We know that the fight for supercar supremacy is a heated one between a handful of serious competitors, but it just took a turn for the nasty. McLaren Chairman Ron Dennis called the Bugatti Veyron “a complete piece of junk” in an interview with Arabian Business, going on to say that the Veyron can’t handle and looks “pig ugly”. Wow, no words minced there.
What goes together better than a Friday afternoon and an all-new McLaren configurator? Perhaps a Friday afternoon, McLaren configurator and a robust lager, but you probably don’t want to push your luck with the last option. Instead, right click on the MP4-12C configurator below, open a new window so you still look like you’re working and spend time designing your very own McLaren MP4-12C with choice of 17 high-grade paints (and eight additional Special finishes), five interior leather trims, performance upgrades and other options.
After painstakingly designing the MP4-12C that you’ll never drive, you might just have to call it an early weekend because working hard to avoid hard work deserves a reward. Grab that lager on your way home to pat yourself on the back. [via McLaren]
Yesterday, when McLaren unveiled the long-awaited MP4-12C, company execs mentioned that they intend to build a family of cars. Unfortunately, they didn’t expand on that, but reports are circulating in auto rags that provide a little insight into the make-up of that family.
In terms of the MP4-12C, McLaren will offer convertible and racing versions, in addition to the standard coupe we’ve already seen. The company is currently working on two new cars, and speculation dictates that McLaren will surround the MP4-12C with a 911 competitor underneath and a high-performance F1 replacement up above.
Here at MotorCrave, we appreciate us some good car videos, especially when those car videos feature two top F1 drivers taking a new McLaren to the track. It really don’t get much better than that.
The video waiting for you to hit ‘play’ mixes some nice shots of the McLaren MP4-12C with some on-track footage of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton letting the car out of its cage at Goodwood. You’ll also get to hear their impressions of the car. What the hell else do you need to hear? Go man, go!
The McLaren MP4-12C hasn’t exactly been a stranger around these parts, but until today, it wasn’t official either. McLaren held a press conference in which McLaren Chairman Ron Dennis and Managing Director Antony Sheriff (killer name) outlined the future plans of the brand, first and foremost of which is the launch of the MP4-12C.
McLaren will produce 1,000 MP4-12Cs at its new, $60 million production facility. Unlike the McLaren F1, the MP4-12C won’t be among the top of the top supercars and will slide into the $190K to $270K market segment. Sales will commence next year through a global network of retailers.
The McLaren MP4-12C is currently working its way toward a mid-2011 launch. To give us seething horsepower addicts a little something to nosh on while we wait for the big dinner, McLaren released a video detailing the two prototypes that it is currently testing in its final phase. Labeled the XP8 and XP10 (experimental prototype), the prototypes have been undergoing testing for five weeks. And that’s not five 40-hour work weeks; McLaren has been testing the cars 24/7 with staggared engineer shifts.
It’s one of the greatest break-ups of our generation: after a torrid five-year affair that bore five beautiful, exuberant children, Mercedes and McLaren are officially going their separate ways. SLR Stirling Moss models are currently under production, and once done at year end, Mercedes and McLaren will be left to their own devices in the market.
Since 2004, the Mercedes/McLaren team-up has delivered two SLR coupes, two roadsters and now the 75-example Stirling Moss. 2,000 SLRs were made altogether.
Last week, rumors were that McLaren was struggling to get an appropriate dealer network set-up in the States and that the supercar maker was going to have to push back the launch of its highly-anticipated MP4-12C. Now, apparently the official word is “Psych!”.
According to new reports based upon contact with company sources, there’s no problems slowing down the launch and the car will drop as planned in the summer of 2011. Specifically, a company rep has been quoted as saying: “If discussions so far are anything to go by, we’re not going to be short of people who want to retail the brand for us in the US.” That doesn’t sound like the surest confirmation, so we’ll file this into the maybe category.
Unfortunately, for LA Auto Show attendees, McLaren will not be showcasing the MP4-12C at the show. If this back and forth keeps up, it will give us a great excuse to keep a glossy of the new McLaren pasted prominently atop the site. No complaints there. [via WCF]
It already feels like we’ve been waiting a lifetime for a new McLaren to hit the shores, and now we’ll have to wait even longer. Originally scheduled to make its grand debut at the LA Auto Show in December, the McLaren MP4-12C will now remain overseas until the middle of next year–at least. McLaren is experiencing problems setting up a dealer network in the States. Considering that the iconic supercar maker only has one ultra-premium model to sell, getting dealers to commit the money in the current economy has proven more of a challenge than originally calculated. The new McLaren will feature a 3.8-liter 600 hp twin turbo V8 and lightweight body laced with plenty of carbon. For now, we’ll have to settle for the pictures. [via WCF]
