McLaren MP4-12C News

The world's newest supercar company has Australia in its sights and is finalising a down under distribution plan for its first car, the McLaren MP4-12C.  McLaren Cars intends to have three supercars in production within five years and is going all-out to rival Ferrari and Lamborghini, tapping its winning experience in Formula One for everything from a new V8 engine to grand prix-style aerodynamics. The MP4-12C has already been revealed and McLaren executives have recently been in Australia to scout for a local agent.  One of the companies it targeted is the Trivett Automotive group, which is already the Australian importer and sole dealer for Rolls- Royce, the Aston Martin importer for NSW, Victoria and the ACT, and the Bentley importer for NSW and the ACT. "Yes we have spoken to McLaren. We are very keen, because I think it will be a terrific brand and I think it's a terrific product to fit alongside the brands we already represent," says the head man at Trivett Automotive, Greg Duncan. "It will be low volume but a terrific car. And there is a roll-out plan for three models.  We were contacted by McLaren and they indicated they had been referred to us. I believe they have talked to a couple of companies in Sydney and Melbourne." Duncan does not know the other companies involved in the McLaren pitch but he believes Trivett has a good chance.  "From what we can gather, their preference is to appoint an importer- dealer in Sydney, and then in due course that operation would roll out a dealership in Melbourne. They are the two priority locations for McLaren." Duncan says McLaren has big plans for its supercar operation, which is run by former F1 boss Ron Dennis. He is the front man for the 12C project and also led McLaren's previous road-car efforts with the McLaren F1 - which was the world's fastest road car for a decade - and the joint-venture Mercedes-McLaren SLR. "What they were able to show us as the insights into the McLaren company was very impressive. It's a business that makes money, and they are very aggressive," Duncan says.  "There are three models in the plan. They are talking about a volume planning of around 25-30 per cent of Ferrari's volumes.  The first model they will introduce into Australia, early 2011, is the mid-priced model. It's about $500,000.  The second model they would probably introduce within 12 months, will be left-hand drive only so no real interest to Australia. In the following year they will have their third model, the lower priced and highest-volume car." Duncan says Trivett expects a decision from McLaren early next year on its agency.  "They have gone back to think about it. They indicated they would be back in touch within two or three months with the party they want to progress with," he says.

The McLaren Automotive MP4-12C, the first of a range of machines from the world's most successful racing car company, is a carbon-cored, Formula One-inspired bespoke design that is not only rapid but boasts one of the lowest CO2 emissions in its class. McLaren, driven by chairman Ron Dennis, has already built two critically-acclaimed sportscars — the McLaren F1 (1993-1998) and the world's best-selling luxury supercar, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (2003-2009). The mid-engined MP4-12C takes the price tag down a notch, expecting to debut in the $250,000-$350,000 bracket. That puts it up against the Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin DB9. The car doesn't share any components with other cars — even the engine is inhouse — and will be built in England at McLaren's factory. McLaren Automotive managing director Antony Sheriff says the company planned a range of sports cars that were true to its philosophy. "When we embarked on the 12C project, we wanted to re-write the rules of sports car design," he says "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. To achieve this result, we designed every component from scratch to meet the extreme goals of the 12C and avoid any compromise. Forget what you know about sports car companies, McLaren is different." The car is built with a Carbon MonoCell — a carbon-composite construction pioneered by McLaren in the 1981 Formula One MP4/1 model — but to reduce costs, is moulded as one piece. It is the first time a chassis has been made this way. McLaren claims that this design allows a much narrower structure overall which creates a more compact car that is easier to position on the road and more rewarding to drive. The engine is a bespoke McLaren 1M838T2 3.8-litre, V8 bi-turbo that produces about 450kW/600Nm and drives through a McLaren seven-speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG). Sheriff says the engine delivers the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any car on the market with an internal combustion engine "and that includes petrol and diesel hybrids". Although the recent economic downturn has affected the performance car sector, McLaren Automotive believes that the MP4-12C's market segment has grown from 8000 sales in 2000 to more than 28,000 in 2007. Sheriff says this highlights the potential that exists and that it will soon return to at least 2007 levels. "By the time the 12C is launched in 2011 we expect the economic conditions to be much improved," he says. "We have already seen significant interest in the car and the supply of the 12C will be relatively scarce; in its first year we plan to produce just 1000 cars which represents only 3.5 per cent of its market." McLaren Automotive will distribute the 12C and future models through a brand-new retail network in all global markets.

What does this signify? As one might expect with the high performance sportscar maker, everything has a purpose and the nomenclature is no exception.'MP4' is the chassis designation for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981. It stands for McLaren Project 4, resulting from the merger of Ron Dennis' Project 4 organisation with McLaren. The '12' refers to McLaren's internal Vehicle Performance Index through which it rates key performance criteria both for competitors and for its cars.The criteria combine power, weight, emissions, and aerodynamic efficiency. The coalition of all these values delivers an overall performance index that has been used as a benchmark throughout the car's development. The `C' refers to Carbon, highlighting the car's all carbon fibre body. If that doesn't give you indigestion then the MP4's performance will.The car gets a McLaren-built “M838T” 3.8-litre, V8 twin-turbo engine with dual variable valve timing producing around 448kW/600Nm, driving through a McLaren seven-speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG) and powering up to 8500 revs.A staggering 80 per cent of torque is available at below 2000 revs, ensuring great drivability. A dry sump and flat plane crankshaft allow the engine to be placed extremely low in the chassis thereby lowering the centre of gravity and improving handling.It also has composite cam covers and intake manifolds, which reduce weight and heat transmission into the charge air, as well as Nikasil-coated aluminum liners for further lower weight.The car features a system called Brake Steer, a development of an electronic system used by the F1 team that brakes the inside rear wheel when the car is entering a corner too quickly. It works to stop the car understeering.Like the McLaren SLR and Bugatti Veyron, the 12C gets an air brake to assist with high-speed stopping power.Inside, driver and passenger sit close to minimise the car's width. The dashboard is an exercise in minimalism.Each scissor-action door houses climate controls and there is a digital display and huge central rev counter, a Volvo-style free-floating console with transmission buttons and a launch control, and cupholders.McLaren calls the centre console gear an “active dynamics panel”, which can tailor power and handling to three different settings, normal, sport and high performance modes.The McLaren is clearly aimed at Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin. The company will make just 1000 cars a year with a pricetag of more than $350,000. It goes on sale in Europe in 2011.McLaren Automotive chairman, Ron Dennis, says it has been a dream of his to develop a range of high-performance sportscars `that set new standards in the industry'.