McLaren has long been the scourge of Ferrari on the Grand Prix circuits of the world, and now it is intent on challenging Ferrari's dominance of the supercar business with the
McLaren MP4-12C. This is a supercar with a difference.
That's a rather long-winded name, but it hides a mid-engined coupe with carbon fibre tub, twin turbo 600 bhp engine, and several tricks learned from Grand Prix racing. Without doubt, when the car is launched in 2011, it will stir up the supercar market, offering the performance of an exotic car – and McLaren will be producing a successor to the F1 as well – at the price of a supercar. McLaren defines this class as high-performance cars costing £125,000 to £175,000 ($200,000 to $300,000), and here is a forestate of this new contender.
Inspired by Formula 1 engineering
What about that name? Well, MP4 is the prefix used for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981, and confirms that the car is based on Formula 1 ideas. The 12 represents the combination of all-round performance planned, and the C the fact that the chassis is a one-piece carbon fibre moulding.
Twin turbo 600 bhp engine
What about performance? With a 3.8 liter twin turbo engine of McLaren's own design, and a power output of around 600 bhp, the new supercar will certainly be a flyer. McLaren assures us that it will be a very light car, and is a compact design, narrower than some supercars.
Styling is deliberately conservative, as McLaren wants the MP4-12C to be in production for years to come. The fact that the F1 still looks a modern design shows that this can be done.
Rear-mounted radiators, emphasis on aerodynamics
One feature that comes from Formula 1 is the rear side mounted radiators, which reduce the weight and complexity of the cooling pipework. There is a wide low grille at the front, with larger side grilles, and gills in the sides of the car to get cool air into the engine compartment.
From the side, the MP4-12C has the classic wedge line blending into high rear fenders. The twin side grilles are scalloped neatly into the sides, and there is what appears to be a small spoiler at the rear. Concealed behind the side windows are small extra side air intakes for the engine compartment.
At the front, there is a low wide grille, deeper below the headlamps than in the middle. At the rear, there are fairly small air outlets, and high, centrally mounted twin exhausts. Below is the diffuser. All very neat, and topped by the wing, which lies flat when the car is at rest.
Air brake concealed
However, this is not just a wing designed to give downforce, but also an air brake, which is deployed at high speeds. It is designed so that once it reaches a certain position, the air force helps it to open.
McLaren says that the body has been designed from the outset with good all-round aerodynamics – low drag, balanced downforce and efficient cooling. Following the F1, the doors open upwards and forwards, to provide easy entry and exit.
Inside, you will find a simple set of instruments, with a digital speedo down at the bottom quadrant of the rev-counter. As you would expect, there is a sequential gearbox controlled by paddles, actually both are on a rocker arm, and most other controls are grouped on the door and center console, which are actually very close to the driver.
One reason they are close, is that McLaren has not wasted any space inside, and the driver and passenger will sit close together separated by a very narrow tunnel, no space being needed for coolant pipes.
Very rigid one-piece carbon fiber tub
With experience making the F1, followed by the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLarenwhich was in production for six years, McLaren has a wealth of experience in both one-off and production carbon fiber structures. No surprise, then, that the M4-12C has a carbon fiber hull/passenger cell which breaks new ground in being a one-piece moulding. It is therefore very light, weighing less than 175 lb (80 kg), despite being a complex moulding that includes the front suspension mountings.
3.8 liter twin-turbo V-8
Mounted aft of the hull is the new 3.8 liter V-8 which will develop about 600 bhp, compared with 570 bhp for the Ferrari F58 Italia. Torque is around 440 lb ft (600 Nm) which is massive, and will ensure good performance at all speeds. McLaren claims that this engine has a better power-to-CO2 ratio of any engine. Power is transmitted through a seven-speed sequential twin-clutch transmission, which is a compact unit with little rear overhang.
Proactive suspension
Suspension is by double wishbones, those at the front being mounted directly onto the carbon fiber hull, which saves weight and ensures that the area around the mountings are very rigid. But this is no ordinary system - this Proactive suspension includes continuously variable dampers and anti-roll bars which instead of being one bar, are two halves joined at the middle.
On straight roads, the left half can rotate relative to the right side and vice versa, giving a good ride. When cornering, the two halves of the bar are locked together to act as a normal anti-roll bar, reducing roll.
To reduce weight, the hubs of the brake discs are forged aluminum, with cast iron discs. This set up is lighter than most carbon-ceramic brakes, but these will be offered for an eve lighter set-up.
Electronics play an important part in ensuring that the driver will get full enjoyment out of the car. For example, included is the Brake Steer system developed for the Formula 1 cars. If the driver enters a car too fast, Brake Steer applies braking force to the inside rear wheel, thus reducing understeer. It also helps the driver get maximum traction out of a corner without the need for a limited-slip differential.
Pre-selector system for gearbox
Gear shifts can also be speeded up by a Formula 1 system called Pre-Cog. The gearshift paddles have two positions, like an indicator, which you can touch for lane changing, and then push further down to leave the indicator working. In the case of Pre-Cog, the first pressure primes the gearbox to expect a shift in that direction, thus saving time when you actually press the paddle harder to make the shift.
McLaren has done an enormous amount of computer simulation of performance, but has also built 20 prototypes for testing in different parts of the world, on both road and track.
By 2011 the McLaren M4-12C should be all set to take on the supercar world. Then, we will find out whether this exciting supercar really is as light, as fast and as easy to handle as claimed. In the first year of production, McLaren expects to build 1,000 M4-12Cs. Now is the time to place your order.
