McLaren Automotive – the new independent car division based at the McLaren Technology – have unveiled a modern successor to the McLaren F1 of the ‘90s. It’s called the McLaren MP4-12C and, drawing from the company’s rich Formula One racing heritage, is set to challenge the might of Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. The Wheel Deal gives you an exclusive lowdown on the tech that makes this ride truly unique.

Tubs apart:

Unlike any of its rivals, the MP4-12C is built upon a special carbon fiber MonoCell. Constructed from a single piece of carbon fiber – just like in a Formula One car – this gives the McLaren a high-strength base that’s both lightweight and extremely rigid. Said to deliver responsive handling and a surprisingly comfortable ride for everyday driving, this MonoCell also gives the MP4-12C one of the best power-to-weight ratios in its class. Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director, explains, “With the 12C we are redefining the relationship between performance and practicality, as well as performance and efficiency, achieving leading positions in both. We have designed this car from the inside out. We have a saying in McLaren – ‘everything for a reason’ and the 12C will surprise people in many ways.”

Purity of performance:

In keeping with McLaren’s love of engineering, every single component of the new MP4-12C is bespoke. From the engine and drivetrain right down to the switchgear in the cockpit, absolutely nothing in this supercar has been sourced from another manufacturer’s parts bin. Made completely in-house, the 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo gives the McLaren true tar-shredding performance; its 447 kilowatts capable of rocketing it to 100km/h in just over three seconds and on to a maximum speed in excess of 320km/h. To enhance drivability, 80% of this lump’s torque is available below 2000rpm, which means you don’t have to floor the throttle to make rapid progress. Responsible for transferring this grunt down to terra firma is the responsive new Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG). Offering a variety of shift programmes ranging from ‘normal’ for road use right up to a lightning quick high performance mode for track days, this unit is controlled by paddle-shifters located on either side of the steering wheel. Also endowed with a special launch control mode, it adds to the MP4-12C’s racecar kudos.

Controlled precision:

Kitted out with McLaren’s innovative Proactive Chassis Control System the trick suspension on the MP4-12C is astoundingly adaptive because, depending on your mood or specific driving requirements at any given time, it can be tuned to deliver either driver comfort or dynamic performance. The suspension is based on double wishbones with coil springs and dampers that are interconnected hydraulically to provide adaptive responses depending on both road conditions and driver preference. There are three unique suspension modes to choose from – normal, sport and high performance – and all are selected on the Active Dynamics Panel.

A driver-focused interior:

The interior of the new MP4-12C is extremely space efficient and has been designed to accommodate 98th percentile adults in comfort. This has been partly achieved by the 7-inch touch screen telemetry system oriented in “portrait” mode. This is a first for the automotive industry and is apparently more intuitive than the common “landscape” orientation – we read down a page and our mobile telephones and other personal information devices are configured this way. This is one of the many reasons the 12C design is able to buck the trend towards ever wider sporting cars. The innovative information centre provides all normal telemetry functions such as audio, navigation and telephony, while providing some new features never before seen in a car. Meridian, the renowned producer of state-of-the-art sound systems, is developing its first ever in-car system for the 12C – expect a truly awesome audio performance. McLaren designers paid also paid great attention to all-round visibility for both safety and driving precision. The low cowl gives a full six degrees downward vision from eye height and, importantly, allows the driver a clear view of the front of the car. The view of the top of the front wings, with the highest point positioned directly above the centre of the wheel, also facilitates perfect placement of the 12C in a corner. The driver and passenger also sit closer together, giving the driver a better feeling of control for placing the car on the road accurately as well as leaving more room between the driver and the door panel. This allows not only more space for arm movements during hard driving, but also provides space for an additional door console.

Flawless production:

The production process for the McLaren MP4-12C will enable McLaren to build on its recent success of record production volumes and quality for a luxury supercar with the SLR. The McLaren Production System brings a large-scale lean production mentality into a small-scale, flexible operation. “Quality is the most important thing to customers,” said Production Director, Alan Foster, “and quality management is a fundamental part of building a McLaren. For my team it is an absolute passion. It doesn’t matter whether a customer is spending ten thousand pounds or a million, it is their money and they rightly expect to have pride in their purchase and be satisfied with it. Our goal is to ensure that we exceed customers’ expectations,” he concluded. Optimistic that the current economy will bounce back soon, McLaren is hoping to build and sell 1000 of their new supercars in 2011. And while the official retail price of the MP4-12C has not yet been confirmed, those in the know reckon it should weigh in somewhere around the R2-million mark.

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