2012 McLaren MP4-12C

Let’s see now. You’ve got your Ferrari 458 Italia, your Porsche 911 GT2 RS and 911 Turbo S and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 570-4. After all, if we’re setting the scene properly on the most important supersports car inauguration in quite some time – the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C – we should, in this first privileged go, at least be keeping our minds on sub-12-cylinder mid- and rear-engine road beasts. For now, that is. So if anyone brings up the 2012 Nissan GT-R or Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, that’ll be us snapping your back side with a wet towel at the health club. You’ve been warned.

Before we’ve dropped into the Recaro support-o-rama seats of the MP4-12C, one of the Queen’s lairds of the realm announces, “Be prepared to drive the best handling sports car in history.” What do you say to Sir Ron Dennis, boss of the newly formed McLaren Automotive Company (a.k.a. the MAC daddy), when he puts pressure on like that? It’s like Bill Gates looking at us and asking enthusiastically, “So, don’t you just love that Windows 7?” What happens if you don’t?

But as luck would have it, the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C is quite possibly the best handling supersports road and weekend track car in history. Yes, this will certainly take some ‘splainin’, but bear with us. We’re just pleased that no royal beheadings will now be called for, as Sir Ron is not renowned for his merciful treatment of dissenters.

McLaren MP4-12C enters production, Hamilton and Button celebrate

The very first McLaren MP4-12C built for public consumption has begun to make its way through the production process. Chassis 01 isn’t quite finished yet, as you can see by our high-res image gallery below, but it will be soon enough and McLaren plans to build up to 999 more in 2011.

Starting at $229,000, the MP4-12C is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 that produces 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Prototype versions have been out running at various locations and events, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a very snowy Top Gear Test Track.

To celebrate Chassis 01 entering production, McLaren has put together a short clip that highlights its past year of testing. Click past the jump to watch Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button put the McLaren MP4-12C through a set of workouts.

 

 Source:Autoblog

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

2012 New Concept car : McLaren-MP4-12C

McLaren MP4 12c Prototype Picture

McLaren MP4 12c Prototype Photo

McLaren MP4 12c Prototype Test Drive

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Sports Cars Wallpapers

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Sports Cars Picture

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Sports Cars Wallpaper

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Sports Cars Interior

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Sports Cars Photo

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Sports Cars Engine

McLaren F1 GTR Wallpapers

McLaren F1 GTR Wallpaper

McLaren F1 GTR Picture

McLaren F1 GTR Photo

Orange McLaren F1 Wallpapers

Orange McLaren F1 Picture

Orange McLaren F1 Photo

McLaren F1 GTR Wallpapers

McLaren F1 GTR Picture

McLaren F1 GTR Photo

McLaren Wallpaper

McLaren Wallpaper

McLaren Wallpaper Mercedes Benz

McLaren Wallpaper F1

McLaren F2 Renderings Surface on the Web

A Slovenian website called Avtomanija has published a group of photos of what seems to be a prototype version of the forthcoming McLaren F2 supercar that’s scheduled to be launched in late 2010. Of course, it goes without saying that these photos could be the work of a photoshop artist so don’t be hasty to draw a conclusion on the car’s appearance based on what you see here.

McLaren’s new pure-bred two-seater will be based on the P8 mid-engined supercar project that was initially co-developed by the British automaker and Mercedes-Benz as a smaller and lower-priced successor to the SLR but was abandoned by the Germans in 2004. While details are still scarce, it is rumored said that the F2 will be equipped with a mid-mounted V8 powerplant from Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division. -Continued

Via: Worldcarfans , Source: Avtmanija