McLaren MP4-12C Officially Revealed

McLaren Automotive has just unveiled the company's latest contraption, the long-awaited MP4-12C which, according to the parent manufacturer, is a "pure" McLaren as it shares absolutely no part with other car. Since we're talking about a McLaren, the car is obviously a high performance model so it comes equipped with a 3.8-liter V8 engine that generates 600 bhp and 600 Nm of torque.

Based on a rear-wheel drive system and featuring two wet clutches, the boasts a McLaren-developed seven speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG) that offers multiple configurations, depending on the driver's choice: normal, sport, automatic, launch control and winter.

In case you're wondering what the name stands for, the MP4 tag has been the chassis designation for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981. Additionally, the "12" refers to McLaren’s internal Vehicle Performance Index while the C points to carbon, the main material used in all future McLaren sports cars, as the company states.

And because we're talking about carbon fiber, the car features McLaren's new Carbon MonoCell, a newly-developed chassis that contributes to the overall performance of the car. It not only reduces the weight of the structure but also allows the manufacturer to implement lighter body panels.

“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.”

The car will officially go on sale in early 2011 and, even if there are no pricing details at this moment, it will most likely enter the £125,000 - £175,000 (142,200 euros - 200,000 euros) price range. McLaren says that 25 percent of the units will be sold in the UK and 25 percent in the US, while the remaining models will be delivered all around the world, especially in Germany and Europe.