Foremost Look: 2011 McLaren MP4-12C
McLaren has revealed the production version of the supercar known internally as .11. We've shown you spy shots of . prototype testing on the Nurburgring, and now our contributing editor, Alistair Weaver, has gotten . close-up look at the 2011 McLaren MP4-12..
It'. no secret that the MP4-12. is the car McLaren always wanted to build before it got sucked into developing the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Like the McLaren .1, the MP4-12. is . mid-engine, rear-drive sportscar — just . lot more accessible..
The bodywork is pretty unassuming for . car that will compete against the Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini Gallardo, but everything underneath that will surely impress… unique one-piece chassis structure made of carbon fiber forms the entire passenger compartment, and McLaren says it'. twice as stiff as . comparable aluminum structure. Slither inside the coupe via the scissor doors, and you'll feel right at home, says Alistair, as visibility is surprisingly good for . supercar.
Don'. look for . clutch pedal, though, as . dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox is standard in the McLaren MP4-12.. Shift paddles are arranged the way Lewis Hamilton likes them. The engine is . twin-turbocharged,.3.8-liter .8 developed entirely in-house. It revs to 8,500 rpm, and McLaren claims about 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.
It's always treacherous when a race car builder tries to get into the road car business, but if the MP4-12C drives like we hope it will, McLaren just may the exception. Expect the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C to carry a $250,000 price tag when deliveries begin in early 2011.
First Look: 2011 McLaren MP4-12C
