McLaren Speedtail Reviews

The halo concept is being suggested in some media as the successor to Gordon Murray's legendary McLaren F1, with thoughts the P12 working title may be changed to P1 - a tempting reference to pole position as well as an echo of the F1 nameplate. McLaren promises it will be something special, and while their regional director for Asia Pacific, Ian Gorsuch, won't confirm a name he's happy to talk about numbers. "Naming is always a highly emotive and difficult topic. But we will release the name -- which we believe is right for the car -- when we are ready to release the car," Gorsuch says during a visit to Australia this week. "We have lots of working titles that we use. And we tend to use alphanumeric working titles and also alphanumeric names." However he didn't deny that P1 would be both an emotive and a logical possibility, with its links to the F1 and pole position. "Well, part of our DNA is that we want to win," he said. Gorsuch says the production run of the P12 will be limited to the demands of market response and bespoke build times - although the limits are flexible. "We are being deliberately vague, because what we don't want to do is say there will be 200 cars and then have 250 people who want it and they're the right people. We don't want to annoy 50 people by not building them cars, or build an extra 50 and annoy 200 people who were told it was just 200. But it will definitely be no more that 500 cars for the world. "That's not to say that everyone who wants one will get one, because we have a very limited build window. There are other complications because his is a unique bespoke car so some might take longer to build than others, depending on what the customers specify." Gorsuch says the Paris show car will be an "extreme example" of McLaren's advanced technology, built on the monocell rolling chassis underpinning the MP4-12C, 12C Spider and one-off X-1 concept unveiled at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, sporting the signature dihedral 'butterfly' doors and powered by the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 - although it may get a higher-tune. "We are not revealing the power yet, but we don't get into the game of competing on numbers," Gorsuch says. "This is going to be extreme in technology: how it delivers power, how it handles. Technology is delivering performance with finesse." Gorsuch says McLaren's team is well-equipped for that delivery. "Because we have our own wind tunnel, some of the world's best aerodynamicists and one of the world's most sophisticated simulators, we can use all of this technology to create ultimates in automotive engineering," he says. "What is being shown in Paris is just a wonderful extreme example of how we can do this. I remember speaking to an engineer when we were looking at it and he said "every molecule of air that touches this car has a job to do". However Gorsuch says the P12's "extreme" basis doesn't resort to bizarre design for the sake of attention. "What we don't do is what other manufacturers have done -- create a really extreme thing, call it a concept car, get lots of flash bulbs going off and then not go near it again. "We wouldn't build extreme looks just to be extreme. A hawk is beautiful, not because it sets out to be beautiful, but because it's aerodynamic. It's geared for flying. So that beauty is in aerodynamics and aerodynamics tend to make beautiful things. "So P12 because of its use of aerodynamics is a beautiful and understated car because with no compromise. "In a more normal - if I could say that about the 12C - road car, there are various compromises you have to make: price and benchmarking against the competition. That's the market the 12C is playing in. With the P12 we don't care what market we are playing in. This is just extreme. "Whether it's a spiritual successor to the F1?" he leaves the question floating...  

McLaren has unveiled the X-1 supercar built for an anonymous client who already owns a trio of the brand’s finest efforts, but hankered after something unique.

The one-off track-ready concept will be unveiled this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California. Based on the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 race car – but taking nearly every aspect to a new level – the Can-Am is powered by a revised version of the 12C’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 that develops 470kW. Weight has been kept down to 1200kg (dry), helped by extensive use of carbon fibre, while an aero kit including front splitter, rear diffuser and rear wing increases downforce by a claimed 30 per cent. The car is fitted with a race roll cage, and has nabbed the GT3’s F1-derived steering wheel, backed up with race seats and harnesses. The Can-Am is finished in signature McLaren Orange, set off with the carbon fibre features and black satin forged alloy wheels with Pirelli racing slick tyres and Akenobo brakes.  

