2012 McLaren MP4-12C Coupe

McLaren was founded by New Zealand F1 driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. His was the first team to construct a car around a carbon fiber monocoque, a process that is now commonplace. The MP4-12C was the first production car wholly designed and built by McLaren, and their first production road car since the McLaren F1 in 1998. MP4 has been the chassis designation for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981. Until 1996, the 'M' represented Marlboro, sponsor of the McLaren team. In 1980, Ron Dennis' Project 4 team merged with McLaren, the source of the 'P4.' The '12' is McLaren's internal Vehicle Performance Index for power, weight, emissions, and aerodynamic efficiency. The 'C' refers to carbon fiber. The MP4-12C shares its name with the MP4/12 Formula 1 car that raced in the 1997 season.

When the MP4-12C was introduced in 2011, the brake-steer technology adapted from F1 (inside rear wheel braking during fast cornering reduces under-steer) was revolutionary. The car is powered by a longitudinally-mounted McLaren M838T 3.8 liter 231.8 cubic-inch twin-turbocharged V8 engine, developing just under 600 horsepower.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2018