McLaren could develop racing version of MP4-12C for privateers

Noah Joseph — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

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

When a world-championship racing team unveils a new supercar, some inevitable questions are bound to follow. In the case of the McLaren MP4-12C, people want to know if the company plans on racing it. Seems like logical enough a question, especially considering that McLaren's racing experience extends beyond Formula One, most notably the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans where a McLaren F1 GTR pipped the prototypes to claim overall victory.

According to McLaren chief Ron Dennis, the company is not planning their own racing campaign for the MP4. But having learned from the F1 project, which was never designed as a race car but was later adapted to the purpose following demand from racing teams, Dennis suggested that the company could offer and support competition spec versions of the car for privateer entries.

While it remains a question mark as to which series the car might be best suited, neither the FIA GT1 World Championship nor Le Mans (and its associated series around the world) would seem out of the realm of possibility. Maybe those renderings of long-tail MP4-12Cs weren't so far-fetched after all.

Gallery: Rendered: McLaren MP4-12C GTR

[Source: Autosport]

McLaren could develop racing version of MP4-12C for privateers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren MP4-12C GTR rendered again, this time in Longtail form

Drew Phillips — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance

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

Earlier this month we showed you the wishful renderings of a GTR variant of the McLaren MP4-12C. The car doesn't exist and no plans have been announced for a motorsports program, but just seeing the car in McLaren racing livery made us hope that the car does end up on the track. Now the same artist, Jon Sibal, has come up with some additional renderings of the car in longtail form.

For those of you not familiar with the term "longtail," it refers to the second-generation of McLaren F1 GTR race cars that competed in in the 1997 FIA GT championship. The extended bodywork at the front and rear was meant to improve aerodynamics and help the F1 compete with the likes of the Porsche GT1, Nissan R390 GT1 and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Like the F1 GTR, the MP4-12C Longtail isn't as pretty as its shorter brother, but it's impressive nonetheless. You can check them all out in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C GTR Longtail

[Source: JonSibal.com]

McLaren MP4-12C GTR rendered again, this time in Longtail form originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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