McLaren Automotive, the world’s newest car company, today announces its launch partner in Switzerland, with Schmohl selected to represent the company from Zurich.

A number of outstanding and experienced automotive retailers were considered for the important Swiss market. Schmohl will begin selling the McLaren MP4-12C from spring 2011 as part of a European network of an initial 13 retailers. A second Swiss retailer remains under consideration. 1,000 12Cs will be produced in 2011, with a full model range of around 4,000 McLaren high-performance sports cars produced in the UK annually by the middle of the decade. Combined with a relatively small retailer network, these numbers offer exclusivity for customers and profitability for retailers.

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The latest plans for McLaren Automotive’s global launch of a range of high-performance sports cars were announced today (March 18) including performance data from recent testing programmes, details of the car’s innovative construction, and new technologies inspired by Formula 1.

Indicative performance data from the most recent test sessions are confirming the development team’s confidence in producing a car of exceptional out-and-out performance as well as quality, safety, comfort, and efficiency levels. The 12C is set to present new standards in the sports car market:

Mark Vinnels, McLaren Automotive’s Programme Director said: “We are very encouraged with this first release of performance data from the latest XP-Beta development cars. We are focusing on ‘real-world’ performance that has relevance for 12C drivers on track or on road. As you would expect of McLaren, we are aiming to set new standards for all performance criteria, from top speed to fuel economy, in-gear acceleration to braking distances and carbon dioxide emissions.

“What these results don’t show though is the overall package compared to our competitors that will make the 12C easier to drive, more comfortable to spend time in, and dynamically jaw-dropping,” Vinnels concluded.

Continued development and testing programmes in New Zealand, Arizona, Spain, and at venues including the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring will deliver further performance figures in the summer before the first customer car is built at the McLaren Technology Centre in late-2010.

The innovative one-piece moulded carbon-fibre chassis (the MonoCell) is the key to the 12C’s performance, forming the structural heart of the car, and an ideal occupant cell that delivers exceptional crash test results and a unique driving environment.

The MonoCell’s low weight, structural rigidity, dimensional accuracy and innovative four-hour manufacturing process are the factors that support McLaren Automotive’s decision to structure its range of cars around this racing-derived technology. This concept is a core strand of McLaren’s DNA:

• McLaren was the first racing team with a carbon chassis (the 1981 MP4/1)
• The McLaren F1 was the first road car with a carbon chassis
• The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is the most successful carbon-based car for sales ever (2,114 between 2003 and 2009)
• In the past 30 years, McLaren has not built a car with a metal chassis

The structural integrity that a carbon chassis offers then allows McLaren Automotive the freedom to clothe the car with a combination of aluminium and low-density SMC (sheet moulding compounds) panels that, themselves, are ground-breaking: the SMC panels are 11 percent lighter than on any production car.

Reducing weight is an obsession at McLaren, borne of the principles that have driven McLaren’s racing teams to more motorsport success than any other: recent developments have lowered the MonoCell’s weight further to below 80 kilos, whilst continued lightweight engineering supports McLaren Automotive’s plans to launch the 12C at a lighter dry weight than any competitor at around 1300 kilos.

McLaren Automotive is aiming for the 12C to be at least 75 kilos lighter than its nearest competitor and a long list of further lightweight solutions highlights the 12C’s introduction as a new type of sports car, driven by McLaren Automotive’s obsessive attention-to-detail. Examples include:

• Standard composite brake system of forged aluminium and cast iron is lighter than the optional carbon-ceramic brake system, saving five kilos
• Low-weight Lithium-Ion battery saves 10kgs
• Lightweight magnesium structural beam supports the dashboard
• Small, twin-turbocharged V8 engine delivers 600PS from 3.8-litre capacity
• Rear mounted engine cooling radiators minimise the pipework, the fluids contained within them, and therefore weight. They were also mounted in car line to minimise vehicle width and weight.
• Hexagonal aluminium wiring saves four kilos over circular wiring.

