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1,000 miles in the McLaren MP4-12C: Day One

Matt Davis — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Luxury, MISC

DAY ONE - UNDER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL INTO FRANCE

Since the very first viewings and tech workshops in early 2010 of the McLaren MP4-12C, I've been working my contacts in Woking, England for a cross-country drive in the innovative supercar. We're still talking about a possible New York to Los Angeles run, but while waiting on that, I was recently offered a 1,000-mile-plus dash from McLaren headquarters outside of London south to Monaco, traversing all of France to experience all types of pavement - and all types of weather, as it turned out - over three days. This would be the first official long distance drive organized by McLaren for the car. Not surprisingly, I accepted.

When first talked about in concrete terms to the outside world in 2009, the McLaren MP4-12C was billed not just as a lightweight, 592-horsepower holy terror performance car, but as a comfortable premium motoring experience more than capable of a London-to-Monaco run. I doubted this right from the start, but then my initial prototype drives got me thinking that maybe the claim was genuine. The macho 12C tears it up at the track as well as any exotic, but perhaps it can be used as a pleasant cross-country cruiser, too.

Continue reading 1,000 miles in the McLaren MP4-12C: Day One

1,000 miles in the McLaren MP4-12C: Day One originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:57:00 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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McLaren makes MP4-12C improvements official, current owners offered free upgrade

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Technology

McLaren has confirmed the rumored improvements to its 2013 MP4-12C, which we can now refer to as the "616-horsepower British exotic." The revised model carries a $239,400 base price in the U.S., which does not include $2,400 in destination charges.

The 25-horsepower bump to the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 is the biggest of the upgrades, but the MP4-12C also gets some transmission tweaks that result in "crisper throttle response and improved clutch control for gear changes that are both faster and smoother." McLaren says it has also changed the Intake Sound Generator so that the driver can choose how much engine noise they'd like pumped into the cabin.

Apparently customers were not entirely fond of the MP4-12C's touch-sensor system on the doors, so they will not have small buttons instead. Automatic headlights will now switch on along with the automatic wipers, and the automatic climate control will gain a new low setting. Other enhancements for 2013 include a new Volcano Yellow paint color, a new interior trim package and a new wheel design.

Additional new options include an optional Vehicle Lift mode that raises the front end 40 mm and the rear 25 mm to make the car easier to drive over speed bumps and up driveways and an upgraded audio equalizer.

McLaren will offer existing MP4-12C owners many of the upgrades later this year, gratis. All 2012 MP4-12C's are eligible to get the improved engine mapping that tweaks the horsepower upwards, as well as the revised transmission programming. The configurable Intake Sound Generator, programmed headlights and upgraded audio are also being applied to 2012 models, along with an enhancement to cars fitted with the optional power seat.

Scroll down to read the full press release.

Continue reading McLaren makes MP4-12C improvements official, current owners offered free upgrade

McLaren makes MP4-12C improvements official, current owners offered free upgrade originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren MP4-12C Spyder coming this year

Zach Bowman — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, UK, MISC

Our friends at Car and Driver recently spent some time poking and prodding around McLaren headquarters in Woking, England, and they have confirmed plans for a convertible MP4-12C. This isn't exactly earth-shattering news, having been rumored since 2009 and even spotted earlier this year, but it does suggest the program is on track for a public reveal this year. The MP4-12C Spyder is expected to be mechanically identical to its hard top cousin, which means buyers can look forward to finding twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 with 593 horsepower kicked out through the rear wheels.

The report says McLaren designed that engine along with its partner, Ricardo, to serve as the beating heart behind more than just one model. In addition to the lidless MP4-12C, McLaren is hard at work on a true successor to the F1. That machine will feature more conventional side-by-side seating and a dual-clutch gearbox bolted to a higher-output version of the same 3.8-liter engine. McLaren also has its heart set on creating a full product line. What does that mean, exactly? Car and Driver says we can forget purist-affronting models like an SUV or a sedan, but the odds are fairly high that the stable will swell beyond the three models mentioned here. Color us excited.

McLaren MP4-12C Spyder coming this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting wet with the McLaren MP4-12C at The Stig's stomping grounds [w/video]

Matt Davis — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, UK

We can officially consider this drive of the McLaren MP4-12C our second go at it. In brief, Mother Nature conspired with UK tradition and made our second crack at this British super coupe pretty much a total wash. It didn't matter how many times the McLaren folks reminded us just how "perfect" and "dry" the previous two days had been; we were swimming and freezing, but the proceedings forced us to switch quickly from crybaby into lemonade-from-lemons mode.

One big attraction was conducting our drive on a circuit laid out on the World War II-era Canadian Air Force field at Dunsfold Park, better known as the Top Gear test track - The Stig's stomping grounds.

