McLaren has revealed the production version of the supercar known internally as P11. We've shown you spy shots of a prototype testing on the Nurburgring, and now our contributing editor, Alistair Weaver, has gotten a close-up look at the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C.
It's no secret that the MP4-12C is the car McLaren always wanted to build before it got sucked into developing the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Like the McLaren F1, the MP4-12C is a mid-engine, rear-drive sportscar -- just a lot more accessible.
The bodywork is pretty unassuming for a car that will compete against the Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini Gallardo, but everything underneath that will surely impress. A unique one-piece chassis structure made of carbon fiber forms the entire passenger compartment, and McLaren says it's twice as stiff as a comparable aluminum structure. Slither inside the coupe via the scissor doors, and you'll feel right at home, says Alistair, as visibility is surprisingly good for a supercar.
Don't look for a clutch pedal, though, as a dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox is standard in the McLaren MP4-12C. Shift paddles are arranged the way Lewis Hamilton likes them. The engine is a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V8 developed entirely in-house. It revs to 8,500 rpm, and McLaren claims about 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.
It's always treacherous when a race car builder tries to get into the road car business, but if the MP4-12C drives like we hope it will, McLaren just may the exception. Expect the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C to carry a $250,000 price tag when deliveries begin in early 2011.
slickersdrip says:
07:47 PM, 09/ 8/09
So 15 years later and the car I've always lusted after (the F1), which can still be compared to the Veyron (like on Top Gear) has evolved into nothing more than a 458 and Gallardo fighter?
And has a close to impossible to remember name?
And not even a manual transmission option?
Um... okay...
altimadude00 says:
07:57 PM, 09/ 8/09
I thought they were talking about a sub-machine gun.
Can I haz a realz name plz?
For instance... McClaren Streak. McLaren Horizon. McLaren Bolt. McLaren Mjolnir (look it up).
jeevsdew says:
08:15 PM, 09/ 8/09
It looks and sounds like it will be a good sports car, but not what most would expect of a true descendant of the F1. Its more of a generic exotic, if there is such thing.
dino6 says:
08:26 PM, 09/ 8/09
2011, just the right timing when the world gets out of recession. Believe me, McLaren will sell everything they make easily to China, India and Middle East (just as price of oil pops up once again), and part of the reason is Ferrari and Lambo just don't make enough cars for the new millionaires in those parts of the world.
mrbacon says:
09:31 PM, 09/ 8/09
Where's all the soul at?
rallyandbosox says:
09:34 PM, 09/ 8/09
The front fender reminds me of the front of the Hyundai Genesis coupe, where the air dam is.
ctpax says:
11:16 PM, 09/ 8/09
all you people here whining about this car not being a true successor to the F1: don't be silly. McLaren is working on a super super car, which will be of the similar flavor to the departed Porsche Carrera GT as well as a sub 100K light supercar. This is probably the golden middle of the other two.
hondapilot2004 says:
03:53 AM, 09/ 9/09
Wow... if this mother is the "golden middle" (and it has the exact same power as the Carrera GT)... i wonder what the top dog will be... this looks GREAT
zoomzoomn says:
04:56 AM, 09/ 9/09
Sweet, sweet, sweet ride! Love the exhaust outlets!!!
fuhteng says:
06:42 AM, 09/ 9/09
Yes, this is the middle-child of the company (supposedly), but still this is McLaren! How can they possibly make such a generic looking car? Look at Audi! The R8 is half the price and it is very distinctive. This is... not. I thought someone photoshopped a 430 and 360 together and gave it a pumpkin paint-job.
And yes, the name does make it sound like a machine gun. That is not a good thing.
hondapilot2004 says:
12:01 PM, 09/ 9/09
Come up on that backside and i would think it would be VERY distinctive... zoomzoomn i second you completely!
sabastian says:
04:01 PM, 09/ 9/09
Not feeling it. The side vents are too big, the rear is too busy, the grille is too...smiley, and the rest is kind of generic. Oh well.
estreka says:
05:47 PM, 09/ 9/09
MP4-12 reminds me of the Chrysler prototype, the ME4-12.
eric808 says:
07:55 PM, 09/ 9/09
Nice. The new MP4-12C looks similar to the F1.
prince34 says:
08:30 PM, 09/ 9/09
Sounds more like a submachine gun to be but..
I don't know, I like this styling. I like it better than the 458 or 430.
hondacura4 says:
03:46 PM, 09/10/09
I absolutely LOVE the no compromise approach to development and the small displacement, high revving turbocharged V8 are right up my alley.
What doesn't get me excited is the styling as it looks like the child of a Gallardo and a Telsa. It comes off too soft unlike the hardcore, high tech.... mechanical vibe I received from the original F1. Its certainly not an ugly car but a car of this caliber should possess styling that expresses the cars performance potential and personality.