- Gallery: The all new McLaren MP4-12C in pics
- Passion drives Dennis forward
- Market matters

When McLaren launches a new road car the world sits up and takes notice. Make no mistake, this is THE most important launch of 2009. Perhaps even the decade. And AOL Cars has the inside story.

Meet the McLaren MP4-12C

Gallery: Meet the McLaren MP4-12C

Meet the McLaren MP4-12C - the first model in a range of road cars from the manufacturer that plans to rewrite the supercar rulebook. With a host of clever new technology, taken straight from Lewis Hamilton's World Championship winning F1 racer, the breathtaking sportscar doesn’t just break the mould, it takes a sledge-hammer to the production line.

The MP4-12C is the first car from McLaren since the £634,500 F1 exited production in 1999. By the end of its run, McLaren had made 107 examples of that groundbreaking car and even now they sell for in excess of £2.5m – if you’re lucky enough to find someone who’ll sell you one. But now McLaren is writing a new chapter in its history with this incredible new machine. Designed from the ground-up with McLaren’s legendary attention to detail, the new supercar is packed with innovation.

Click on the headers to find out more in detail.

MP4-12C Performance | Formula 1 Technology

Everyday Supercar | Mighty Light

MP4-12C Interiors | What's in a name

Performance

Powering the mighty machine will be a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 unit – dubbed the M838T. It pumps out a mind-blowing 600bhp and 600Nm of torque, with performance figures likely to be as record-breaking as the original F1. There’s no official word just yet, but expect sub-four seconds for the dash to 60mph and a top speed in excess of 200mph.

The dry sump unit has dual variable valve timing and a flat plane crankshaft that allows the engine to be mounted very low in the chassis, keeping the centre of gravity low too, improving handling. Driving the rear wheels, the engine revs to an ear-piercing 8,500-rpm and McLaren has worked hard to get the soundtrack symphony right, using a special exhaust manifold and intake systems the engine will have a note that’ll set the hairs on the back of your neck on end.

Back to headers

McLaren’s philosophy from the outset was to build a supercar that wouldn’t just be an also-ran, but the best. And with Ron Dennis at the helm, it’s unlikely it will be released with performance that won’t just beat the competition, but trounce it. Although there’s currently no word on a price, the MP4-12C will be launched to compete in what McLaren believes to be the ‘core’ sportscar market – the £125,000 to £175,000 segment. This means key rivals will include the Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini LP560-4 - and that gives a good indication of the kind of performance the new car will produce.

Formula 1 Technology

The 3.8-litre V8 unit is mated to a seven-speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox – or SSG. It’s much like the DSG system on a VW Golf, but far more advanced. Again, taking technology honed on the manufacturer’s F1 cars, shifts are made by steering wheel-mounted ‘rocker’ levers. Like the F1 racers, shifts can be made by pulling or pushing on this rocker.

But where things really get clever is with ‘Pre Cog’ technology. This primes the gearbox for a change the second the driver applies pressure to the rocker, thus saving crucial time. The second bit of pressure actuates the shift, which takes just milliseconds to complete. Think of it as priming the shutter on a digital camera and you get the idea. It’s certainly clever stuff.

The SSG box also offers variable programmes for shifts, from normal for road use, through to quicker changes in sport, and lightening changes in high performance mode. There’s also an automatic setting, launch control and winter mode. The fact the car even has that last setting goes to show McLaren expects owners will actually use their cars, not preserve them just for sunny Sundays.

Back to headers

Everyday Supercar

Usability has obviously been high on the agenda, with McLaren saying ride quality will be on a par with executive saloon cars. But that’s not to say it won’t be sporty too. The maker says it will be breaking new ground with the levels of roll control and grip – but the combination of sporting credentials and occupant comfort will be unsurpassed. The technology behind this blend is quite complex. Suspension is based on double-wishbones with coil springs and hydraulic dampers that can be adjusted depending on road conditions and driver preference.

Continuing the F1-inspired technology is ‘Brake Steer’, an innovation that debuted on the 1997 McLaren MP4/12 Formula 1 car. It’s a system that helps reduce understeer by braking the inside rear wheel when the car enters a corner too quickly for the turn. Instead of the front washing away from the apex, Brake Steer will help bring the nose back in line the same way a limited slip differential would – but without any of the weight penalties that system would bring with it.

An air brake, as seen on the SLR, is also fitted to the MP4-12C while lightweight composite anchors, with electronic brake force distribution, ABS and traction control keep things under control.

Back to headers

Mighty Light

At the heart of the MP4-12C is a truly unique carbon MonoCell. Five years in the making, this forms the epicentre of the whole car, drastically cutting weight and boosting performance in the process. Building on the carbon composite technology McLaren took from the aerospace industry for the original F1, the new MonoCell weighs just 80kg and offers superb safety to its occupants.

One of the major advantages of using this material is the fact it doesn’t degrade over time, so where as metal structures can fatigue, the MonoCell will remain as rigid as the day it was built.

Looks wise, the new car has been designed so every part, every scoop and every slant has a purpose. McLaren are keen to stress the 12C is not a modern-day reproduction of the F1, but does build on its ‘functionally-driven engineering and design’. Put the cars side-by-side and you can certainly see that they’re siblings, but any similarities between the two cars are for a reason.

There's no doubt the 12C is a stunning machine. Bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, inspired by the McLaren logo, dominate the front end, the windscreen is deep and low for excellent driver visibility, and the twin rear exhausts are striking. But the real talking point is those doors – just like the F1 the 12C features dihedral doors, which open forwards and upwards on a single hinge. Not only do they look seriously smart, but they make getting in and out of the car in tight parking spots a whole lot easier.

Back to headers

Functional Interior

Inside, design has been dictated by function. There are no buttons or controls on the steering wheel for example, keeping it clutter-free. Even the design of the wheel has been the result of extensive research into former F1 drivers’ grips, helping mould the thickness and feel.

This ‘clean’ approach dominates the cabin. There’s no abundance of switches, buttons or knobs to confuse the driver. Most controls are contained within a seven-inch touch-screen telematics system that has been mounted ‘landscape’. McLaren realised that humans prefer to read down the page, so set the screen like a mobile phone’s, letting the driver read it easily. It also helps keep the overall width of the car down.

The driver and passenger sit closer together in a 12C than rival cars. This helps the driver place the car more accurately on the road, allows more space for arm movements during hard driving and also leaves room for a door console, where a number of controls have been placed.

All the parts for the 12C have been made bespoke for McLaren – there are no bits from the parts bin of another manufacturer here – even the stereo is being especially made by high-end audio experts Meridian.

So you see what we mean about breaking the mould? The MP4-12C is groundbreaking in every sense of the word, and is set to change the face of the supercar glitterati. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel…

Back to headers

Name Game

MP4-12C might not be the mouthful Lamborghini’s latest monikers are, but it’s still a bit of a tongue-twister. Thankfully, McLaren has already started referring to it as simply the 12C. A lot of this is to do with the fact the ‘MP4’ part has been designated to all chassis built by McLaren since 1981 when Ron Dennis’ Project 4 organisation merged with McLaren. The ‘12’ in the name is a bit more complicated. It refers to the maker’s internal ‘Vehicle Performance Index’ which rates performance criteria of competitors and its own cars to give an overall figure. Criteria includes power, weight, emissions, and aerodynamic efficiency. Yep, complicated… The ‘C’, however, is simpler, referring to carbon, and the extensive use of the material in the new car.

Back to headers

- Passion drives Dennis forward
- Market matters