As promised, today, Mclaren’s new creation; the MP4-12C was unveiled. The new supercar is built around a carbon fiber chassis, called a Carbon Monocell. The MP4 in the car’s name actually stands for the chassis designation of all of Mclaren’s Formula 1 cars since 81′. The 4 in the name stands for Mclaren’s 4th project, the 12 for the Formula 1 company’s performance index and the C for Carbon.It may just be me but I think a slightly more catchy name could be in order.
Now to the numbers. The 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo officially produces about 600hp and 80% of the torque is waiting for you once it reads 2000rpm in the odometer. There hasn’t been any lap times as of yet but they say it can reach past 200mph. Sounds pretty damn good if they are actually serious. You’ll be shifting from gear to gear with a seven speed SSG gearbox. (Seamless shift dual clutch gearbox) One of the best features is the driver’s ability to prepare the next gear by half pressing the paddle to help slingshot the 12C into high speeds.
We should be expecting about 1000 unites to be made by the time we hit 2011. A nice chunk of that will be headed to the U.S.
The rest of my thoughts: I must admit now seeing the official MP4-12C I am quite impressed with it’s looks, but it is still missing something to me. In terms of performance, 200mph+ sounds fantastic to me not to mention the high horsepower, immediate torque delivery, and bulletproof gearbox. Only time will tell if this new exotic competitor will be a hit or bust but I will say this, they’ve got my attention.
As promised earlier, some official pictures!
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- Simple Yet Elegant
Jay Leno Shows us around Mclaren and takes a look at the 12C. Enjoy!
