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Transcript

Ep251: McLaren Group · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify.
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  Kid Cast Daily starts yours. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today, we're zooming into the
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  world of super fast cars and incredible technology as we
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  discover the story of the McLaren Group.
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  Buckle up, because this episode is all about speed, science, and
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  some of the world's coolest vehicles.
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  Let's start at the very beginning.
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  The McLaren Group is a British company famous for building some
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  of the fastest and most advanced cars in the world.
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  But did you know that McLaren isn't just about racing?
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  That's right, the company has its hands in lots of different
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  areas, from Formula One to supercars and even high tech
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  engineering. The story of McLaren begins with
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  a man named Bruce McLaren. Bruce was born in New Zealand in
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  1937 and from a young age he loved cars and racing.
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  He was so passionate that by the age of 15 he was already racing
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  his own car. Bruce moved to England where he
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  started his own racing team in 1963.
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  This team would become the McLaren we know today.
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  Now you might be thinking, what exactly does the McLaren Group
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  do? Let's break it down.
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  McLaren is made-up of several different companies that each
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  have a special job. The most famous part is probably
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  McLaren Racing, which runs the McLaren Formula One team.
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  Formula One, or F1 for short, is a type of car racing known for
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  being the fastest and most high tech in the world.
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  The cars and F1 can reach speeds of over 220 mph.
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  That's faster than most airplanes take off.
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  McLaren Racing has a long and exciting history.
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  The team entered its first Formula One race in 1966, and
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  since then they have won many championships.
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  Some of the world's greatest drivers have raced for McLaren,
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  including Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, and Lewis Hamilton.
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  These are names you might have heard before if you follow
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  racing. The team's cars are famous for
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  their bright colors, especially the papaya orange shade that
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  you'll see on their latest cars. But the McLaren Group isn't just
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  about racing fast cars around a track.
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  They also build Rd. cars that people can buy and drive,
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  although you need to save up a lot of allowance.
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  For one. This part of the company is
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  called McLaren Automotive. The cars they make are called
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  supercars because they are much faster and more powerful than
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  everyday cars. For example, the McLaren 720 S
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  can go from zero to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
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  That's quicker than it takes to tie your shoes.
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  All McLaren Rd. cars are designed and built at a special
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  place called the McLaren Technology Center, which is in
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  Woking, England. The building itself looks
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  futuristic, with lots of glass and curved shapes inside.
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  Engineers and designers use computers and special tools to
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  create cars that are not only fast, but also very safe and
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  efficient. Here's a fun fact.
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  McLaren uses a lot of carbon fiber in their cars.
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  Carbon fiber is a special material that is very strong,
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  but also very light. Think about lifting a heavy
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  backpack versus a light one. The lighter the car, the faster
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  can go. McLaren was one of the first car
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  companies to use carbon fiber for the whole frame of a car,
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  and now it's a standard in racing and supercars.
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  But there's more to McLaren than just cars.
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  The McLaren Group also has a company called McLaren Applied.
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  This part of the business works on technology and engineering
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  solutions that can be used in many different industries like
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  healthcare, transportation and even energy.
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  For example, McLaren Applied help design better sensors for
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  race cars and now those sensors are used in hospitals to help
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  monitor patients health. Another cool thing is that
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  McLaren's technology has helped make trains more efficient.
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  Some trains use special parts designed by McLaren to save
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  energy and move faster. This shows that the companies
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  ideas don't just stay on the racetrack, they help people all
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  around the world. Let's talk about teamwork for a
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  moment. Building a McLaren car, whether
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  it's for the racetrack or the road, takes hundreds of people
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  working together. There are designers, engineers,
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  mechanics, and even chefs who cook meals for the team.
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  Every person has a special job, and they must communicate and
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  cooperate to make the best cars possible.
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  This is a great example of how teamwork can help you achieve
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  big goals, whether you're building a race car or working
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  on a school project. Did you know that McLaren also
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  cares a lot about being environmentally friendly?