Driving simulators such as Forza Motorsport, Gran Turismo and Need for Speed are well-known--and well-loved--here at Motor Authority.However, there is a new title in the works that may upset these video game heavyweights, and that’s GRID 2 from Codemasters.The sequel to 2008’s GRID, the focus of the new game is having arcade-style fun rather than creating a totally realistic driving experience.Nevertheless, the graphics are still as realistic as that of any of the rival games and the lineup of cars looks promising.The list includes the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, McLaren MP4-12C and the Pagani Huayra. The game’s creators say the total list of cars spans four decades and three continents.GRID 2 will be released early to mid-2013 and will be available for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and PC.Motor Authority  

The gruelling 24-hour Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the headline event in the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series, and one of the most demanding events on the motorsport calendar.McLaren GT 'works' driver Rob Bell gives his views on the challenging 7km circuit, its hurdles and highlights, and what makes the 24 hours of Spa so appealing.

F1 and supercar group McLaren has launched a new company, McLaren Animation, with 'Tooned' -- the first of a series of episodes showing a lighthearted look at their F1 team.The show features  McLaren’s two F1 World Champions, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, voicing their own characters, and British actor Alexander Armstrong as skunkworks head, Professor M.McLaren boss Ron Dennis says research showed the brand lacked warmth, and the animated series was developed to increase engagement. "It’s an exciting and creative concept that addresses the insights gleaned from our research in a very innovative way," he says.“I’m confident that the opportunities it presents will be extensive. Creating a more demographically accessible ‘face’ for McLaren will help our brand appeal to a wider audience whilst also fostering increased brand loyalty." The first episode plays on a friendly rivalry between the two drivers, with Professor M playing foil and gatekeeper to the secret lab's weird technology. The series was created in conjunction with the Oscar-winning visual effects and animation studio Framestore, who won their first Oscar in 2008 for Best Visual Effects plus a BAFTA for The Golden Compass, and have also had Oscar nominations for Superman Returns, The Dark Night and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.Framestore worked on the McLaren series with input from Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley ('Ten O’Clock Live’, ‘That Mitchell and Webb Look’ and ‘The Armstrong and Miller Show’). The characters were first mapped out and then voiced -- with Hamilton, Button and Armstrong encouraged to ad-lib and play off against each other.So is there a Professor M lurking in a secret underground skunkworks at McLaren? No, although the actor behind the voice, Alexander Armstrong, says the character could be drawn from real people. “Professor M isn’t based on anyone specific, but I guess you could say that he’s a blend of Steve Jobs from Apple, ‘Q’ from the James Bond movies, and, yes, maybe even one or two people from behind the scenes at the McLaren Technology Centre," he says.‘Tooned’ will be broadcast as a series of three-minute episodes coinciding with each Formula 1 Grand Prix, and will air in the UK on the SKY Sports F1 channel before each race. 

And it sounds every bit as good as it looks. Footage of the convertible supercar pouring it on for the camera is backed by a howling soundtrack.The lightweight carbon-fibre roof is shown being retracted on able move -- which it's able to do in just 40 seconds at speeds up to 30km/h, folding into a 52-litre storage area under a tonneau cover. McLaren has designed a set of luggage to fit into the space when it’s not taken up by the roof.Unlike Ferrari’s 458 Spider, the McLaren convertible roof still allows the engine to be seen through the  glass cover behind the tonneau. A powered rear windscreen acts as a buffeting deflector, but can be lowered to allow full engine roar into the cabin.The open sibling to its MP4-12C is based on the same ultralight, rigid chassis, but will get a higher-powered version of the mid-mounted McLaren-designed M838T 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8.The MP4-12CSpider's engine develops 470kW of power -- 18kW more than the original MP4-12C's 441kW, and in line with the recent power upgrade for the coupe – and maintains the 601Nm of torque. It matches the coupe’s 100km/h time of 3.1 seconds, but is about 5km down on top speed at 315km/h.We will get the first Australian look at the MP4-12C Spider 'in the metal' later this year, with the first customer cars arriving in January 2013. 