Given all of our potential excitement threatening to poop out on us, we cajoled McLaren's crew into handing over every bit of photo and video from the day in order to mash together something for your viewing enjoyment, and we insisted on the eminently photogenic McLaren Orange car (known in Bruce's day as Papaya Orange) with the lightweight package.

Still, it was McLaren's 592-horsepower Great Orange Hope, it was the 1.75-mile Dunsfold Park figure-eight circuit, and we managed to get everything as loosey-goosey as was safely possible in the standing water.

Continue reading Getting wet with the McLaren MP4-12C at The Stig's stomping grounds [w/video]

Getting wet with the McLaren MP4-12C at The Stig's stomping grounds [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren Exclusive to offer customization for MP4-12C

Noah Joseph — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, UK, Design/Style, MISC

McLaren has a lot of territory to cover if it's going to catch up with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. After all, a lot has changed since they stopped selling the their seminal F1 supercar - the business is different and so is the company. Fortunately, if anyone's up to the task, it's the boys from Woking.

Not only does the new MP4-12C have to stack up against the competition in terms of performance, but McLaren Automotive has to provide a complete buyer experience to match. That means a whole new dealer network, a service framework and parts distribution channels. It also means catering to the needs of its wealthy clientele, the kind prepared to drop over a quarter-million on a new ride, and who are used to getting things just the way they want. And that means an in-house customization department.

That's just what the company has reportedly put together with McLaren Exclusive. The custom-orders department will offer discerning clients all kinds of extras to set their new wheels apart from the others, like aero bits taken from its GT3 racer, custom paint jobs (like the Satin Orange pictured above with contrasting black roof), carbon fiber bits and painted brake calipers.

You can bet the interior will also be offered with all manner of modifications, but don't expect any of it to come cheap: the show car pictured above, courtesy of TeamSpeed, would reportedly cost an extra $50k over list.

McLaren Exclusive to offer customization for MP4-12C originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mac is Back: Getting intimate with the McLaren MP4-12C

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance

An interview and walkaround with McLaren's Antony Sheriff

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

It takes a lot to stand out during Monterey Car Week, yet one vehicle that came up in nearly every conversation was the McLaren MP4-12C. Making its first appearance since debuting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, the MP4-12C was trotted out for prospective buyers and champagne-slurping journalists adjacent to Pebble Beach's photogenic 18th hole so those of us in the States could finally see what the fuss is about.

If you're not already up on the stats, here's the pertinent information: The MP4-12C packs a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 mounted amidships, with 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. And this isn't an off-the-shelf drivetrain from another automaker - the entire car, from the engine to the window controls has been developed in-house. The result is a 2,800-pound exotic that - on paper - has the potential to rule the segment.

We spent nearly two hours poking and prodding the 12C, all while interviewing McLaren's Managing Director, Antony Sheriff. He answered our questions, laughed at our stupid jokes and came equipped with an encyclopedic knowledge of nearly every facet of McLaren's new baby.

But more than the power and the looks, it's the 12C's overall concept and execution that stuck with us. Rather than go with an aluminum spaceframe, McLaren opted for a carbon fiber monocoque weighing a mere 176 pounds. An aluminum structure is mounted fore and aft, and the body work is simply draped over the structure to aid aerodynamics. Nobody does this. (And we now want a bare chassis to mount on our wall).

Get inside and it's obvious that the act of driving is the sole focus. The seats are molded to the individual buyer's body, the steering wheel is infinitely adjustable, the tachometer sits front and center with two configurable displays flanking it. The paddle shifters work like a camera shutter switch: hold the downshift paddle halfway, the gearbox recognizes you're about to select the next gear, dials it up and as soon as you pull back past the detent, it engages. And the headroom. We wouldn't be surprised if the McLaren had more of the stuff than a Rolls-Royce Ghost.

Other interesting tidbits: You can option the 12C with a three-camera video recording system to document your on-track antics. Carbon composite brakes are optional, but unless you're heading to the track every weekend, the steel units are said to stop the 12C in the same distance (and don't squeal). Three wheel options are available - forged, lightweight forged or ultra-lightweight - the latter of which came into being after McLaren execs told the engineering team to just design the lightest wheel possible - they didn't care what it looked like. We saw them on the concept car lawn at Pebble and the ten-spoke design looks fantastic.

There's much more, but we'll let our interview with Sheriff take it from here. And if you're interested, McLaren plans to make a total of 1,000 MP4-12Cs next year, with sales in the U.S. beginning in August. McLaren hasn't announced pricing, but we expect something in the $250,000 range. Hit the jump for the interview and check out our two high-res galleries below.

