Work is under way at McLaren on a new flagship model that is intended to eclipse every supercar to date, combining blistering performance with ultimate agility and everyday usability.
Known internally as the ‘Mega Mac’, the new car is scheduled for a 2014 launch. The production run will be limited to just 500 units. The price is expected to be between £350,000 and £400,000 in today’s money.
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he’s set to make his cinematic debut. The McLaren F1 driver has a cameo role in Disney Pixar’s animated sequel to its popular Cars film.
Following in the footsteps of Michael Schumacher, who appeared as a Ferrari F430 in 2006’s original Cars movie, Lewis Hamilton has revealed on his Twitter page this his character will be based on the new McLaren MP4-12C.
Hamilton posted “Hey guys, big news — I’m going to be in Disney Pixar’s Cars2! Take a look at my car… This is wicked;)”
Following last year’s teaser, McLaren has officially unveiled the new MP4-12C GT3.
Jointly developed with CRS Racing, the GT3 wears a composite body with a new front splitter, revised side skirts, and an aggressive rear diffuser. Elsewhere, there are wider front fenders, carbon fiber canards, and a fixed rear wing.
Power is provided by a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 which has been “tuned to race specification.” Details weren’t released, but the engine is connected to a new Ricardo paddle-shift transmission which promises near instantaneous gear changes.
With its latest supercar, McLaren has shifted its focus from outright power to more focused driving characteristics and an almost-fanatical approach to weight reduction. The new MP4-12C has a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 3,8-litre V8 that produces 441 kW and 600 N.m of torque. Watch it in action here and read a full driving impression in the March 2011 issue of CAR – on sale now.
What is it?
The new McLaren MP4-12C, rival to the Ferrari 458 Italia, offspring of Ron Dennis. It costs £168,500, so is cheaper than the Ferrari, too.
Technical highlights?
No roll bars, no LSD, hydraulically supported and connected suspension, adaptive dampers, a little under 600bhp, 1301kg dry, carbon tub, optional ceramic brakes, brake assist, twin turbochargers. More technology than we’ve ever seen in a sports car before.
Here’s an interesting drag race between the McLaren MP4-12C, Ferrari 458 Italia and Porsche 911 Turbo. Hardly a definitive result, however, interesting to watch nonetheless. Most likely shot during the recent MP4-12C media event in Portimao, Portugal.
Inch by glossy inch, the McLaren F1 emerges from the unassuming box trailer, its fanfare the slow, gritty whirr of the winch. Moments later it’s sitting there in all its understated glory, the greatest supercar the world had ever seen, the best car in the world, circa 1994.
The F1 moved the supercar game on so far that it was over a decade before any other road car got close to its performance, and even though its headline figures have now been bettered, some would argue that as a complete car the F1 is still without peer.
Can it be so, despite the relentless pace of automotive development, despite the advances in materials, tyres and brakes, engine and gearbox technology and electronic control systems? The F1 has aged well aesthetically, which is the reward for not being fashionably styled at the time, but there are clues that it is not a recent design. Notable is the lack of obvious aerodynamic kit, such as a low front splitter and rear diffuser, and the tyres are rather plump, especially at the rear, but even when the car was revealed in the early ’90s these aspects of the F1 pointed up Gordon Murray’s uniquely informed approach to re-setting the supercar benchmarks.
The McLaren M4-12c
1992 – A big year for many big corporates like Microsoft who release their update to Windows 3.0; Prince Charles and Princess Diana publicly announced their separation and the world received the fastest ever no expenses spared mad super car in the form of the McLaren F1.
Growing up, everything was about wheels, movement and power! Every TV game owned was a racing game, and the love for going as fast as possible was yet just another fun filled challenge amongst friends on skateboards and BMX’s. The untouchable McLaren F1 heightened all this. I remember when McLaren launched the F1 it was the talk amongst all my friends who shared the same passion, “The Formula 1 Road Car” we called it, and with no internet and online searching, the only way to view this master piece was in the latest Car Magazines and limited TV Coverage. An ultra exclusive and expensive supercar for only the purest of the pure wealthy driving enthusiasts.
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