McLaren · 2011–2014

McLaren MP4-12C

The McLaren MP4-12C, later rebranded as the McLaren 12C, is a sports car produced by the British carmaker McLaren Automotive. Manufactured between 2011 and 2014, the MP4-12C was available as both a coupe and a retractable hard-top convertible, the latter known as the "Spider". The 12C marked McLaren's return to production car sales for the first time since 1998, when the F1 ceased production. Development began in 2005, and the car made its online debut in September 2009 as the MP4-12C. McLaren began series manufacturing the car in February 2011 at the company's facility in Woking, Surrey. The 12C Spider debuted in July 2012. Production ended in April 2014 with more than 3,400 units manufactured. It was succeeded by the 650S, with which the 12C shares most of its components. The 12C has a carbon fibre composite chassis and a turbocharged V8 engine that generates a power output of 453 kilowatts (607 bhp) and a torque output of 600 newton-metres (440 lbf⋅ft).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: McLaren 650S

All McLaren MP4-12C data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Name

The McLaren Formula One team has used the "MP4" prefix as its chassis designation since 1981. This acronym stands for "McLaren Project 4", which originated from the merger of Ron Dennis' organisation, Project Four Racing, with McLaren. The "12" in the name refers to McLaren's internal "Vehicle Performance" index, which evaluates cars based on four key criteria: power, weight, emissions, and aerodynamics. The "C" in the name signifies that the car features a carbon structure. In 2012, McLaren dropped the "MP4" part of its name, simplifying it to "12C".

Development

McLaren began developing the 12C in 2005. In June 2007, Autocar magazine reported that McLaren's upcoming sports car would be independently built by the company, stating that it would give the company "a chance to re-establish [its] credentials at the top-end of the market". McLaren had not sold a production car since the F1 ceased production in 1998. To develop the car, McLaren used modified versions of existing vehicles from other manufacturers as test mules. The first prototype, called the MV1, was a Ferrari 360 that featured a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and side vents for additional cooling, which were eventually incorporated into the final production model. A second prototype, the MV2, was a modified Ultima GTR used to test the braking system and suspension components. A third prototype, the MV3, was another modified Ferrari 360 used to test the exhaust system. McLaren subsequently developed two in-house prototypes, the CP1 and CP2, which featured a "MonoCell" monocoque and were used to test heat management and performance. McLaren would produce over fifty experimental prototypes and test them in various regions to evaluate their performance in different environments. The testing locations included hot weather conditions in Bahrain, Arizona, and Nevada, cold weather conditions in the Arctic and Sweden, high-altitude conditions in South Africa and endurance testing on various circuits and roads in Europe. The head of testing for the programme, Geoff Grose, noted that the development team established bases at Idiada in northern Spain and the Prototipo facility near Nardo in Italy, where they conducted 24-hour testing sessions as well as 18-hour sessions from 8 am to 2 am the next day. In 2008, Frank Stephenson was appointed lead design director of McLaren,

Design

The 12C incorporates a carbon fibre structure called the "MonoCell". Compared to traditional riveted alloy structures, the MonoCell's weight is reduced, and its stiffness is improved. The design's cost-effectiveness, swift production and flexibility made it suitable for adoption in other McLaren models. The company invested £127.7 million into the MonoCell. Manufactured by Carbo Tech in Salzburg, Austria, the carbon fibre structure weighs 80 kilograms (176 lb). The advances in carbon fibre fabrication reduced the time required to produce a MonoCell from 3,000 hours for the F1 and 500 hours for the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, to four hours for the 12C. The development of the MonoCell also created approximately 100 new jobs, both in the construction of the new facility and in the production of the monocoque. Carbo Tech went on to manufacture the MonoCell for McLaren cars for over eight years, making this the world's largest carbon fibre order for series-produced cars. The 12C is a sports car with the body style of a two-door coupe. It has dihedral doors, and it has a rear-wheel drive layout with a longitudinally-placed mid-engine. The 12C features a double wishbone and hydraulic suspension, the latter referred to as the ProActive Chassis Control. The car uses hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion power steering powered by an electric pump rather than a traditional belt driven pump from the engine. The standard front brakes of the car feature a four-piston fixed caliper configuration, paired with a two-piece front rotor. The 12C uses a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine codenamed "M838T", which was produced by Ricardo PLC in West Sussex, England. It produces a power output of 453 kilowatts (616 PS) at 7,500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a torque output of 601 newton

Reception

On 10 July 2011, the MP4-12C set the second fastest lap around Top Gear's test track, posting a time of 1 minute and 16.2 seconds. The car was developed and tested by McLaren on the Top Gear test track as part of their product development, long before its appearance on the show. It was 1.1 seconds slower than the Ariel Atom 500 and 2.4 seconds slower than the Pagani Huayra. The MP4-12C lapped the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 28 seconds. The MP4-12C won the Middle East "Car of the Year" Award as "Best Supercar" in 2012 and overall "Car of the Year" at the Middle East Motor Awards the same year.

Spider

The 12C Spider is a convertible version of the MP4-12C with a retractable hardtop. Because the coupe was designed from the outset with a convertible version in mind, no additional strengthening was needed for the Spider and it weighs only 40 kg (88 lb) more than the coupe. McLaren has worked to keep the Spider's top speed 204 mph (328 km/h) close to the coupé's 207 mph (333 km/h) top speed and up to 196 mph (315 km/h) is possible roof down. Meanwhile, the dihedral doors of the coupé are retained.

MP4-12C HS

In March 2012, McLaren released pictures of five 12C HS taken in front of the McLaren Technology Center. The HS stands for High Sport. The 12C HS has different wheels and revised aerodynamic features inspired from the 12C GT3 such as a revised front end and rear bumper, larger vents and diffuser and a modified rear wing. Power was also increased by 75 horsepower. Mclaren only made 10 units of the MP4-12C HS. In January 2016, a 12C HS painted in F1 Vodafone Racing Team colours reportedly commissioned by Ron Dennis was offered for sale at Mecum's Kissimmee auction with 203 miles. It had an estimate of $1,300,000 – $1,600,000 and didn't sell. The same F1 Vodafone Racing Team was offered again in January 2017 at Mecum's Kissimmee auction with an estimate of $950,000 – $1,200,000 where it still didn't sell.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.