Race king of the road – the McLaren MP4-12C
Exquisite symbolism
The luxury MP4-12C is the first super sports car from the McLaren stables since the times of the legendary F1. Only a few cars have borne a name which described them so precisely and so absolutely unmistakably. The McLaren MP4-12C is the proud successor to the F1. Its ID code P11 was kept secret just as guardedly as the luxury design of its bodywork. The designation MP4 has been used for formula 1 cars since 1981. However, this car manufacturer was not afraid to use this name for road cars. The number 12 is that of the internal vehicle performance index and the letter C is an abbreviation of carbon which is used in abundance for its extremely light and rigid shell, a so-called “MonoCell”.
The McLaren MP4-12C in numbers
The engine, a turbocharged V8 with a volume of 3,799 ccm. The maximum output of this dazzling car is 460 kW/625 k at 7,500 rpm. The gearbox is a dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic gearbox. Length, width and height: 4,509 x 1,908 x 1,199 mm. Tyres: 235/35 R19 in front, 305/30 R20 at the rear. Maximum speed: 329 km/h. Acceleration 0-100 km/h in 3.1 s.
A luxury speciality – on the wings of McLaren
The MP4 dazzles its rivals with two distinct advantages that no other super sport can boast. The first of these is hydraulic suspension, minimising tilt without the use of stabilisers and which also gives the chassis the agility of a racing kart. The second advantage worth emphasising is the active rear spoiler, which helps in particular when braking by shifting the braking points a lot closer to the curve. When you brake, the spoiler “stands up” almost at a right angle (at an angle of 69 degrees) and thus functions as an air brake similar to those used in aeroplanes.
The basic price of the car is a little under 5 million Czech crowns. About 500 of these luxury cars will be racing around the roads of Europe.