Not only is the 12C incredibly light and fast, it also features a range of new technologies, many inspired by Formula 1, and all unique to McLaren. In fact, the 12C has been described as ‘pure’ McLaren: all content in the car is bespoke to the 12C, from the switchgear to the engine:

• Brake Steer aids balance and grip through fast corners either acting as a safety control or an aid to performance on the track
• The Airbrake increases downforce and therefore grip at speed and moves the centre of pressure rearwards under heavy braking
• Proactive Chassis Control negates the requirement for mechanical anti-roll bars and distributes damper control hydraulically between wheels and axles resulting in minimal roll at high speed combined with compliant suspension articulation in a straight line and over uneven road surfaces

Neil Patterson, Chief Engineer for the McLaren MP4-12C said: “Our goal for the 12C, and future McLaren cars, is to offer what we call ‘accessible performance’, no matter what the driver’s ability.

“With that in mind, with the technologies we have introduced, and with a small and lightweight, low- and mid-mounted engine, we have been able to deliver what we feel is a perfectly balanced chassis. The 12C will be a joy to drive in town, on an Autobahn, or on a track. There is no compromise and huge flexibility,” Patterson concluded.

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Major investment and job opportunities in the UK’s high-tech manufacturing industry were confirmed today (March 18), as McLaren Automotive announced details of its range of innovative high-performance sports cars and the start of construction of the McLaren Production Centre (MPC).

The MPC, a 32,000m² high-tech manufacturing facility located at McLaren Group’s headquarters in Woking, England, began construction on March 1 2010 following a design from Foster + Partners, the same architects behind the award-winning McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). The new facility will be completed in just 12 months, with the first MP4-12C high-performance sports cars moving through the MPC production line in spring 2011.

Ron Dennis, Chairman of McLaren Automotive said: “We have long held the dream of building a range of McLaren high-performance sports cars that take the raw elements of Formula 1 principles, processes and performance and forge them into a unique package; one that offers customer-focused requirements of quality, efficiency, comfort and reliability.

“Today’s announcements confirm our intention to challenge convention at the highest levels of automotive design, from a high-tech home that I am proud to say will deliver jobs, expertise and innovation in manufacturing and engineering.

“In my first season at McLaren in 1981 we were an operation of 50 people dedicated solely to winning motor races. Since then, we have grown to a company of over a thousand that is, I believe, at the forefront of the UK’s innovative manufacturing industries. Everything we have achieved as a well-honed and fiercely competitive team over the past 30 years has prepared us for this moment.

“It is with great confidence, and genuine excitement, that we move forward with our plans to open up a new chapter for McLaren and the UK’s modern manufacturing industries,” Dennis concluded.

Funding for the £40 million investment has come from McLaren Automotive’s existing shareholders, whilst a new shareholding offer will support future development programmes for a range of McLaren high-performance sports cars that will be launched soon after the 12C.

The MPC will be the home of McLaren Automotive’s range of high-performance and highly efficient sports cars, supporting up to 800 jobs and manufacturing around 4,000 cars by the middle of the decade. New standards of quality will be introduced into the sports car market, as well as innovative new technologies unique to McLaren. All components on the cars are bespoke to McLaren.

The first 12C customer cars will be completed in the Production Hall at the McLaren Technology Centre in late-2010, approximately three months before production transfers to the brand new McLaren Production Centre. They will follow the same build and quality processes that McLaren Automotive developed for the £300,000-plus carbon-fibre based Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

However, in a revolutionary step that allows the 12C to retail at around half that price point, McLaren will introduce an innovative one-piece carbon-fibre chassis structure: the first time such a lightweight, safe and strong structure has been offered on a series production car in this market segment.

McLaren Automotive’s production strategy offers the best of both hand-built and ‘lean’ production processes. Fine-tuned during the SLR programme, it delivered cars built to the highest qualities expected by Mercedes-Benz, contributing to total production of 2,114 SLRs: a record number for any car in the £300 – £500,000 price-point and any car built on a carbon-fibre chassis.

