Guest DisposableHeroes Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 McLaren takes aim at Ferrari and Lamborghini with 200mph British supercar dubbed 'an F1 car for the road' A gull-winged 200mph British supercar dubbed 'an F1 car for the road' is launched today by UK racing specialists McLaren. The £150,000 McLaren MP4-12C is Britain's answer to Italy's legendary Ferrari and is the long-held dream of McLaren and F1 team boss Ron Dennis to produce an 'affordable' supercar with the greenest credentials in its class. With dramatic aerodynamic styling designed to keep it on the ground at high speed, the new McLaren two-seater will accelerate from rest to 60mph in just 3.4 seconds. It is powered by a massive 3.8 litre V8 twin turbo engine which develops 600bhp - equivalent to about six Ford Fiestas. McLaren claims it is the world's most efficient internal combustion engine and the pinnacle of British hi-tech engineering. Stunning design: The McLaren MP4-12C is Britain's answer to Italy's seductive Ferrari I believe I can fly: The McLaren MP4-12C spreads its wings The new McLaren, which goes on sale in 2011, is being built at the company's hi-tech factory in Woking Surrey, where the workforce is expected to expand from 500 to around 800 as production gets underway. About 1,000 cars will be built in the first year. But the MP4 is just the first of a new range of sports cars that will see production increased to 4,000 a year within about three years. The new McLaren uses lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre to keep weight down and performance high. Average fuel consumption is expected to be around 22mpg but emissions of carbon dioxide - the so-called greenhouse gas blamed for global warming - will be below 300g/km. As you would expect from a company that has been at the pinnacle of Grand Prix racing, the new road car includes many hi-tech spin-offs from the world of F1. That includes seven speed F1-style paddle-shift with intuitive gears - dubbed 'pre-cog' for pre-cognition. The so-called 'seamless-shift gearbox' system pre-selects the gear before you shift to it. The aerodynamic styling and flat underside creates massive downforce to give great roadholding and prevent car from taking off like an aircraft. Lifting the gull-wing upwards and forwards is designed to help driver and passenger get in and out more easily Rear view: The new McLaren looks just as good from the back The driver and passenger are protected inside a strong but superlight carbon fibre mono-cell or 'tub' as used in F1 cars. The whole structure weighs just 81 kg - about the weight as an average man. Giant side air scoops are designed to cool engine and powerful brakes. The hi-tech fabric in the bucket seats 'breathes' to help driver and passenger stay comfortable. Buttons and dials are kept simple and to a minimum, and there is a seven inch dashboard touchscreen. For life out on the open road, the new car also has parking sensors, cruise control, and optional sat-nav. Lifting the gull-wing upwards and forwards is designed to help driver and passenger get in and out more easily - especially in tighter parking spots. A spokesman said:'In traditional door systems, a larger parking space is necessary to permit the doors to open wide enough.' The new McLaren aims to take on key rivals including the brand new Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB9. Hi-tech fabric in the bucket seats 'breathes' to help driver and passenger stay comfortable The new McLaren resembles the company's iconic 1990s' supercar, the 240mph F1, which was the world's fastest production car until Bugatti's 250mph Veyron McLaren Automotive chairman Ron Dennis said:'It is a long-held dream of mine to launch a range of high performance sports cars that set new standards in the industry. I am confident that now is the right time for McLaren Automotive to become a full-line high performance sports car manufacturer.' Mr Dennis said:'This is the start of an exciting new chapter in McLaren's history, in British high technology engineering and manufacturing, and in global sports car design. We aim to be the best.' McLaren managing director Antony Sheriff said: 'By the time the 12C is launched in 2011, we expect the economic conditions to be much improved. We have already seen significant interest in the car.' McLaren's first spectacular venture into road car production was back in 1993 with the 'F1', which for many years was the fastest car in the world. More recently it worked in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz to make the SLR-McLaren. But with the MP4, McLaren is again going it alone. Vital statistics: McLaren MP4 12C Length: 14ft Width:6ft 1 inch Height: 3ft 10 ins (with gull-wing doors closed) Height: 5ft (with gull-wing doors open) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...1-car-road.html It kills me to think a banker might get one :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KingCharles1st Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Hmmmm.... Does it do it for me...? I'm not sure- but I know it will be so far advanced of any Italian crap on the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Stromba Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Id rather buy a ferrari to be honest. Ron Dennis is a dick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skinty Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I'd have one in non reflective black that way the laser speed guns wont be able to get a reading from it! I'd have one in bright pink with yellow daisies on it. Metallic of course. It is a super-car after all ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6538 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Good to see the UK is actually making stuff again. It's a pretty car to be honest and I can see it selling ok. Don't know who wrote that article but whoever it was needs to realise that a 3.8 litre engine is hardly "massive". