InsideLux – The Luxury News Authority

McLaren finally unveiled its long awaited super car the McLaren MP4-12C today. Developed entirely in-house, the McLaren MP4-12C gets its designation from three sources; ‘MP4’ because every McLaren grand prix car has used that designation since 1981, ‘12’ because that is its efficiency coefficient according to a secret McLaren performance scale and ‘C’ because the important bits are made from carbonfibre.
According to McLaren, the MP4-12C is the most efficient, most drivable high-performance sports car in the world”; the engine revs to 8,500rpm; 80 per cent of the torque is available below 2,000rpm and has more power per gram of CO2 than any car that is not fully electric.
The McLaren MP4-12C is priced at £160,000 ($265k) thanks to the body panels being soley made of carbon fiber and composites; this means the MP4-12C is more expensive to build than its competitors ie Ferrari 458 Italia or the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 but lighter in weight too.
The McLaren MP4-12C will go on sale sometime in 2011 but faces stiff competition from the new, well-received Ferrari 458 and the Porsche 91; McLaren is planning on building 1000 units in 2011, a quarter of which will go to the domestic UK and American markets.