12C [Official] McLaren MP4-12C

[Centurion]

That's a lot of pound coins, but we knew the car wasn't going to be a parts-bin bargain like the R8. Mclaren has the reputation and brand strength to sell a car at this price. The engine and road dynamics better be special though.

 

[PanterroR]

The engine and road dynamics better be special though.

I don't doubt that for a second.

200,000 €? I wouldn't think twice if i had the money!

 

[Tarek]

Starting to like the looks more and more but still not near the SLS and Italia..maybe coz i've see the other two IRL and both looked just gorgeous.

 

[Centurion]

First McLaren MP4-12C (‘Chassis 01’) production car takes shape in McLaren Technology Centre

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

2011 milestone announced with a new high quality ‘best of’ short film capturing highlights of the 2010 12C launch programme: available to view at YouTube - McLarenAutomotiveTV's Channel
WOKING, UK (02 February) – Following a successful public world debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed, and a series of exclusive presentations to prospective customers and media across the globe in 2010, the first McLaren MP4-12C high-performance sports car has begun production at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, England.

McLaren Automotive plans to build up to 1,000 12Cs in 2011. Most will be manufactured in a bespoke new £40m McLaren Production Centre, which is due for completion in May on a site adjacent to MTC. However, ‘Chassis 01’ is being built in the existing MTC production facility, where outstanding quality and highly efficient production methods have been fine-tuned since the Foster + Partners-designed building opened in 2004.

The innovative 12C was first presented to the public at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed in southern England in July 2010, prior to a North American debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August. 12Cs were then presented at exclusive events to prospective customers and media around the world as McLaren Automotive toured many of the cities that will form a network of 35 retailer launch locations.

Milestone events in the 2010 launch year for the 12C have been captured in a new short film, which can be viewed online at McLaren Automotive’s official You Tube channel: YouTube - McLarenAutomotiveTV's Channel

This short film features appearances from Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the 2008 and 2009 FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champions. Both have enjoyed testing prototype 12Cs and continue to feed back their thoughts on the car’s development. The video also captures visitors’ reactions to the 12C at its debut events. Brand new footage reveals McLaren Automotive’s Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin taking the car winter testing at Dunsfold Aerodrome – also known as the BBC Top Gear test track – as he assesses ESP calibration on Winter settings as part of the 12C’s variable Proactive Chassis Control system.

Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director said: “Meeting our prospective customers at launch events around the world, from Dubai to Cape Town, Paris to Los Angeles, has filled us with inspiration. There is genuine desire for McLaren to be launching our own range of sports cars, and an exciting appreciation of what McLaren stands for: innovation, technology leadership, and a winning mentality.

“In five years, the MP4-12C has evolved from a concept we developed in our own Formula 1 simulator, to a groundbreaking high-performance sports car offering unique technologies and outstanding dynamic performance. It has been an intensive development programme, but now the fun really begins as our future owners look forward to taking delivery of their 12Cs.

“Feedback from our customers shows they understand McLaren Automotive is as committed to delivering a high quality sports cars and a fantastic ownership experience as a our Formula 1 team is to winning races. With ‘Chassis One’ now in production, our new network of 35 retailers in 19 countries worldwide is ready to deliver on this promise.”

 

[LaArtist]

Anyone else feels that the damn thing is dragging so long that it feels old before its out even??

 

[Centurion]

Anyone else feels that the damn thing is dragging so long that it feels old before its out even??

Yeah, the launch has been rather slow. But now when production is ramping up Mclaren should be releasing performance specs in the weeks to come. Evo and Top Gear are probably in the frame to be the first media outlets to receive a review unit of the car.

 

[martinbo]

^^ Well, on that note: some updated information.

McLaren MP4-12C enters Production



McLaren MP4 enters production - Autocar.co.uk

McLaren’s new MP4-12C supercar has entered production at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.

The first example (called Chassis 01) is the first of up to a thousand MP4-12Cs that McLaren will build in 2011, although production will switch to its bespoke new £40 million McLaren Production Centre adjacent to the MTC in May.

The MP4-12C was first shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last summer and has since toured several cities that will be part of its new 35-strong dealer network. The car will cost from £168,500, around £3000 less than its chief rival, the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Company boss Ron Dennis has previously pledged that buyers will not only get the fastest car money can buy with the MP4-12C, but also the highest build quality and highest level of dealer and aftersales support from any car manufacturer.

The MP4’s Ricardo-developed, twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre 90-degree V8 engine will rev to 8500rpm, with its maximum 592bhp output arriving at 7000rpm. The peak 442lb ft of torque is available from 3000rpm, although 80 per cent is available between 2000-6500rpm.

McLaren says the car will travel from 0-124mph in less than 10 seconds, and stop from 124mph in less than five seconds.

And then good ol' Sutters lets the cat out of the bag for the Macca's claimed 0-100 time: 6.1 Secs. And that's 0-100 mph!

This will blow your mindThis will blow your mind - Tester
Steve Sutcliffe

There’s a statistic I’ve just discovered about the new McLaren MP4-12C that, if you know your onions or, more to the point, you know your acceleration figures, may well blow your mind. Because it has mine.

The number is 6.1.

Due to the embargo of February 14 that McLaren has placed on details surrounding its new car I’m not actually allowed to say what the number means. But were you to put the letters s, e and c after the number then take a guess as to what the end speed is, you may get more of an idea.

