| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
McLaren offering MP4-12C owners new power upgrade free of charge  McLaren has continually stated that it will stop at nothing in order to turn the MP4-12C into the world’s greatest junior supercar, and as we know from past experiences from the legendary F1, perfection in McLaren’s eyes is just around the corner and development will not end until it is reached. In line with this popular statement, or motto, McLaren has revealed that all early MP4-12C owners are now being offered a free power upgrade to help bump the supercar into what McLaren hopes will be its very own league. This bump will be well above all rival cars, including the Ferrari 458 Italia and the recently launched Porsche 911/991. Power is said to be increased by 25HP, lifting the car’s overall output to 625 horsepower which is around 50HP more than the top-of-the-line 458 Italia, meaning Ferrari better be planning something special with its upcoming 458 Scuderia. It’s unclear if any torque gains have been achieved through the simple remapping of the engine’s computer system, but we this is the case. In addition to this relatively large change in power, McLaren is also said to be offering remote passenger door opening to try and get around the MP4-12C’s notoriously difficult to open doors, while a programmable engine note and a few tweaks to the high-end Meridian sound system will also be conducted free of charge. All of the aforementioned changes should be fitted to cars by October 2012, before McLaren finishes its upgrades on the new IRIS navigation system which we suspect will also be fitted to all 12C’s once the British marque has perfected every last component of the system. McLaren releases new video to celebrate MP4-12C’s Middle Eastern debutIn line with McLaren Automotive’s massive expansion across the globe, which includes the construction of more than 30 dealerships, the British brand recently opened its latest showroom in the Middle East with McLaren Abu Dhabi. Now they are celebrating the occasion with the release of another video promoting the MP4-12C and the firm itself. Mark Harrison, McLaren’s Automotive Regional Director of the Middle East and Africa, stated: “We wanted to produce this video to highlight our presence across the Middle East and reaffirm our commitment to establishing our brand in the region. The 12C is as comfortable on the road as a premium sedan, yet faster than any competitor car in its segment and this excellent video shows this fact; capturing the beauty of the desert, the emotion of the urban environment and the drama of a world famous Formula 1 circuit – three locations where the 12C is supremely confident.” Don’t for one second, however, think that this was a poorly executed marketing scheme by McLaren as its team actually invested thousands into the production of this 5 minute long video, even utilizing the latest in RED camera technology which captures images in four times the resolution of High Definition. McLaren Abu Dhabi is now the fourth McLaren retailer in the Middle Eastern region, and the remaining two will be completed by years end. So all up, the wealthy upper class in the Middle East will have access to McLaren Bahrain, McLaren Doha, McLaren Dubai, McLaren Jeddah, McLaren Kuwait, and of course, McLaren Abu Dhabi. It’s currently unclear how many orders have been placed for the MP4-12C in these regions, but it’s clear that McLaren is targeting this area for its sole model as well as all the additional models it has planned, including the McLaren MP4-27.
Video: Drive takes a tour through the McLaren Technology CenterDespite the McLaren F1 and McLaren MP4-12C having been built by the same company, the British marque has faced such dramatic changes since the inception of the F1 that one could consider the MP4-12C to have been built by a completely new firm. And it’s little wonder why many would believe that. With production of the F1 ending in 1998, McLaren stopped producing road cars and instead focused on developing technology for its hugely-successful Formula One team, but over the past few years all of that has changed. Not only is McLaren’s production facility clean enough to resemble the inside of an expensive hospital but it also features a huge selection of technologically-advanced systems all of which help aid the company to produce the aforementioned MP4-12C. And on top of all that, it’s got a pretty cool name too, being dubbed the ‘McLaren Technology Centre.’ And in the latest episode of Driven on the Drive YouTube network, J.F Musial was privileged enough to get a first-hand tour of the center, after his other recent visit to Pagani’s headquarters in the heart of Italy. In what can only be described as an extremely informative and enjoyable 26-minute video, it looks in detail about what makes this facility as unique as it is as well as some in-depth discussions about the MP4-12C itself. Well, that’s enough talking for now, so check out the video above and enjoy it!
