A Saturday at Goodwood, with a NEW Mclaren (Octane)

New McLaren in action at Goodwood

MP4-12C up the hill

Shortly after the launch, the new MP4-12 has been seen in action for the first time at the Goodwood press day.

Text: David Lillywhite / Photos: David Lillywhite/Steve Havelock

19th March 2010

Lord March along side the new MP4-12C (Credit: Steve Havelock)

	If customers wish to go racing, we will open a specific department for them - Ron Dennis

McLaren’s new supercar was seen in action for the first time at Goodwood’s press preview day for the Festival of Speed and the Revival.

The new MP4-12C arrived on the famous Goodwood hillclimb just hours after the official launch of both the car and the new McLaren Automotive company at the F1 team’s Technology Centre HQ 40 miles away in Woking.

Still in matt black, the car was unloaded from a covered transporter and immediately driven up the hillclimb, to the surprise of Goodwood visitors. With two McLaren F1s also present at the Goodwood press day, it was possible to compare the two cars side-by-side.

The new MP4-12C is not intended as a successor to the F1; instead it’s more affordable, although still £175,000 (the F1 was £634,500 in 1992). It’s noticeably less innovative in appearance and interior layout, but under the skin it uses a clever one-piece moulded carbon-fibre ‘MonoCell’ chassis that weighs just 80kg, boned to aluminium engine support and crash structures. The non-structural bodywork is produced on aluminium and low-density SMC sheet moulding compounds) that are said to be 11 per cent lighter than those of any production car.

The weight saving continues into the world’s first use of a 12v lithium-ion battery, a magnesium beam dashboard, rear mounted radiators (minimising cooling pipework), ultra-lightweight brakes and hexagonal aluminium wiring.

The car is powered by a McLaren-designed and produced 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, which is said to produce 600bhp and 443lb ft of torque, delivering a 0-125mph of less than 10 seconds and a top speed in excess of 200mph.

Mclaren expects to produce a maximum of 1000 cars a year in its new 32,000sq m production centre, close to the existing Technology Centre. Delivery will take around 12 months, via a new network of 35 specialist dealers.

When asked if the MP4-12C will be raced, chairman Ron Dennis replied that ‘if customers wish to go racing, we will open a specific department for them.’

Bookmark this post with:

ShareThis