The new MPC manufacturing facility will take the best of the company’s production processes and provide the perfect base to tailor make up to 1,000 12C’s in 2011.  It will have a clear McLaren style and will espouse all the virtues of the MTC.

Like the headquarters, great care has been taken to ensure that the building fits perfectly into its environment, and is as efficient and environmentally sensitive as possible.  Just two minutes by foot from the MTC, production engineers and planners will continue to benefit from the instant access they currently enjoy to the research, design and engineering teams in McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing.

Alan Foster, McLaren Automotive’s Operations Director, said: “The MPC meets and exceeds all requirements for sustainability, energy conservation, energy re-use and sensitive environmental landscaping. This investment has future-proofed McLaren Automotive’s ability to capitalise on market demand through until at least 2020, and will allow us to produce cars of the highest quality. Starting from a blank sheet of paper, we have been able to develop a production centre and production process that mirrors the car itself – high-tech, innovative and highly efficient.”

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Development of the groundbreaking McLaren MP4-12C is entering its final phase. The bespoke high-performance sports car is due to launch in 2011, and right now the latest Experimental Prototype (XP) 12Cs are undergoing intensive appraisal at a number of test locations around the world.

One such site is Spain’s Applus IDIADA facility, the most comprehensive independent proving ground in Europe.  McLaren Automotive recently obtained special permission to capture on camera the XP Beta cars in action at Applus IDIADA, and on public roads in the foothills near Tarragona.  The result is the second in the ‘Inside McLaren Automotive’ series of short films. This gives viewers a unique insight into a performance car testing programme from the perspective of the development team responsible for the 12C.

Featured in the short film are XP8 and XP10, two XP Beta-phase prototypes. Wrapped almost entirely in matt black vinyl, XP Beta cars are clearly discernable from 2009’s XP cars, which were seen in the ‘Inside McLaren: Developing the MP4-12C” video sporting a black and white contrasting camouflage exterior.

The XP Beta test cars feature significant technological advancements that take the 12C nearer to production.  A revised iteration of the M838T twin-turbo engine, transmission featuring new gear ratios, a more efficient cooling package, new suspension geometry and upgraded electrical architecture are the headline features of current prototypes, denoting key differences between XP and XP Beta cars.

Indicative performance figures generated by the XP Beta cars are expected to be announced in March, but feedback from February’s testing suggests that McLaren Automotive’s aspirations to out-perform its competitors appear well-founded.

A core team of 20-25 Vehicle Technicians travel with the XP Beta cars and are on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support a test programme that mirrors the intensity of developing a Formula 1 car.  Meanwhile, a further 12 Vehicle Development Engineers are responsible for specific technologies and systems being appraised while out on test.

Mark Vinnels, McLaren Automotive Programme Director, is leading the engineering team and said: “There is an extensive list of subjective and objective targets set for our prototype vehicles. These XP Beta cars are already achieving outstanding results in many of the subjective areas, which includes ride quality, handling and many other aspects of dynamic performance.

“The benchmark competitor vehicles we have tested become nervous and twitchy at higher speed, but the 12C feels more stable than anything I have driven.  Because the bump rejection is so good, the ride is smooth and the steering is solid.” 

“Between now and production the vehicles and the team are working flat out.  All this is geared towards not just achieving our unprecedented levels of performance but also guaranteeing the levels of quality, reliability and durability with which we expect to delight future McLaren customers.”

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McLaren Automotive today launches the first in a series of broadcast-quality short videos, which present a rare insight into a performance car testing programme from the development team behind the new McLaren MP4-12C.

As a brand new car company, McLaren Automotive has a unique and engaging story to tell prior to its first model going on sale in Spring 2011. Meanwhile, 2009’s intense testing and development programme is clearly demonstrating the 12C’s potential and McLaren Automotive is presenting rare company footage and insight that reveals its plans, processes and challenges.

