Autoblog

McLaren 12C Spider worked over by Gemballa

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Luxury, McLaren

A host of carbon fiber parts designed and made in Germany are what turn the McLaren MP4-12C Spider into the Gemballa GT Spider. The 625-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 is untouched, almost everything else is heavily touched. There's the body kit that includes new front and rear bumpers, side skirts, new tailpipes and logos. Swing up the doors and you'll find a reskinned interior in leather and Alcantara in your choice of color, plus color-matched gauges. That will run you 19,980 euro ($25,647 US) including paint and installation, but it can alternatively be shipped internationally if you'd like to have your own people install it.

The GForged-one wheels are an inch larger than the standard units, at 20 inches up front and 21 inches in back, but don't change the weight of the car. There are two styles and two finishes available, and shod in Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber they'll require 7,980 euro ($10,243) of your hard earned. Throw down a little more and you can have the brake calipers painted, too.

If this number whispers seductive German nothings in your ear, check out the press release below and the high-res gallery above.

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McLaren 12C Spider worked over by Gemballa originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Rhys Millen hit slopes with X-Games snowboarder Chanelle Sladics

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Luxury, McLaren

What if you could use the McLaren MP4-12C Spider as a lift chair to the top of Loveland Pass in Colorado, 11,900 feet above salty sea level? And what if you had Rhys Millen to drive that lift chair and your job was to race him back down? Complaints? Anyone? Bueller?

That was the setup for snowboarder Chanelle Sladics when McLaren wanted to hit a high note while showcasing the 12C Spider before it's North American sales debut and its Winter driving mode to help drivers drift - or perhaps just drive - in sketchy conditions.

You can watch how both make it downhill in the video below.

Continue reading McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Rhys Millen hit slopes with X-Games snowboarder Chanelle Sladics

McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Rhys Millen hit slopes with X-Games snowboarder Chanelle Sladics originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren MP4-12C Spider touches down in North America

Zach Bowman — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance

The McLaren MP4-12C Spider has officially landed in North America. On display in Monterey, the convertible version of the British supercar boasts a retractable hardtop that can slip from fully up to completely stowed in around 17 seconds. Even with its roof structure stowed, the MP4-12C Spider remains a formidable performance car. The sprint to 60 mph takes just 3.1 seconds, and it tops out at 207 mph. Like its fixed-roof twin, the Spider makes 616 horsepower from a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

As one Autoblog staffer commented, the car looks good enough to lick. Twice. Delicious? Yes. Cheap? Most certainly not. The McLaren MP4-12C Spider commands a price tag of $265,750, well north of the $241,800 the company asks for the coupe. You can get a closer look at the drophead McLaren by picking through the gallery above.

McLaren MP4-12C Spider touches down in North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren opens up a bit about new MP4-12C Spider

Zach Bowman — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, UK, Luxury, MISC

McLaren has given the world a better look at its MP4-12C Spider with a new video and a brace of photographs. The clip shows off some of the convertible's innards before dropping the retractable hardtop in real time. It takes just 17 seconds for the two-piece top to stow itself behind the seats with the car rolling contentedly down the track. As you might expect, it doesn't take long for the test driver to lay into the 616-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine, frolicking sideways and lighting the rear tires on fire.

While we could do without the overly dramatic background music, we'll certainly never turn down an excuse to watch the Formula One-inspired supercar prance around in its native habitat. There's certainly plenty to love about the MP4-12C Spyder, but if you like it enough to make it yours, you'll need to scratch together $265,750 in a hurry. Check out the full video for yourself below as well as a brief press release.

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McLaren opens up a bit about new MP4-12C Spider originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren debuts topless MP4-12C Spider

Zach Bowman — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:13:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Etc., UK, Luxury, MISC

There are certain elements the world can always use more of. Chief among those is, of course, beer, although convertible supercars capable of cresting 200 mph certainly make our list as well. Fortunately, McLaren has scratched that itch with its brand-new MP4-12C Spider. Like its hardtop cousin, the machine can climb to 62 mph from a stand still in just 3.1 seconds, though the drophead boasts a slightly lower top end of 204 mph compared to the 207 mph of the coupe. Power still comes from a 616-horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine.

McLaren has opted for a retractable hard top, which the company says takes around 17 seconds to put up or down. The MP4-12C Spider also treats occupants to a power wind deflector that can be raised or lowered behind the seats. If you like what you see, get ready to pony up $265,750 for the pleasure of ownership. Check out the press release below for more information or head over to the McLaren site to configure your own.

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McLaren debuts topless MP4-12C Spider originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren previews new MP4-12C Spider [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, MISC

July 3 is going to be a bad day to be a Ferrari 458 Spider or a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. That's because on that day one week from now, McLaren will be releasing a Spider of its own.

Seeing as how McLaren Automotive currently only makes on model, you have doubtlessly surmised by now that we're speaking of a MP4-12C convertible. The long-anticipated Spider version is coming fast around the bend - but it's a good thing the Woking-based racing-team-turned-exotic-automaker didn't opt to release it at Goodwood, seeing as how the entire country is flush with rain at the moment.

McLaren isn't saying much about its new roadster, only that it's essentially the same as the coupe, albeit with an open roof. We're expecting a rather innovative take on the folding hard-top when the 12C Spider takes its first bow on the third, but in the meantime, you can check out the high-resolution image above and the video with Formula One ace Jenson Button and the press release below.

Continue reading McLaren previews new MP4-12C Spider [w/video]

McLaren previews new MP4-12C Spider [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Along Came a Spyder: McLaren MP4-12C production plans include retractable hardtop?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, UK, Rumormill

McLaren MP4-12C - Click above for high-res image gallery

Reports emerging from the UK are giving us a hint at what to expect in the near future from McLaren Automotive in its bid to make an assault on the exotic supercar market. The reports stem from plans filed by the F1 team's nascent road car division and its new manufacturing facility next to the current McLaren Technology Center in Woking, England.

According to Autocar, part of the layout for the new facility has been dedicated to "RHT Sub Assembly", indicating that McLaren could be preparing to produce a retractable hardtop version of the new MP4-12C. While the notion of fitting a lightweight supercar with a heavy folding roof mechanism may seem antithetical to its ethos, Ferrari made huge advances with the roof on the California, and McLaren will be looking to show up its chief rival. Insiders suggest the McLaren's folding roof could be made of either aluminum alloy or possibly carbon fiber.

The overall timeline for production, however, suggests that McLaren may have to begin producing the MP4 where the outgoing SLR has been assembled in its current facility. McLaren has ambitious plans for a new factory adjacent to its existing headquarters, but with delivery of the first new supercars scheduled for November, the new underground facility isn't likely to be ready in time.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C

[Source: Autocar]

Along Came a Spyder: McLaren MP4-12C production plans include retractable hardtop? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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