It will land in Australia next year with the promise of a 329km/h top speed, a 3.1-second sprint to 100km/h, and a folding carbon fibre roof panel with a retractable rear window. But, and it's a big but, the bottom line is at least $543,900 and there is already a queue. "For some time now we've had considerable customer interest in the spider and have a considerable list of those who want to talk to us. We already have expressions of interest with deposit ," says Greg Duncan, of McLaren in Australia. Earlier pictures of the 12C Spider showed a classy conversion of the road-rocket coupe and that's confirmed with details of a roof that can be raised or lowered in 17 seconds, at speeds up to 30km/h, as well as the rear window. The retractable rear glass works as a wind blocker when the top is down but can also be retracted with the roof in place to allow engine and exhaust noise from the twin-turbo V8 into the cabin. McLaren has just previewed the car in pictures and says the first Spiders will be ready to drive in England in October. The plan for Australia is still being finalised, but Duncan optimistic. "We will know more soon, however I expect we will see them on the road in Australia in the first half of next year," he says. He is enthusiastic about the car, and it's potential to draw buyers who might be looking at anything from a Ferrari 458 or Lamborghini Gallardo spider to the new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. "I have seen it in the flesh and it is gorgeous, when one understands the technology in the 12C you can immediately see how competitive this car will be in every respect.  The second model in the 21st century McLaren lineup shares almost everything with the 12C coupe, from its carbon fibre MonoCell chassis to its 455-kiloWatt V8 engine. The retractable hardtop is opened using a single switch in the centre console and McLaren says the roof conversion also 52 litres of luggage space under the tonneau area when the roof is up. Not surprisingly, McLaren has designed special luggage for the space and it is part of the Spider package. In case of a rollover, there is a special steel structure in the roof supports to provide passive protection.  

In addition to dropping its top, the newcomer has officially dropped the MP4 part of the name, appearing as just the McLaren 12C Spider. As suggested on Carsguide previously, the roof is a lightweight carbon-fibre construction, weighing 40kg and able to be retracted in just 40 seconds at speeds up to 30km/h, folding into a 52-litre storage area under a tonneau cover. McLaren has designed a set of luggage to fit into the space when it’s not taken up by the roof. Unlike Ferrari’s 458 Spider, the McLaren convertible roof still allows the engine to be seen through the  glass cover behind the tonneau. A powered rear windscreen acts as a buffeting deflector, but can be lowered to allow full engine roar into the cabin. The open sibling to its MP4-12C is based on the same ultralight, rigid chassis, but will get a higher-powered version of the mid-mounted McLaren-designed M838T 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. The MP4-12CSpider's engine will develop 470kW of power -- 18kW more than the original MP4-12C's 441kW, and in line with the recent power upgrade for the coupe – and maintains the 601Nm of torque. It matches the coupe’s 100km/h time of 3.1 seconds, but is about 5km down on top speed at 315km/h. McLaren's official statement says the MP4-12C coupe’s dynamics are retained, and that the MP4-12C Spider "will be just as dynamic to drive.  But removing the roof will dial up the sensations experienced, the emotions felt and the noise heard.  Especially at the speeds the 12C Spider will be capable of.   And true to McLaren’s ethos of offering high performance without compromise, the 12C Spider will be more usable than any car this exciting has a right to be." Australian HQ for McLaren, Trivett, has already sold out their quota of the MP4-12C coupe -- and has a waiting list. There's little doubt there'll be the same response to the MP4-12C Spider when it arrives in around six months. McLaren Sydney general manager Matt Tunstall says Trivett is expecting a strong order book for the convertible. "There will be a big take-up of the MP4-12C Spider here - We think we'll sell upwards of 75 per cent of the Spider over the coupe," he says. "From what I've seen, the design is outstanding, the performance isn't affected -- it's still to the same high level of the coupe, and maintains the acceleration and top speed. Purely on looks and design and specification, we think there will be an exceptional take-up for Spider." Tunstall says we will get the first Australian look at the MP4-12C Spider 'in the metal' later this here. "We're hopeful to have first demonstration car arrive by the end of 2012 -- sometime in Novemer or December -- with the first customer cars arriving in January 2013 at this stage." And the head of McLaren in Australia, Greg Duncan, agrees after having seen the car before its official reveal. "I have seen the new McLaren Spider in the flesh and it is gorgeous," Duncan says.  "When one understands the technology in the 12C you can immediately see how competitive this car will be in every respect." Configure your own MP4-12C at the McLaren website.  

That's the day the top comes off the MP4-12C coupe and McLaren unleashes its first convertible.