McLaren gunning for Ferrari 458 Speciale with hardcore 12C

Since the launch of the MP4-12C back in 2011, McLaren has rolled out endless variations on the theme. The original coupe was followed by the 12C Spider, the GT3 racing version, the Can-Am hardcore track toy (pictured above), the GT Sprint mild track version and more special editions than we could count. But Woking isn't done yet. Not by a long shot.

The latest word coming in from the UK has it that McLaren is preparing an even more focused version of the 12C to take on the Ferrari 458 Speciale. That should mean some trimming of the fat and upgrading of equipment to raise that all-important power-to-weight ratio. According to Autocar, the House that Bruce Built plans to boost the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 from its current 616 horsepower to around 650 – which shouldn't be too difficult since the same engine has already been optimized to produce 727 hp in the McLaren P1, even before the hybrid boost is taken into account.

Standard carbon-ceramic brakes are expected to help keep the extra power in check, while some aerodynamic enhancements are said to be in the mix as well. The hardcore 12C is also tipped to get a new front-end treatment reminiscent of the P1 that's then slated to make the transition to other versions of the 12C to give the derivatively-styled supercar more personality and family resemblance.