McLaren MP4-12C Spyder coming this year
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42,476
Likes: 321
From: California
McLaren MP4-12C Spyder coming this year
McLaren MP4-12C Spyder coming this year
Our friends at Car and Driver recently spent some time poking and prodding around McLaren headquarters in Woking, England, and they have confirmed plans for a convertible MP4-12C. This isn't exactly earth-shattering news, having been rumored since 2009 and even spotted earlier this year, but it does suggest the program is on track for a public reveal this year. The MP4-12C Spyder is expected to be mechanically identical to its hard top cousin, which means buyers can look forward to finding twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 with 593 horsepower kicked out through the rear wheels.
The report says McLaren designed that engine along with its partner, Ricardo, to serve as the beating heart behind more than just one model. In addition to the lidless MP4-12C, McLaren is hard at work on a true successor to the F1. That machine will feature more conventional side-by-side seating and a dual-clutch gearbox bolted to a higher-output version of the same 3.8-liter engine. McLaren also has its heart set on creating a full product line. What does that mean, exactly? Car and Driver says we can forget purist-affronting models like an SUV or a sedan, but the odds are fairly high that the stable will swell beyond the three models mentioned here. Color us excited.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/14/m...ing-this-year/
http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/McL...7-03?imageNo=0
McLaren MP4-12C Spider revealed
After speculation last week, we can confirm that the next chapter in the What Car Will McLaren Make Next? saga is one hundred percent the McLaren MP4-12C Spider. And look at it, it's stunning.
Hasn't Ron Dennis been a busy boy? Just one month after he offered the MP4-12C with an engine upgrade, and a year after selling over 1000 coupes, he's chopped the bloody roof off.
And to answer your question - yes. It's got the more powerful 616bhp, 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. And yes, it'll do over 200mph - but only 204mph, 3mph slower than it's closed-roof sibling. Even so, hairpiece owner will need some stickier glue as the Spider does 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds - the same time as the Coupe.
Like we told you last week, the Spider uses a variation of the coupe's carbon-fibre MonoCell chassis. This 75kg tub requires no additional strengthening for it to feature in the 12C Spider and because of it's F1 techyness, it means that the car is almost identical to it's fixed roof counterpart in the performance department.
That hasn't stopped some weight being added though. Standing on the scales the Spider weighs 40kg heavier than the coupe due to the retractable hard top - that's RHT for acronym addicts - operating system. The RHT can takes less than 17 seconds to raise or lower and can be operated on the move if you're doing less than 20mph.
"Removing the roof will dial up the sensations, the emotions and the noise heard - especially at the speeds the 12C Spider will be capable of." Says McLaren.
One man who agrees is Jenson Button, "You definitely feel more at one when there is no roof. It just feels a lot more natural: you smell the tyres, you smell the brakes, you smell the car and it really make you fell like part of the car."
The new 12C Spider will be priced from £195,500 in the UK and is available to order now.
So dot commers what would you go for? Hayfever-sufferer hard top? Or summer sunshine soft top? Can't decide? Well configure your own one here.
Now click through the gallery...
After speculation last week, we can confirm that the next chapter in the What Car Will McLaren Make Next? saga is one hundred percent the McLaren MP4-12C Spider. And look at it, it's stunning.
Hasn't Ron Dennis been a busy boy? Just one month after he offered the MP4-12C with an engine upgrade, and a year after selling over 1000 coupes, he's chopped the bloody roof off.
And to answer your question - yes. It's got the more powerful 616bhp, 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. And yes, it'll do over 200mph - but only 204mph, 3mph slower than it's closed-roof sibling. Even so, hairpiece owner will need some stickier glue as the Spider does 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds - the same time as the Coupe.
Like we told you last week, the Spider uses a variation of the coupe's carbon-fibre MonoCell chassis. This 75kg tub requires no additional strengthening for it to feature in the 12C Spider and because of it's F1 techyness, it means that the car is almost identical to it's fixed roof counterpart in the performance department.
That hasn't stopped some weight being added though. Standing on the scales the Spider weighs 40kg heavier than the coupe due to the retractable hard top - that's RHT for acronym addicts - operating system. The RHT can takes less than 17 seconds to raise or lower and can be operated on the move if you're doing less than 20mph.
"Removing the roof will dial up the sensations, the emotions and the noise heard - especially at the speeds the 12C Spider will be capable of." Says McLaren.
One man who agrees is Jenson Button, "You definitely feel more at one when there is no roof. It just feels a lot more natural: you smell the tyres, you smell the brakes, you smell the car and it really make you fell like part of the car."
The new 12C Spider will be priced from £195,500 in the UK and is available to order now.
So dot commers what would you go for? Hayfever-sufferer hard top? Or summer sunshine soft top? Can't decide? Well configure your own one here.
Now click through the gallery...
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42,476
Likes: 321
From: California
McLaren debuts topless MP4-12C Spider
McLaren debuts topless MP4-12C Spider
GALLERY HERE:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mclar...photo-5132638/
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Hoovey689
Car Chat
7
Nov 27, 2012 07:11 PM