McLaren MP4-12C

[James_graham]

New Mclaren Car,

Looks very nice!


http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009 ... 76858.html

[deus1066]

Looks like it could be very impressive.

Nice video on BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8159777.stm

The MSN website has a nice set of pics and summarises the technology too.

[Motornic]

Nice, but next to the F1, the MP4-12c looks like the older car. Reminds me of a Tesla. The F1 dates the MP4-whatever considerably, which is saying a lot for the design of the "old" car. Still it's an improvement to the ungainly McMerc SLR

[wesley123]

really goodlooking car, cant say more

[mx_tifoso]

The side gills are hideous. And it could have been a more original design, it looks much to similar to the rest of the mid engine cars out there.

[ESPImperium]

The side gills are hideous. And it could have been a more original design, it looks much to similar to the rest of the mid engine cars out there.

Gills i can live with. Bua as for the simmilar design, blame the European Laws for that as they specify certain angles for bonnets for cars to aid a persons chances of getting run over by a car etc... All saftey elements.

[mx_tifoso]

I couldn't live with those grills, I'm admire clean lines way too much. But thanks for pointing out the EU laws regarding the frontal sections.

[modbaraban]

I really hope they make a GT2 racing version!

[Giblet]

Front looks very Modena from this above 3/4 shot.

Efficient aero is spoiling the looks of cars. Nothing looks original anymore.

This car looks like a Saleen S7 and Modena had a baby, then hit it with the 'whoopie do' stick for an hour or so.

I want a new Mclaren to ooze something. It should get my blood racing.

Whoopie do (whack!).

The only original styling element I can see is the rear view mirrors, and that is slick. Should make it nice and easy to see the copied shape of the Carrera GT air intakes.

It better drive like the dog's bollocks.

EDIT: After watching the video, I can say it looks better on the ground, but not _that_ much better.

That was a lot of Jay Leno to handle. Any Jay Leno is too much Jay Leno.

[deus1066]

That 80kg monocoque is very impressive. And its good to see its all Mclaren, and not just bits borrowed of Mercedes/BMW etc. It does look very "generic mid engined supercar" aka Ferrari 360 Modena, Saleen S7, Ascari KZ1... but the designer said that was on purpose, as he wanted it to be "classic" looking.

Reading around, it has a "seamless shift" gearbox (double clutch?) with some sort of pre selecting called PreCog (minority report, anyone?), clever braking which works with the steering to help eradicate understeer and some clever suspension stuff too.

At the end of the day, if it provides Enzo/Zonda/Carrera GT performance but for £175,000 then it should be pretty good.

[Motornic]

Can't tell from the angle, but I can't tell if the top corner of the cam covers are plastic. Hopefully that doesn't mean they went with a timing belt.

Every time I changed one of those things, unless it was a Honda, it always felt like a cheap engineering job instead of using a proper chain.

[scarbs]

Can't tell from the angle, but I can't tell if the top corner of the cam covers are plastic. Hopefully that doesn't mean they went with a timing belt.

Every time I changed one of those things, unless it was a Honda, it always felt like a cheap engineering job instead of using a proper chain.

I'd assumed the top end would have been driven by gears...

[mx_tifoso]

... clever braking which works with the steering to help eradicate understeer.

Say goodbye to the rotors...

That was a lot of Jay Leno to handle. Any Jay Leno is too much Jay Leno.

Take that back! jk

[tk421]

a couple of you mentioned the saleen s7....are they still going to build the raptor? i think the raptor looks a lot better than the mclaren even though they are similar cars...

[Giblet]

... clever braking which works with the steering to help eradicate understeer.

Say goodbye to the rotors...

That was a lot of Jay Leno to handle. Any Jay Leno is too much Jay Leno.

Take that back! jk

Don't get me wrong, I love Jay Leno the car guy. As soon as he has a jean shirt on he's cool. When he has a suit on, he becomes Mr. Unfunny Monologue Repeat-A-Joke.