McLaren supercar aims at Ferrari

While McLaren are best known for their involvement in formula one racing, they are going global with this exclusive road car.

McLaren have invested heavily in the UK in new production facilities and aim to produce 4000 cars annually. Their intention is to become an exclusive supercar manufacturer and already they have two further models in the pipeline. The 12C was benchmarked against the incredible Ferrari 458 Italia, which they say they have eclipsed in performance and design. The 12C is powered by a new M838T 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine, designed by McLaren Automotive. It produces 441kW of power and 600Nm of torque. This is 16kW more than the Ferrari 458, and it is also 51kg lighter. It has a claimed 0-100km/h of 3.1 seconds on to a top of 330km/h.

Mated to the M838T is a dual clutch, seven-speed 'SSG' transmission. The 12C is equipped with a host of electronic aids, with the transmission able to be switched through 3 settings: normal, sport and track modes. Each provides a progressive immediacy of gearshift, operated through steering wheel controls.

The SSG transmission include a pre-cog feature, which allows the driver to pre-load the clutch by applying moderate pressure to the shift control, thereby decreasing latency to practically zero for virtual instantaneous gear shifts. The SSG system has another trick in its box. If the driver enters a sharp corner too quickly, requiring a strong braking action, there is every chance he will not be in the ideal gear for smooth acceleration out of the corner. If the left-shift control is depressed and held, instead of 'clicked', while under braking, the transmission matches engine speed to the correct lowest gear.

Automatic mode, launch control and winter modes can also be selected on the active dynamics panel, which changes all electronic functions to suit the conditions.

Much of the monocoque body is carbon fibre, with McLaren drawing on extensive technology developed for F1 race cars, and uses a proactive chassis control featuring adaptive damping for more responsive and comfortable handling and ride than conventional suspension systems allow.

The MP4-12C will have a price tag in excess of $500,000 and will be available in Australia through Trivett Prestige Automotive Group in Sydney.