Gallery: Getting Intimate with the McLaren MP4-12C

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C Bare Chassis

Continue reading The Mac is Back: Getting intimate with the McLaren MP4-12C

The Mac is Back: Getting intimate with the McLaren MP4-12C originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: McLaren to launch 2+2 version of MP4-12C supercar?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance

McLaren MP4-12C (above) and McLaren F1 (top) - Click above for high-res image gallery

The McLaren MP4-12C has barely hit the market yet, and already reports are surfacing of new variants. Last year we were already seeing reports of a convertible version in the works. Then reports of a potential privateer racing model trickled out a few months later. Now, word from across the pond is that McLaren Automotive is planning on squeezing an extra couple of seats into the MP4-12C to make it a proper 2+2.

With an enlarged cabin, the 2+2 would be the first four-seater to roll out of Woking - most of their chassis, after all, are single-seaters - but it wouldn't be the first McLaren with more than two seats: The famous McLaren F1 supercar featured a unique 1+2 configuration with a central driving position, a setup McLaren abandoned for the MP4. With the 2+2 version, it looks like at least one of your dates will have to sit in the back. Good luck smoothing that one over there, slick.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C

[Source: Auto Bild - translated]

Report: McLaren to launch 2+2 version of MP4-12C supercar? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: McLaren MP4-12C is ready for its close up

Noah Joseph — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, MISC

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

For those who've been anxiously awaiting the replacement of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, last night was a very big night indeed. Not only did the new Mercedes SLS AMG leak out, but McLaren itself released full details of its new MP4-12C. We ran the info as soon as we could gather it along with an initial batch of images, and now we're back with more for your viewing and desktop-plastering pleasure.

The design of McLaren's new supercar - its first independent road-car project since the legendary McLaren F1 - comes from the hand of one Frank Stephenson, the multi-national, American-educated designer responsible for the reborn Mini, BMW X5, Fiat 500 and countless Maseratis and Ferraris. His design of the MP4-12C is dominated by McLaren's tick logo, which figures large in the air vents all around the car as well as the LED lights. The shape is otherwise clean and streamlined, aided by the use of adaptive aerodynamics. The interior is accessed via signature McLaren forward-upward hinged doors, and though lamentably without the 1+2 configuration made famous by its precursor, envelops the driver and passenger in thin, molded bucket seats. The dashboard is dominated by a 7-inch multimedia display, and the Pre-Cog gear system is operated via paddles mounted on a rocker, allowing up and downshifts to be affected from either side, just like in McLaren's championship-winning grand prix cars. Check it all out in the high-resolution image gallery below, and stay tuned for video footage to follow shortly.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C

[Source: McLaren]

Pics Aplenty: McLaren MP4-12C is ready for its close up originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren MP4-12C: First batch of details and images surface

Noah Joseph — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:39:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, MISC

McLaren MP4-12C - Click above for an image gallery

Today's a big day for McLaren. After ambitiously launching its own separate automotive division to follow in the footsteps of arch-rival Ferrari, the British race engineering firm has finally released its long-anticipated new supercar. Called the MP4-12C, it's been developed entirely in-house, and features the latest advances in automotive technology derived from the Formula 1 circuit.

Ooh, where to start? The MP4-12C is built around an extremely light and rigid carbon fiber tub. But rather than the heavier multi-piece tubs used by its competitors and predecessors, the MP4's is made from a single piece, weighing a spritely 176 pounds). The body panels are all carbon fiber and composites, making the new McLaren more expensive to build than its competitors and resulting in an expected £160,000 ($265k) price tag - higher than either the new Ferrari 458 Italia or the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, but lighter in weight, too.

Behind the tub sits a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine producing around 600 horsepower and 433 lb-ft of torque, offering what McLaren claims is the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any internal combustion engine on the market - gasoline, diesel or even hybrid. Contrary to earlier speculation that suggested Mercedes could continue furnishing its erstwhile partner with at least the engine blocks while producing its own SLS supercar and furnishing Pagani as well, McLaren says the unit was developed entirely in house. The bespoke mill features a flat-plane crank, dry sump and can rev up to 8,500 rpm, though 80% of the torque is said to be available from as low as 2,000 rpm. That ought to be good for a 0-60 time in the low threes and a 200+ mph top end.

While you might have expected carbon ceramic brakes to keep all that power and speed in check, McLaren says its conventional discs actually weigh less. They're aided by a Brake Steer system that brakes the inside rear wheel to combat understeer. But the real trick system is in the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, where Pre-Cog lets the driver load up the next gear by half-squeezing the paddle and then engaging with gunshot speed.

With the new MP4-12C, McLaren's betting the economy will bounce back soon. It's planning on building 1000 units in 2011, a quarter of which will go each to the domestic UK market and over here to the United States. The C designation also suggests that they're planning a roadster version to join the coupe. But for now, we'll just enjoy this first batch of images in the gallery below and peruse the lengthy press release after the jump.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C first shots

[Source: McLaren via CAR Magazine]

Continue reading McLaren MP4-12C: First batch of details and images surface

McLaren MP4-12C: First batch of details and images surface originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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