Today McLaren organised an introduction of the McLaren MP4-12C at the Louwman Museum in The Hague, The Netherlands. Despite the fact that we spend some time with the McLaren up close nearly a year ago already, there was still a lot of enthusiasm when we received the invite for today. Maybe not so surprisingly if you realize that the McLaren MP4-12C will probably battle with the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 for the title of most renewing supercar of the year, and possibly of the last five years. Both share virtually no components with other cars and reinvent the way supercars work. McLaren beats Lamborghini if it comes to that reinventing without a doubt but its the publics and customer opinion that determines who is the real winner. Of course the McLaren MP4-12C and Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 are not in the same price range so the comparison is not entirely fair, they actually both should get the credits they deserve.
At the introduction today McLaren shed some light on the phase they are currently in with the MP4-12C. European customer deliveries will start this spring in Europe and will soon be followed by North America, the Middle East and South Africa. Towards the end of the year also clients in Asia and Australia can expect to take delivery of their MP4-12C. In total McLaren aims to produce 1,000 MP4-12’s this year and increase production over 2012. According to the European McLaren director at this moment 1,500 orders have been placed but to ensure a global spread of the new McLaren, the 1,000 cars this year will be assigned over the various dealerships based partly on demand and partly on a predefined distribution model. The McLaren importer for The Netherlands and Belgium didn’t communicate any exact numbers but he did say there are still some slots available with expected delivery before the end of the year.
Other interesting facts about the McLaren MP4-12C that most people probably haven’t heard about yet is that McLaren stores every single spare part for the McLaren MP4-12C at dealer level. This means that when you need it, its there and you don’t have to wait for the dealer to order the part as its already stored at the dealer. This is a costly exercise but takes the service to a new level. The McLaren MP4-12C itself comes equipped with a diagnostics system that has its roots in the F1. It allows the factory to read diagnostics from your car anywhere in the world via a bluetooth connection to your phone or laptop when it is required.
We have published the specifications of the McLaren MP4-12C numerous times already, but this article wouldn’t be complete without them:
Engine: 3.8 liter twin turbo V8
Output: 600hp / 600Nm @ 3,000-7,000rpm
Weight: 1,434kg
Acceleration 0-100km/h: 3.1 seconds
Acceleration 0-200km/h: 8.9 seconds
Top speed: 330km/h
Normally there’s always a little voice in your head, or a commenter for that matter, that says it’s not just about figures and straight line performance but also about handling. McLaren invented something called Pro-Active Chassis Control to ensure great handling under any condition. And according to factory drivers and independent journalists, the McLaren MP4-12C is not just fast but also handles great. McLaren today described the MP4-12C as ‘Lighter, faster, safer and more efficient than the competition’. We will soon find out if they can make it stick!
