Is this Alonso's new F1 engine?

So, next year McLaren and Honda reunite to try and rediscover motorsport success together. McLaren's F1 team has been in a bit of a funk for a while now, while Honda has been in the performance car wilderness somewhat since it pulled out of the sport in 2008.

Its Type-R brand is back with a bang though, and there's a new NSX not too far around the corner. Some Sunday afternoon success would be the perfect way to whip up excitement for its new fast car endeavours.

And linking back up to provide engines for McLaren - a partnership made so successful by Messrs Senna and Prost in the late 80s and early 90s - seems like a far less risky and arguably more glamorous strategy than setting up its own team. And it could be just the move to help McLaren get its drivers back up on the podium every other weekend.

The video above contains our first taster of the 1.6-litre turbo V6 engine Honda has crafted. After some exceedingly slick graphics to demonstrate the 43,502 F1 laps Honda cars have completed, the counter is reset to zero has an all-new beginning is announced.

Then follows a simulated lap with the new engine blaring away. Let us know what you think of the noise below - it's certainly not the screaming soundtrack that was resplendent in F1 as Honda bowed out.

Perhaps the most pertinent question this week - after Sebastian Vettel started 2015's game of musical driving seats - is who will be driving the new McLaren-Honda. Is Fernando Alonso on his way?