{
  "id": 12169462,
  "title": "Google Maps now lets you turn your car into a McLaren F1",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/google-maps-now-lets-you-turn-your-car-into-a-mclaren-f1",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-05T14:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "9to5Google",
    "slug": "9to5google",
    "url": "https://9to5google.com/2026/10/05/google-maps-now-lets-you-turn-your-car-into-a-mclaren-f1/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google Maps has introduced a limited-time feature that allows users to transform their car's driving avatar into a McLaren F1 racing car. This temporary addition is available through late November and is in celebration of the United States Grand Prix, which will be held in Las Vegas from October 22-25. The McLaren F1 avatar can be selected from the Google Maps settings, where users can choose their vehicle's icon. The McLaren F1 option replaces the default blue arrow or other pre-existing 3D car choices. Once selected, the McLaren F1 avatar is visible on both the user's smartphone and their car's display through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The feature is a server-side update that is still rolling out, and users are encouraged to check the latest updates on various platforms, including Ben's social media channels and 9to5Google's YouTube channel.",
  "summary": "A new Google Maps update lets you change your car’s driving avatar into a McLaren F1. more…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}