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  The company is always looking for ways to make their cars use
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  less fuel and produce fewer emissions.
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  For example, they have hybrid cars, which use a mix of
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  electricity and gasoline to be more efficient.
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  McLaren is also researching how to use new materials and designs
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  that are better for the planet. Let's take a closer look at some
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  of McLaren's most famous cars. One of their most legendary
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  models is the McLaren F1. When it was launched in the
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  1990s, it was the fastest Rd. car in the world, hitting a top
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  speed of 240 mph. It was also unique because it
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  had three seats. The driver sat in the middle and
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  two passengers sat on either side.
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  The McLaren F1 is still considered one of the greatest
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  cars ever made. Another amazing car is the
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  McLaren P1. This is a hybrid supercar, which
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  means it uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor.
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  The P1 can go extremely fast and also drive short distances using
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  only electricity. This helps reduce pollution and
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  shows how technology can make cars better for the environment.
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  If you watch Formula One races, you might have seen the McLaren
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  team's current car, which is called the NCL 60.
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  The car is covered in logos of sponsors like MasterCard and
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  Dell Technologies and has a sleek design that helps it cut
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  through the air more easily. Every part of the car is tested
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  and improved over and over again to make sure it's as fast and
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  reliable as possible. Now let's talk a little bit
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  about the people who drive these awesome cars.
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  Formula One drivers are some of the most skilled athletes in the
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  world. They need quick reflexes, strong
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  concentration, and lots of training to handle the powerful
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  cars. Each driver works with engineers
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  to set up their car in a way that fits their driving style.
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  It's a real team effort. Here's a fun trivia moment.
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  McLaren was the first Formula One team to use a full carbon
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  fiber chassis in 1981. This was a big deal because it
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  made the cars stronger and safer.
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  Now, almost every race car in the world uses carbon fiber.
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  That's just one example of how McLaren leads the way in
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  technology. McLaren is also famous for its
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  wind tunnel. A wind tunnel is a special
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  building where engineers can test how air moves around a car.
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  By studying this, they can make the car faster and more stable.
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  Imagine blowing air over a toy car to see how it moves.
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  That's a little bit like what happens in a real wind tunnel,
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  just much more advanced. If you ever visit the McLaren
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  Technology Center, you'll see a trophy room filled with awards
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  and championship cups. These trophies celebrate all the
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  races and championships the team has won over the years.
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  There's also a collection of old race cars showing how designs
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  have changed from the 1960s to today.
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  McLaren's influence goes beyond cars.
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  The company supports science, technology, engineering and math
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  education, often called STEM. They encourage young people to
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  explore these subjects, hoping that some of them will grow up
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  to become engineers, designers, or even race car drivers.
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  McLaren often visits schools and hosts events to inspire the next
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  generation. As we reach the finish line of
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  today's episode, let's recap what we've learned.
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  The McLaren Group is a British company known for its fast cars,
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  smart engineering, and amazing teamwork.
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  It started with Bruce McLaren, a young racer from New Zealand,
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  and grew into a company that builds both racing and road
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  cars. McLaren Racing competes in
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  Formula One, while McLaren Automotive makes super fast cars
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  you can drive on the street. McLaren Applied uses technology
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  to solve real world problems outside of racing, helping
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  everything from trains to hospitals.
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  We discovered that McLaren is a leader in using new materials
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  like carbon fiber, and they care about making cars that are
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  better for the environment. Their cars like the McLaren F1
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  and P1 are famous all over the world.
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  And most importantly, we learned how teamwork, science and
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  innovation, how Mclarens stay at the front of the race.
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  Thanks for joining us on Kit Cast Daily.
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  Keep asking questions, stay curious, and who knows, maybe
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  one day you'll help design the next McLaren car.
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  Until next time, keep learning and keep having fun.
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  Grab your breakfast. Feeling fine?
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  Adventures waiting? Don't be late, today's the day
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  we sell.