In a short film entitled ‘Inside McLaren: developing the MP4-12C’, viewers take the first steps to understanding how McLaren Automotive will fulfil its ambition to launch the MP4-12C as a genuine challenger to the world’s best high performance sports cars. Highlights include:

An introduction to the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) and the MP4-12C test programme by McLaren Automotive Technical Director, Dick Glover
Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin on how the 12C performs in extreme test conditions 
An overview by senior engineers of the integrated approach to development on roads and tracks around the world and, virtually, back at MTC
12C development (XP) prototypes on road and track in England and Germany, and extreme hot weather testing in Bahrain
The challenging and comprehensive development programme has taken in some of the world’s most famous race circuits and most inhospitable driving environments; from the dry and cold, ice and snow of the Arctic, to the hot and humid, sand-soaked air of the Middle-East.

Combined with cutting-edge simulation programmes, Formula 1 techniques, personnel and processes, and thousands of miles of ‘real world’ on-road driving on the UK’s notoriously poor tarmac surfaces, the tight-knit testing team has taken giant strides through 2009 in the 12C’s development. The result is ‘pure’ McLaren: a revolutionary high performance sports car that features unique engineering solutions to deliver new standards in comfort, driving dynamics, economy and performance in the ‘core’* sports car market.

*’Core’ market according to McLaren Automotive are performance sports cars priced between £125,000 and £175,000

Dick Glover, Technical Director at McLaren Automotive is responsible for the 50-strong Testing and Development team and the eight development (XP) cars that have featured in the 2009 programme: ‘I am really proud of what the team has achieved this year,’ he said.

‘Having to develop a brand new range of cars from scratch to the standards expected of McLaren, featuring ground-breaking new structures and powertrain is the ultimate challenge and one we are relishing.  Sure, we have challenges – that is why we go to these places that absolutely push the cars to their limits and beyond – but now we know just what the 12C is capable of, we are able to push on into 2010 and deliver cars of which McLaren will be rightly proud.’

The 2009 testing programme has focused heavily on two of the most famous tracks in the world – the notorious Nordschleife Nurburgring and the circuit seen by millions on-screen, the BBC Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome. Both tracks push cars to their limits. But the success of the programme will also rest on McLaren’s technological innovation and experience.

The results of a testing session’s road and track performance are rapidly assessed within MTC. Simulation and rapid engineering practices – two core aspects of a successful Formula 1 team – are then employed to re-calibrate the XP test cars in-situ ready for the following day, or night’s, development targets.

Chris Goodwin, professional racing driver and Chief Test Driver at McLaren Automotive, summed up the self-imposed pressures on the development team: ‘McLaren has always set itself the highest standards. We are the most successful ever motor racing team, we designed and built one of the world’s most iconic sports cars in the world in the McLaren F1, and pioneered carbon fibre development on race and road cars.

‘We took those standards into the development programme for the MP4-12C in order to launch a new high performance sports car comparable with past achievements and offering new levels of performance for the future. For us, these targets were simply starting points and that attitude requires the most thorough development possible. We believe that our global testing is delivering incredible strides for the 12C.’

Other highlights:

Simon Andrew (Vehicle Development Engineer) sends back detailed daily reports from all test sessions to McLaren Automotive personnel in a wide range of functions, not just other members of his team.  This ensures that the full range of the company’s engineers, designers and management are able to contribute their experience.
Rob Tyers is one of many team members introduced from the McLaren Racing division, bringing their experience of rapid decision-making in a highly competitive environment to bear on a traditionally slower-paced industry.  No other car company in the world offers this combination and experience of motor racing and road-car development personnel under one roof.
McLaren Automotive has developed a unique programme inspired by the rapid development requirements of Formula 1.  This brings together the whole development team at one venue over a period of up to two weeks. Huge strides are gained during these intense testing periods as all car systems are stretched to their limits in combination and as a whole, rather than part by part in sequence.

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McLaren Automotive has launched a new website to act as an engaging and informative online showroom for the new MP4-12C. Future customers and McLaren car enthusiasts can view the 12C in detail through an animated ‘explosion’ of the car’s technical features at www.mclarenautomotive.com

McLarenAutomotive.com has been developed to reflect the design ethic of all future McLaren sports cars; all features are intended to enhance the experience of users. The front page of the website presents the new performance car in exploded form, which clearly depicts the way in which the car has been designed from the inside out and entirely around the driver.