And to give you some extra reference, what I can also tell you is that the McLaren F1’s equivalent time to the same speed was 6.3 when we road tested it in 1994.

Which means the 12C is faster than the F1 to ‘ahem’ miles per hour when, to date, the F1 remains the fastest car we’ve ever recorded to ‘ahem’ miles per hour.

And that, my friends, is quite extraordinary.

I have a feeling that a big favourite of mine - the 458 Italia - is going to have its D&G under-rods handed to it by this new Macca. So, whilst the MP4-12C wont be the best looking car in its class it's more than likely going to be the best.

 

[DeDe]

6,1 seconds 0-100mph - that means 0-160 km/h in 6 seconds flat. Holy...

The best I've seen for the 458 Italia is 6,4 s (by italian Auto), AMS and AutoBild measured 6,9 s...

 

[footie]

The reign of the Veyron as the fastest accelerating production car is steadily being chipped away by cars costing less than a fifth of it's price. Now that is incredible and I doubted that we would have seen anyone get close to it for many a year. It's great to see McLaren back to it's fighting best without the constraints of Mercedes blunting their competitive juices to build the best performance car.

God I wished I was a motoring journalist at the moment.

 

[Levi68]

I would like to know:
-if the MP4-12C Spider will have the doors open normally or as in the MP4-12C Coupé?
-if there will be a hardcore version of the MP4-12C, like the Superleggera, Scuderia and such?

Awsome car.

 

[Sunny]

6.1 secs is not far from 5.5 secs Autocar got for Veyron in the 0-100-0 test and all this with almost half the power and no AWD launch. Wonder where the new million dollar Pagani slots in?

 

[Cashmere]

yikes thats a crazy time. Cant wait for the comparisons.

 

[Centurion]

I had a positive sensation that Mclaren would deliver but damn that time is spanking. According to my Chinese calender 2011 is the year of the sports car: F10 M5, Ferrari FF, Porsche 991, Pagani C9, Lamborghini Jota and the MP4-12C - Evo Magazine will have an epic task choosing the performance car of the year.

 

[Levi68]

For me car of the sports car of the year will be McLaren. I have no doubt it will be the best car. And I like its design, nothing new but not dated. McLaren's are timeless. Even the old F1 doesn't look that old near a Veyron or Murcielago.


Wow, I am in love with McLaren!

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

there ought to be an emoticon with a head exploding because if the 0 to "ahem"mph is anything to go by, that just blew my mind. Insane.

Regarding the whole ramp-up from official word of the car to the actual release of the car, I think it's going about at the right pace. Keep in mind that while McLaren has been around awhile, however it's the first car to be released by the production automotive arm of McLaren. If it needs time to reach full potential, so be it. But I do understand the frustration.

 

[martinbo]

^ I don't quite follow, H_F, surely the F1 is McLaren Automotive's first car?

 

[Soup]

6,1 seconds 0-100mph - that means 0-160 km/h in 6 seconds flat. Holy...

The best I've seen for the 458 Italia is 6,4 s (by italian Auto), AMS and AutoBild measured 6,9 s...

Do you have any figures for the GT2 RS 0 - 160km/h from German mags ?

- Mclaren F1 6.3s (with Cat delete)
- 911 Turbo S 6.6s
- 911 GT2 RS 6.8s (according to the brochure)

 

[DeDe]

Do you have any figures for the GT2 RS 0 - 160km/h from German mags ?

- Mclaren F1 6.3s (with Cat delete)
- 911 Turbo S 6.6s
- 911 GT2 RS 6.8s (according to the brochure)

Sport Auto measured 6,7 seconds (and 9,8 s 0-200 km/h).
However, AutoBild Sportscars clocked an even better 0-200 km/h time (9,4 s), but they didn't published their 0-160 km/h figure. I think it was around 6,5 s.

Btw. AutoBild Sportscars did 6,5 sec with the Turbo S

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

^ I don't quite follow, H_F, surely the F1 is McLaren Automotive's first car?

Sorry, maybe I wan't very clear....

From my understanding, the F1 was the first production car, followed by by the SLR. But those two cars were not made in the same company structure. They were made when both McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive (I think that's what it is called, I may have to look it up) were the same one company. The F1 was more a very limited production project that had some assistance from BMW, not like the MP4-12C which is more of a production-line car. THe SLR was also limited production with quite alot of assistance from M-B. The MP4-12C is McLaren Automotive's first go-it-alone into production cars. I imagine, even though they have learned a lot from M-B and BMW, that there are still other elements where getting A) a company off the ground (the recently split production arm) and B) its first product (MP4-12C) into the market will take more time versus more established marques. Marques like Ferrari and Lamborghini, who currently have the backing of a larger company. Heck, as we speak (or in our case, as we type) McLaren are building their first dedicated factory besides their trademark R&D builiding in Woking.

Again I'm not saying McLaren doesn't have experience, but compared to its marketplace rivals, they do have less. I'm sure McLaren's management would rather spend the right amount of time so they have their ducks in order. I am anxious to see this epic car but I'll be even happier if its done right.

Disclaimer: I may be off with some of the details on how McLaren split, so don't hold it against me too much!

 

[emve]

Reviews are coming soon. Full test will be in the next EVO. Top Gear is also going to test it soon.

0-200km/h is in 8,9s.