Potential customers of the McLaren MP4-12C are currently Porsche owners?
By Andrew, 07 Sep, 2010. 0 Comments
McLaren MP4-12C
McLaren is hoping to attract Porsche owners to purchase its new MP4-12C supercar, according to Anthony Joseph, the head of its North American division. Instead of current Ferrari owners, Porsche owners are being targeted because McLaren and Porsche have in common a more focused school of thinking based on “substance over style.”
On the other hand, Maranello tends to focus on image and visual flair. Joseph asserts that even before its August appearance at Pebble Beach, about 2,700 parties have already confirmed their interest in the MP4-12C. No payments have been collected but McLaren only needs a third of those who have signed up to complete their orders so that they can attain their 1,000-unit production target for the first year. Joseph also claimed that McLaren seeks to launch one new model or variant of an existing model each year from 2010 until 2015. This means that its annual production target will be brought up to as high as 4,500 units.
“Every aspect of the McLaren MP4-12C has been tuned using the most advanced equipment available,” explained Ian Gough, McLaren Automotive’s Head of Aerodynamics at the launch of the car. “Of course, the requirements in Formula 1 are different to that of the McLaren MP4-12C but there are some features that derive directly from Formula 1 experience. One example is the guide vanes behind the front and rear wheels".
“Rather like the turning vanes behind the front wheels of the McLaren Formula 1 car that have now been banned, the vanes on the underside of the McLaren MP4-12C are designed to divert turbulent airflow created by the wheels. If the wake from the wheels is allowed to interfere with the clean air flowing across the smooth underbody, it prevents this clean air from generating downforce as the diffuser rises at the rear.” added Gough. [via autocar]
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