The opportunity to explore how technical innovations have shaped the new 12C is a highlight of the site, which employs Adobe Flash 10 3D to bring its content to life. An intuitive navigation system improves the user experience, dynamic edge caching increases the download speed of site data and written content is optimized to ensure Mclaren.com is at the top of natural search listings.

McLaren Automotive Head of Marketing, Lianne Daly, said: ‘It is vitally important that potential customers of McLaren Automotive across the globe are able to see the unique properties of the MP4-12C and gain an understanding of why we are claiming that this car will set new performance and efficiency standards in the core sports car market.’

Daly continued: ‘Until the car is physically presented in showrooms in early 2011, this website will be the only publicly-available source of official information relating to our range of high performance sports cars. Visitors to McLarenautomotive.com can now explore the interior and exterior of the car in beautiful detail and over the coming months time we will add more engaging content.’

In addition, users will be able to view a gallery of images from McLaren Automotive’s past and present and also tap into ‘The Insider’, a blog that will be regularly updated with developments from the depths of the McLaren Technology Centre.

McLarenAutomotive.com contains a link to a site reserved for global media. Journalists wishing to stay ahead of the latest press information from the Woking-based sports car manufacturer must register at www.media.mclarenautomotive.com. Here they will receive unique login details, giving access to press releases, high resolution images and downloadable video content suitable for broadcast media use.

The web design of McLaren.com has been managed by AKQA. 3D animation is provided by Burrows and McLaren Automotive’s visual identity has been developed by Fitch.”

(Via .)

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The McLaren MP4-12C is revealed as the first in a range of high-performance sports cars from McLaren Automotive, the independent car division based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The 12C, and future models within the range, will challenge the world’s best sports cars, benefiting from the expertise and virtuosity of the McLaren Group.

Twenty years of sports car design, engineering and production combined with inspirational success in Formula 1 have driven Ron Dennis, McLaren Automotive Chairman, to announce his plans for the ultimate line-up of technology-led and customer-focused performance cars for the 21st century. The rules in the sports car world are about to be re-written.

Through a rich modern history, McLaren’s automotive division has already built the world’s most critically acclaimed supercar, the McLaren F1 (1993-1998) and the world’s best-selling luxury supercar, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (2003-2009). McLaren Automotive now looks to the future with a new range of revolutionary sports cars.

“It is a long-held dream of mine to launch a range of high performance sports cars that set new standards in the industry,” said Dennis.

“We began designing and building cars for aficionados of thoroughbred sports cars almost 20 years ago. Incorporating the leading edge technologies that the McLaren Group has built up within its various companies, I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in McLaren’s history as well as play a part in the regeneration of high-tech manufacturing in the UK and global automotive environment,” he concluded.

At its heart, the McLaren MP4-12C features a revolutionary carbon fibre chassis structure, the Carbon MonoCell: the first time a car in this market segment is based around such a strong and lightweight racing car engineering solution and the first time any car has ever featured a one-piece carbon fibre structure.

This step change in sports car design means that the 12C introduces new standards not just in handling, ride and outright performance, but also safety, economy and practicality in an already competitive sector.

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal of McLaren’s racing team highlighted the integral part that McLaren’s motorsport and road car experience played in developing the 12C: “McLaren has for years offered a potent mix of race car and road car technologies. This combination of McLaren’s performance heritage, and future demands on what is expected of high performance sports cars in the 21st century, gave us a head-start when we embarked on this project. The 12C, and future variants, draws on the spirit of Formula 1 and delivers real-world technological advances.”

The first car from the new company, the McLaren MP4-12C, is a high performance two-seat mid-engine model in the ‘core’ sports car market segment for cars costing between £125,000 and £175,000. The 12C is pure McLaren, featuring no carryover parts from any other car, and will be produced by McLaren in the UK. It goes on sale through a dedicated, worldwide retailer network in early 2011.

