McLaren Automotive’s latest project, the MP4-12C, has been introduced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The company describes this car to be a "pure" McLaren as it doesn’t share any part with any other car. Being a McLaren, it’s to be assumed that this is a high performance model. It is powered by a 3.8-liter V8 engine that delivers 600 bhp and 600 Nm of torque. The MP4-12C is based on a rear-wheel drive system and it features two wet clutches.
It is equipped with a McLaren-developed seven speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG) that has numerous configurations that depend on the driver's choice: normal, sport, automatic, launch control and winter. Let’s dissect the MP4-12C name. The MP4 tag has been the chassis designation for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981. The “12" points to McLaren’s internal Vehicle Performance Index.
The “C” is carbon, the primary material used in all future McLaren sports cars. In addition, the MP4-12C features McLaren's new Carbon MonoCell, a newly-developed chassis that boosts the car’s overall performance. It lowers the weight of the structure and also allows for the use of lighter body panels. Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director, said that McLaren is “already a car maker with maturity and experience,” after producing iconic cars like the F1.
