Come Wednesday the 9th of September McLaren Automotive will unveil one of the most anticipated supercars of the year, if not this decade. Following months of many spy shots and some official details, the MP4-12C will be presented.
Previously known by its codename P11, the car will go on sale in 2011 and will be a spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 supercar going head-to-head with the Porsche 911 Turbo and Ferrari 458 Italia.
The MP4-12C will feature many technical innovations gleaned from the company’s racing division, but it is clearly aimed at being a 200mph-plus supercar for everyday use too: self-adjusting suspension varies the damper settings to ensure a soft ride for urban driving, then stiffens up to improve driving dynamics and handling as speeds increase. Power comes from a V8 engine, controlled via a seven-speed gearbox.
Power will be sourced from a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V8 petrol engine and accessed through a 7-speed gearbox which will reportedly pump out 600 to 700bhp. Although the MP4-12C is meant to be a supercar worthy of the tag, its makers are not skimping on its everyday usability. As such the 200mph-plus road runner will have goodies like wi-fi connection, an onboard computer and self-adjusting suspension. Apparently it also comes with vertically opening doors.
The MP4-12C will cost £150,000 and McLaren hopes to sell 1,000 in the first year. It will be followed by two more as yet unnamed sports cars bearing the McLaren badge by 2015. The first will be an entry-level model to rival the standard Porsche 911, which costs from £60,000; the second, a model to fill the gap left by the discontinued Carrera GT, which cost £330,000 in 2004.
Looking at the rendering posted above, a WCF source states it is very close to the real thing except the headlamps which are more boomerang shaped. Perhaps an early design draft.
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