things could've always turned the other way around.

But nothing can take away the fact that the circuit-confined 650S, which had also gained pole position, set a new record for the Aussie track. Not a bad Bathurst debut for the racecar, right?

It's time to discuss the details of the Aussie record

The 650S GT3 manhandled by Alvaro Parente, Shane Van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb (friends call this the winning car) got round Bathurst in 2 minutes 01.286 seconds.

The record for the Mount Panorama Circuit fell during qualifying, with the driver responsible for the feat being Shane Van Gisbergen. The fact that the driver comes from New Zealand, just like Bruce McLaren, only added to the celebration, making us wonder what makes people from that country so fast.

Capturing the emotion a racing driver enjoys during a stint on the track is extremely difficult, Full HD or not - this is the reason for which motorsport never gets the credit it deserves.

However, we'll never give up trying to take you inside the cockpit, which is why we've brought along the footage below. Hit the "play" button and you'll be able to see the McLaren 650S GT3 mentioned above lapping Bathurst as if it were chased by a group of gigantic spiders. We're sure you'll enjoy every inch of the 3.861-mile (6.213 km) course.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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