The MP4-12C is the first sportscar designed and built by McLaren since the F1, which set the record for the fastest road car in the world at 242.95 mph in 1998.
McLaren teamed up with Mercedes Benz to create the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren but it wasn’t the vision of its chairman Ron Dennis to have a sports car as a partner, he wanted a McLaren design, McLaren built motorcar, which is how he came up with the MP4-12C that went out into the market last year and retails at £168,500.
After the MP4-12C there are another two cars in the design phase of production, the P12 and P13. The P12 will challenge the Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari Enzo at the top of the price range. A spokesperson for McLaren said: “It is along the lines of the McLaren F1 so it will have a much higher retail value and we won’t make too many of them so it will be a real collector’s piece.”
McLaren have said that it is planning to make the P12 the lightest supercar yet, with a target weight of 1,140kg. It will cost in the region of £1m and is said to be able to reach a top speed of around 260mph.
The McLaren P13 will cost between £60,000 to £80,000 and is set to be revealed at the Geneva Car Show in 2013. The spokesperson added: “It will compete in a similar market to Porsche. We are trying to put cars out that at every single level of the sportscar automotive market.”
The company are unveiling a number of dealerships around the world, which will total 34 after the final 18 open.
There has been more than 1,800 orders for the MP4-12C that have been placed via McLaren’s new retailers spanning across 18 countries.
Click here for our full factory tour of the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.
