McLaren breaks new ground with MP4-12C

Fabulous in the flesh… and under the skin, thanks to McLaren’s engineering expertise.

THE McLaren MP4-12C, the first in a range of high-performance sports cars from McLaren Automotive, goes on sale in the UK and Europe in spring 2011 at a groundbreaking price for a carbon chassis-based car. At £168,500* in the UK, and from €200,000 in the EU, it will be the only car in its competitor set to:
offer a carbon chassis (the MonoCell)
be conceived, designed and developed within a Formula 1 factory
offer the heady combination of 600PS, from a 3.8-litre engine producing less than 300g/km CO2 in a car with a dry weight of around 1300kgs
Antony Sheriff, Managing Director of McLaren Automotive said: “When we embarked on this challenge to design, develop, build, sell, and service the world’s most exciting and high-quality high-performance sports cars – from a brand new factory at our Formula One headquarters — we knew expectations would be high. To deliver a true McLaren sports car, and, frankly, a reason to exist amongst great competition, it was clear we needed a unique concept that offered tangible advantages.  With a unique carbon chassis as the foundation, and a powerful, but highly efficient McLaren engine at its heart, the 12C offers staggering value: no other carbon-based car can compete at this price-point, or with the 12C’s technology and performance.

The most likely view you will get of the 12C…

“Add to that a focus on ensuring that our customers will be offered spectacular care by a focused, financially strong global dealer network, and I believe we have launched a new type of car company, not just a new car. Announcing such competitive prices is a major step for us and another milestone achieved,” Sheriff concluded.
The 12C’s MonoCell introduces genuine innovation to the automotive industry and new performance standards below £200,000. It is ‘pure’ McLaren, with all parts, from engine to switchgear, designed by McLaren.
The 12C can be specified with a wide range of personalisation options, pricing for which will be confirmed at launch. There are 17 high-grade exterior paint finishes, including ‘McLaren Orange’ — a solid hue that was made famous by the McLaren racing cars of the 1960s and ʼ70s.
A choice of 14 interior trims can be specified inside the cabin. Performance upgrades include a sports exhaust system, carbon ceramic brake discs, polished-finish callipers and two lightweight forged wheel options. The ‘standard’ 12C features just one piece of carbon — the MonoCell — but carbon fibre options will include mirror casings, engine bay panels and engine cover.