“McLaren is already a car maker with maturity and experience, having produced iconic cars such as the F1,” said Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director.

“The next step was to construct a range of pure McLaren high performance sports cars that are true to the company’s philosophy and reflect our position as an absolute technology and performance leader. So, when we embarked on the 12C project, we wanted to re-write the rules of sports car design. Indeed, the 12C offers performance and technology that exceeds that of the world’s most expensive and sophisticated supercars, while competing in a much more accessible market segment. And to achieve this result, we designed every component from scratch to meet the extreme goals of the 12C and avoid any compromise.”

“Forget what you know about sports car companies, McLaren is different,” he concluded.

Inside out

The heart of the new car is the Carbon MonoCell. McLaren pioneered the use of carbon composite construction in the 1981 Formula 1 MP4/1 model and set a trend that all Formula 1 teams have followed. The company brought carbon fibre to road cars for the first time with the 1993 McLaren F1 and then built on this experience with a carbon fibre chassis and body on the SLR manufactured to the same exacting standards, but in higher volumes.

So, until now, carbon chassis have remained the preserve of the most expensive exotic cars; a purchase for the super-rich where costs are driven by the complexity of carbon fibre chassis design and build.

The 12C changes this by introducing the advantages of carbon composite – light weight, high strength and torsional rigidity, and longevity – to a more affordable sector through its revolutionary engineering as a one-piece moulding. Never before has a carbon fibre chassis been produced this way.

The 12C MonoCell not only brings dynamic benefits, but also offers fundamental engineering opportunities that form the basis of the car’s unique character. It has been designed to allow a much narrower structure overall which in turn contributes to a more compact car that is easier to position on the road and more rewarding to drive.

Not only is the 12C unique in its class by offering carbon technology, it also has the highest specific power output as well as extraordinary power- and torque-to-weight ratios. Furthermore, the Proactive Chassis Control system offers groundbreaking handling and ride comfort while an intense focus on occupant packaging offers new levels of comfort and everyday usability.

Antony Sheriff explained. “With the 12C we are redefining the relationship between performance and practicality, as well as performance and efficiency, achieving leading positions in both. We have designed this car from the inside out. We have a saying in McLaren – ‘everything for a reason’ and the 12C will surprise people in many ways.

“A clear illustration of its special qualities is in the efficiency of its power delivery. With the 12C’s power output of around 600hp and its low CO2 emissions, it delivers the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any car on the market today with an internal combustion engine…and that includes petrol and diesel hybrids,” Sheriff concluded.

Pure McLaren

All the parts of the McLaren MP4-12C are bespoke and unique to this car. Everything from the engine right down to the tailor-made switches and buttons is pure McLaren: nothing has come from another manufacturer’s parts bin.

The 12C is powered by a bespoke McLaren ‘M838T’ 3.8 litre, V8 twin-turbo engine producing around 600bhp, driving through a McLaren seven speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG). It is targeting not only new standards for power and performance in its sector, but also class-leading fuel economy and CO2 emissions; supported by McLaren’s experience of active aerodynamics to aid cooling, grip, handling and road holding.

“The 12C is all about performance,” said Sheriff. “And in McLaren, we have a very broad definition of performance. We don’t just look at the traditional one-dimensional parameters like top speed, we focus equally on useable measures such as in-gear acceleration times, braking performance in all conditions, and efficiency of power delivery combined with the lowest possible fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Sure, 12C is very fast, but it is also the most efficient, most driveable high-performance sports car in the world.

“In the more subjective areas of road-holding, handling, comfort, driver involvement and day-to-day usability, McLaren is achieving new standards for a mid-engined high performance sports car in this sector,” he concluded.

Thorough engineering and market research led to concept development and a clear decision in favour of a mid-engined two door high performance sports car. Intensive work was carried out in the wind tunnel and the driving simulator to ensure that the new car would inherently have superb dynamic qualities.