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executive Sadman Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 This is better (and cheaper) http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/first-d...ford-mustang-g/ 750hp. And because its basically a big american V8 truck engine with a massive supercharger on it it wont break down every 10 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wario Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Don't know who wrote that article but whoever it was needs to realise that a 3.8 litre engine is hardly "massive". I like to think of it as a hundred and nine (well, 116 really) of the first sort of engine I ever owned, and the only one I've ever actually loved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19 year mortgage 8itch Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Vital statistics: McLaren MP4 12CLength: 14ft Width:6ft 1 inch Height: 3ft 10 ins (with gull-wing doors closed) Height: 5ft (with gull-wing doors open) Metric please, some of us are engineers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skinty Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Height: 5ft (with gull-wing doors open) And the importance of this information is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6538 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 And the importance of this information is? In case you want to hide it somewhere small? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skinty Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 In case you want to hide it somewhere small? Close the doors then. I can only assume rich people have garages with low ceilings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19 year mortgage 8itch Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Close the doors then.I can only assume rich people have garages with low ceilings. But how will you get out? Somehow, I don't think "a la Steve Wright and his Rage Rover" (sic) will work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skinty Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 But how will you get out?Somehow, I don't think "a la Steve Wright and his Rage Rover" (sic) will work. Dukes of Hazzard style? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DisposableHeroes Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Good to see the UK is actually making stuff again. It's a pretty car to be honest and I can see it selling ok. Don't know who wrote that article but whoever it was needs to realise that a 3.8 litre engine is hardly "massive". That's what I thought, good to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilf Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 And because its basically a big american V8 truck engine with a massive supercharger on it it wont break down every 10 miles. True but you will have to stop every 10 miles to put fuel in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R K Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I'd have one in bright pink with yellow daisies on it.Metallic of course. It is a super-car after all ... Just for you............I'm sure you can get stick on daisies......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Good to see the UK is actually making stuff again. It's a pretty car to be honest and I can see it selling ok. Don't know who wrote that article but whoever it was needs to realise that a 3.8 litre engine is hardly "massive". Dangerous thoughts. This must be stopped immediately and outsourced to China. Nice car though. I hope its a success. Seems the "revived" MG was a flop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6538 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Dangerous thoughts. This must be stopped immediately and outsourced to China.Nice car though. I hope its a success. Seems the "revived" MG was a flop. Because the build quality was sh1te, and that's saying something because the original wasn't brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skinty Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Just for you............I'm sure you can get stick on daisies......... Oh god will you look at those platform heels? They clash with her handbag! That woman has no taste! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Hun Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 >60mph in just 3.4 seconds. Not bad, almost as fast as my 675cc , £7k motorbike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6538 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 In case you want to hide it somewhere small? Or put it in one of these. http://www.cardok.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dizzy Rash Call Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freeholder Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 >60mph in just 3.4 seconds. Not bad, almost as fast as my 675cc , £7k motorbike. A bit faster than my bike, but I am no longer young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHERWICK Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 This looks OK but a lot worse than the Maclaren F1, so what's the point of it exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okaycuckoo Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 That's what I thought, good to see. But the stuff they're making is largely pointless, yah? Get back to "need to buy" instead of "market and hope to sell". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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