McLaren Automotive Is Born Then Launches MP4-12C (Video)

About 24 hours ago on the other side of the pond (that’s the UK for those not down with the lingo) McLaren Automotive formally announced itself as an auto manufacturer and made the official debut of the MP4-12C.  Media from all around the world were in attendance (except us) and sat front row as Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button pulled the sheet off McLaren’s newest supercar.  The 12C looks pretty hot and it has some of the most advanced technologies ever put into a road car and most of that was detailed in the presentation.  What was not detailed were the three most important numbers: horsepower, price, and release date.

However with the company finally official, off and running I would expect those facts to become common knowledge within short order.  You can check out some pics below as well as a video of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button taking a pair of 12C’s out for a little test run!

Press Release Excerpt:

McLaren Automotive today

Although McLaren’s heritage lies principally on the race circuit, the blend of qualities such as ambition, drive and commitment, with more tangible assets such as aerodynamic skills, rapid development through simulation techniques, supreme electronics expertise and a ruthless quest for reliability, have equipped the company to turn Ron Dennis and his shareholders’ dreams into reality.

Taking the vision and turning that into an effective, profitable and world-class car company lies in the hands of McLaren Automotive’s Managing Director, Antony Sheriff, and the teams run by his fellow directors, Alan Foster (Operations Director), Dick Glover (Technical Director), Paul Mackenzie (Projects Director), Mario Micheli (Commercial and Marketing Director), Frank Stephenson (Design Director), Mark Vinnels (Programme Director), Mark Wilson (Finance Director), and Ben Wright (Purchasing Director).

The first car in the range, the 12C is now in the final stages of development, and the first stages of production. It has been designed and developed by a world-class team of engineers and test drivers, and will be built to world-class levels of quality and reliability. All development processes have benefited from McLaren’s expertise in Formula 1, and constant integration with the racing team’s techniques and personnel will set new standards in performance for the road.

Sheriff summed up the focus for McLaren Automotive, inspired by high expectations laid down through the years at McLaren, “”The overriding principle that has driven us to where we are today is that every car will be ‘pure’ McLaren. This means that each and every component has been conceived, designed and produced to McLaren’s specification to meet the extreme requirements of the 12C. There are no carryover components, because they were not good enough. Similarly, our test programmes, production processes and aftersales plans are also brand new and bespoke to McLaren. We have considered everything from a blank sheet of paper to be the best. Being “as good” as everyone else is not good enough; we need to be the best

“Whether it’s the revolutionary carbon MonoCell to the switchgear, or a desire to design cars that can be repaired more quickly and accurately than our competitors, we will deliver cars and a service to our customers, of which we are personally proud.

“One fundamental result of this passion to produce a pure McLaren is that the 12C is what I call the ‘and’ car. Compared to its competition, it will have better performance ‘and’ be more fuel efficient; it will be lighter ‘and’ stronger, safer, and fully equipped; it will be smaller in its exterior dimensions ‘and’ spacious inside; it will better handling ‘and’ be more comfortable.

“As for the 12C’s performance, efficiency is a key aim; efficiency in performance is a goal that we believe our customers will appreciate. With 600PS it will be the most powerful car in its class, yet aiming to produce CO2 figures below 300g/km, we expect to produce each horsepower more efficiently than any car on sale today featuring a petrol, diesel or hybrid engine.

“And our performance goals do not just relate to the 12C, but the car ownership experience itself: McLaren Automotive will offer new standards of customer service through its dedicated network of the world’s best car retailers.

“When I came here, Ron inspired me with his belief that winning Formula 1 races was simply doing your job. After that, it was a question of how you won, how immaculate was the car, how polished the team that delivered that victory. That’s the winning attitude that permeates throughout McLaren Automotive and sets us apart from our competitors,” Sheriff concluded.