Motor Trend pits Lamborghini Aventador, Lexus LFA, and McLaren MP4-12C against Bugatti Veyron
Acceleration is one of the key components which create a supercar. Getting that perfect launch requires a combination of an extensive list of factors, namely finding a car with perfectly suited horsepower and torque figures. Finding a supercar with enough grip and a fast enough transmission to whip through the gears is also extremely important in getting off the line and continuing through to the quarter mile. In the latest episode of Head2Head on the Motor Trend YouTube channel, they pitted the latest generation of carbon fiber constructed supercars against the all-conquering Bugatti Veyron over the quarter mile to see just how close the competition has come and if the Veyron can finally be knocked off its seemingly everlasting pedestal. Motor Trend gathered the Lexus LFA, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, the McLaren MP4-12C, and a beautiful blue Bugatti Veyron Grandsport and took them to an abandoned runway in the depths of the U.S. They then conducted the review through two knockout rounds in order to find the Veyron’s closest competitor before pitting the remaining car against the Veyron. So who won, you ask? Well, we won’t ruin that for you as this video is definitely worth the 7 minutes it lasts. McLaren MP4-12C Spider will arrive this year; V12 not in the cards We already knew that McLaren was planning a roadster version for their new MP4-12C model, but now it has been confirmed: an official debut will be made by the end of 2012. The new MP4-12C Spyder will be identical to its coupe brother, except of course, for its drop top appeal. Just like the coupe version, the future Spyder will be offered with a V8 engine, as will every other model from the British company, because there will be no V12 engine offered in any McLaren models in the near future. This, however, doesn’t mean that the upcoming successor for the legendary F1 will only deliver 593 HP. McLaren said that the V8 engine has been built to be very flexible and can be tuned to any desired level. The next F1 supercar will have conventional side-by-side seating (unlike the 1+2 layout of the original McLaren F1), a V8 engine coupled to a dual-clutch transmission, and plenty of lightweight carbon fiber. It will be unveiled sometime in 2013. Four supercars crash on the Autobahn in as many days
Just days after we brought you news of a 2013 BMW M5 crashing on the autobahn, we have yet more bad news from what seems to be a haunted-stretch of road. Not only has one supercar crashed on the Autobahn in recent days, four high supercars were actually totaled on the same stretch of German highway in just a few days. This horrific chain of events all started last week when a luxurious, silver Maserati GranTurismo crashed on Wednesday while in the hands of its brand new owner. Arguably the most expensive car to crash out of the lot was a grey McLaren MP4-12C which was wiped out on Friday, after its 27-year-old owner lost control but fortunately managed to escape the incident uninjured. The following day, the two remaining supercars were involved in separate incidents with the first car of the two to be written-off being an extremely exotic Dodge Viper ACR which had only been rented for the weekend with the renter having only been in possession of the 612 horsepower behemoth for just three hours. Unless the car was insured from the rental facility, the driver could be looking at an extremely hefty bill. And finally, the forth supercar to crash along the same stretch of Autobahn was a silver Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which met its untimely demise by sliding off into an embankment. Thus far, only the McLaren has been confirmed as a write-off while the Dodge Viper ACR and GranTurismo aren’t far off needing entire re-builds. It’s currently unclear if the German police are investigating these incidents and possibly looking into any faults in the road surface which may have played parts in each of the crashes. 2012 McLaren MP4-12C by Taylor Lynn
Luxury4Play and the Gold Rush Rally have joined forces and have created a very special McLaren MP4-12C for their 2012 charity event. This special McLaren will be raced during the rally and the company hopes it will raise the profile of the event and the charity. Every time somebody donates $100 or more for the charity, a ’Heart of Gold" sticker will be added to the supercar, so lets hope we will see as many stickers as possible. All the money raised during the event will go to the Taylor Lynn Foundation and will be used to save the lives of many children. This year’s Gold Rush Rally will start at the West Coast in Los Angeles on June 9th and will end on the East Coast in Miami on June 16th. This year’s event theme is "Rise Against the Sun" and it has been promised it will feature some of the most exotic cars you have ever seen. Video: McLaren MP4-12C GT3 proves its a real flame throwerDuring the qualifying session at the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series at Monza Circuit, there were a few McLaren MP4-12C GT3 models that definitely earned the right to be called Hell on Wheels and Youtube user 19Bozzy92 was there to witness it. A few MP4-12C GT3 models were actually able to throw out flames during their high speed run. Check out the video to see what an MP4-12C can really do when pushed to its limit! As a reminder, McLaren has announced that a total of 25 new MP4-12C GT3 cars will race across Europe in the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012. The GT3 version will be powered by the same 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 as found in the standard model, but tuned to racing specifications. The exterior was also provide with a new aerodynamic package in compliance with GT3 regulations, incorporating a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser, and louvers in the front fenders. About 400 McLaren MP4-12C units will be coming to the U.S. McLaren has been facing some massive changes in the past few years with the MP4-12C re-energizing the British automaker after in excess of a decade with no new cars rolling into showrooms. Furthermore, McLaren has been furiously expanding its dealership network across the globe during this time, with one dealership even recently opening in Australia. However, it’s the U.S. which seems to be the most profitable market for McLaren with MotorTrend reporting that 40 percent of the 1000 MP4-12C’s currently ordered are heading to America and for those who don’t find mathematics their forte, that equates to 400 units. So it goes without saying that the MP4-12C is extremely appealing across the U.S. On one hand this is a huge shock, as the U.S. is already up there as one of Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s biggest markets, but on the other hand it shows that McLaren’s efforts to open up a network of dealers in the U.S. has paid off. It’s currently unclear if any private U.S. customers have had their MP4-12C’s delivered, after McLaren ‘recalled’ them due to various complaints from road-testers. Either way, McLaren sales in the U.S. are sighted to rise even higher in the coming years with the F1 successor currently being developed, while various variants of the MP4-12C will also be produced, possibly even an MP4-12C Shooting Brake. 2014 McLaren MP4-12C Shooting Brake
It seems as if the new Ferrari FF will soon have a serious competitor from McLaren. The British company has tried to keep their future models as much of a secret as possible, but now AutoExpress has obtained the first details on a future shooting brake model set to arrive in 2014. The new model will be based on the platform of the new MP4-12C supercar and will be similar in concept to the Ferrari FF. However, the British magazine reports that the Mclaren model will be significantly cheaper. While the FF is priced at about £230,000 ($366,000 at the current exchange rates) on the British market, the new McLaren model will be priced from about £150,000 (about $240,000). The new McLaren Shooting Brake (not its actual name, at least as far as we know) will be a two-seater model, but with more boot space than the MP4-12C. Under the hood, expect to see the same 592 HP 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine as the sports car, meaning the future model will deliver impressive performance numbers. Check out our rendering of what we’re calling the McLaren MP4-12C Shooting Brake and let us know what you think! | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|