It kind of took forever, but McLaren has come clean with the official performance specs of the MP4-12C, now that production is underway. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 will pump out 592 horses and will push the coupe to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds. Drivers will be able to shave .2 seconds off that time in optional Corsa tires, and will be able to double that speed in 9.1 seconds (8.9 with Corsa tires). Top speed won’t come until 205 mph.

And to think, the MP4-12C will just be the entry-level supercar of the McLaren family… [via WCF]

We were in our infancy here at MotorCrave when the McLaren MP4-12C first appeared a year and a half ago. So it seems like it’s taken forever to get here, but we’re quite happy to report that production is underway. McLaren issued a statement that it’s begun working on the first of 1,000 2011 production models at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, England. Officially, McLaren likes to call it “Chassis 01.”

A quick summary: The MP4-12C is a light, spry twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8-powered car that puts out 600 horses and 442 lb-ft. It bases at $229,000 in the U.S.

Jump the break for a new MP4-12C video. [via WCF]

Continue Reading

McLaren announced U.S. pricing this week on the MP4-12C, which will hit the market later this year, and the pre-gas-guzzler-tax sticker is a cool $231,400. McLaren is still figuring out how much–if anything–the gas guzzler tax will cost customers.

As InsideLine notes, the price puts  the MP4-12C at a premium over such competitors as the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari 458 Italia, the most expensive of which–the 458–costs $227,325. Of course, given McLaren’s history (can you say F1), long absence from the market and current line-up of just the MP4-12C, I’d think it’d be safe to assume that the price premium won’t affect sales too badly.

Continue Reading

Last year, we got the news that the Mercedes/McLaren SLR was officially retiring. We were pretty ambivalent: on the one hand, we loved the SLR. On the other hand, the tuners loved it too, and that was often a bad, bad thing.

Well, out of the blue, the SLR is back, in a limited edition called the McLaren Edition SLR, kind of strange for a retired car, but who are we to nitpick. McLaren introduced the car at the Essen Motor Show this week.

Continue Reading

The Swiss just have no damn taste in cars. Their originals look awful and their tunes are even worse. I covered this horrifying McLaren SLR tune over a year ago for our 10 worst list, but even though the SLR retired last year, it’s still making the show rounds.

Appearing at Germany’s Dortmund MY CAR tuning show this week, the Ueli Anliker SLR features 5 kg worth of horrendous gold-plated finish inside and out. Just in case that doesn’t scream: “Hey, look at me! I’m a filthy rich knob!!!” loud enough, it also gets a painfully bright red exterior and more than 600 rubies all around.

The car’s estimated value is upwards of $5 million. [via WCF]

We may not yet have any visual on the McLaren F1 replacement, but there’s plenty on the company’s lower end MP4-12C. Most recently, the car made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it took to the street in front of all forms of cameras.

See what that twin-turbo V8 can do on the infamous ascent in the three minutes of glorious video below. [via MotorAuthority]

Continue Reading

Wow, this week has been absolutely epic in terms of supercar news. We have news about the current fastest car in the world, a possible future fastest car in the world, and now, the past title holder of fastest car in the world. McLaren is reportedly hard at work on its next car: a replacement for its F1, a car that held the top speed spot back in the 90′s with its 231 mph top speed.

Continue Reading

Before eager McLaren buyers will be able to get their hands on an MP12-4C, the British supercar-maker will have to set up its global dealership. On that path, McLaren has announced its first wave of dealerships, which will include 35 individual locations in 19 countries. The dealerships are scheduled to open in 2011.

Continue Reading

On any other day, the introduction of the McLaren MP4-12C would be more than enough automotive eye candy. But on this particular day in the picture above, 21 of the expensive and rare former fastest production car in the world gathered to make it a truly spectacular ogle-fest.

Taken last month at McLaren’s event at its headquarters, the picture shows the F1, of which just over 100 models were ever produced, in all types of colors and dress. It’s sure to nice to see about 20 percent of the world’s F1s all gathered together. [via WCF]