Dick Glover, McLaren Automotive Technical Director, was closely involved with the development of these invaluable tools during his time with McLaren’s Formula 1 race team.

“There are so many examples of race car process and technology transfer in the 12C,” claimed Glover. “The car owes much to McLaren’s experience and success in motor sport. The advantage of technology transfer is only one element; speed of decision-making and development, F1 processes and people all make an important contribution.

“Brake Steer, for example, is a technology we pioneered on our Formula 1 car back in 1997. It helps to dial out understeer on entry to a corner and improves traction on the way out. Another is the Pre-Cog function on the gearshift rocker that effectively primes the gearbox ready for the next change, ensuring a more satisfying and faster gearchange. This is a high performance sports car with race car genes and teamwork at its heart.”

Adding lightness

Weight is the enemy of performance in every area of car design. It affects acceleration, speed, handling, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – everything. McLaren Automotive engineers pursued weight saving obsessively. For example:

* The Carbon MonoCell not only reduces the weight of the structure but also allows for the use of much lighter weight body panels.

* The close position of the driver and passenger allows a narrower, lighter body while giving improved visibility with a clearer perception of the car’s extremities.

* Brakes with forged aluminium hubs save 8 kg and weigh less than optional carbon ceramic brakes.

* Lightweight exhaust pipes exit straight out the rear of the car, minimizing their length and weight.

* Airflow-assisted Airbrake deployment dramatically reduces weight of the Airbrake activation system.

* Small, compact downsized engine coupled to lightweight compact SSG minimizes vehicle length, weight and polar moment of inertia.

* Significant weight was pared off the alloy wheels through intensive Finite Element Analysis of wall thicknesses.

* The engine cooling radiators were mounted at the rear, as close to the engine as possible, to minimize the pipework, the fluids contained within them, and therefore weight. They were also mounted in car line to minimize vehicle width.

“We have spent most of the programme ‘adding lightness’,” said Mark Vinnels, McLaren Automotive Programme Director. “If the cost of reducing weight brought performance gains in speed, handling or economy, we did it. However, if the expense could deliver improved performance elsewhere we didn’t pursue it. We never set weight targets as such; we set cost-to-performance targets and examined everything in this way.

“A good example of this philosophy is that we considered carbon fibre body panels. They would have reduced weight but added little benefit as the new one-piece Carbon MonoCell provides all of the torsional strength the body needs. The costs saved were used elsewhere for greater weight reduction and efficiencies overall. This was the holistic approach to weight saving that we used all the way through development,” he concluded.

Design: everything for a reason

The McLaren MP4-12C design follows similar principles to McLaren’s Formula 1 cars, and the legendary McLaren F1, where everything is for a reason and all lines, surfaces, and details are designed with a job in mind as much as styled. This ensures that the 12C communicates its engineering through its styling and will remain timeless as a piece of automotive design.

Frank Stephenson, McLaren Automotive Design Director: “Many sports cars and super cars present an ‘in-your-face’, ‘look-at-me’ image that can become wearing and boorish; the ultimate backhanded compliment becomes, “…it was of its time”. Great design, however, is timeless and looks relevant years later. Take the McLaren F1 as an example. I hope that with the 12C we have produced a car that looks great today and will still look great in years to come.”

The 12C’s body has been styled to support sector-leading levels of downforce; downforce that then subsequently contributes to sector-leading levels of lateral grip and stability. Air flow has been manically managed to support all performance figures and light weight targets. For example, placing the radiators adjacent to the engine keeps the car narrow and reduces weight. However, this results in a huge challenge of ensuring ample air flow to the radiators. The result? The large side air scoops and integrated turning vanes that are dramatic, but purely functional. No larger or smaller than required.

The designer’s challenge is to then take that styling purpose driven by engineering aspirations and add personality. That’s why the air scoops resemble the McLaren logo in form, as do other features around the car.

Just two ‘pure’ lines flow round the car and, when combined with the integration of several dramatic convex and concave surfaces, present a car that looks compact, low and well proportioned.

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