Dawn of a New Day - the McLaren MP4-12C:
McLaren MP4-12C Pictures
The McLaren MP4-12C is the second supercar to be built by the British automaker McLaren. (You may have heard of its first car, the McLaren F1.) McLaren the company, of Woking, U.K., has been involved in Formula 1 racing for decades, and it's used what it's learned on the track in the F1 and in cars built with Mercedes-Benz, like the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, the last car of their partnership. Here's how the new name breaks down: MP4 is McLaren Project 4, the designation for all its F1 cars. The 12 refers to McLaren's internal Vehicle Performance Index, and the C is for carbon.
A Singular Engine:
Lots of small-batch exotic car companies source engines from larger companies. Spyker, for example, uses an Audi engine. Not so at McLaren, where they have built a 3.8-liter V8 twin-turbo engine, known as the "M838T." The goal with this engine was to produce massive horsepower -- 592 bhp, to be exact -- with lower carbon dioxide emissions than other exotic cars. The engine is mated to a 7-speed transmission, which of course uses F1-derived tech for better cornering and faster gear changes.
Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board:
"Weight is the enemy of performance," according to McLaren Automotive. To that end, its engineers have saved weight in every part of the car, starting with the carbon monocell chassis. It uses a composite material to save pounds -- both in weight and British money -- while retaining rigidity for performance driving. The car was designed to be narrow, which lightens the overall load, as do the aluminum brake hubs, redesigned exhaust pipes, and cooling radiators mounted as close to the engine as possible to save weight in tubing.
Interior Motives:
The cockpit of the 12C is all about the driver. The two seats are very close together, which saves space and weight, and creates a tighter center of gravity. A 7-inch screen displays telematics (a fancy way of saying radio and navigation info). The smallish steering wheel is button-free for focused driving, with climate controls in the doors and cruise control on the steering column. Production of the MP4-12C will be low, but so is the price, for a carbon-fiber car. The first 12C went into production on January 17, 2011, with a 35-dealer worldwide McLaren network in place to sell it.
McLaren MP4-12C Stats:
- Engine: 3.8-liter V8 twin turbo
- Horsepower: 592 bhp
- Torque: 493 lb-ft
- 0-62 mph: 3.3 seconds
- Top speed: 205 mph
- Price: $225,000
