McLaren Mp4-12C – Page 3 – Automobiles Review

Three McLaren MP4-12C GT3 race cars at Spa-Francorchamps

McLaren will take place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this weekend for Total 24 Hours of Spa. The manufacturers follows the successful race debut there in the British GT Championship early in July.

Totally ten racing drivers will pilot three McLaren MP4-12 Race cars in the first ever 24 hour race for this model.

The McLaren GT driver line-up for the Total 24 Hours of Spa includes CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy and McLaren Automotive Chief Test driver Chris Goodwin. Both are Directors of the new McLaren GT company, which is led by McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and includes McLaren Racing Head of Vehicle Engineering Mark Williams.

Check out the driver line-up, below!

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 drivers for Total 24 Hours of Spa:

Pro-Cup category

Car 58 (McLaren GT):
Rob Bell – GB
Chris Goodwin – GB
Tim Mullen – GB

Car 59 (McLaren GT):
Andrew Kirkaldy – GB
Álvaro Parente – POR
Oliver Turvey – GB

Pro-Am Cup category

Car 60 (McLaren GT and VonRyan Racing):
Adam Christodoulou – GB
Glynn Geddie – GB
Phil Quaife – GB
Roger Wills – NZL

Source: McLaren

July 26, 2011

McLaren’s First Showroom in Germany

McLaren is going to open its first two showrooms in Germany, today. McLaren Dusseldorf and McLaren Hamburg are scheduled to open their doors in time for the 2011 Formula 1™ German Grand Prix which will take place at the Nurburgring this coming weekend.

The new MP4-12C high-performance sports car will be offered as well as a wide range of services. Every showroom will exhibit a piece of history to highlight McLaren’s rich heritage with each McLaren showroom displaying a real McLaren race car, driven by some of the finest racing drivers in the world.

McLaren Dusseldorf will exhibit MP4/5 which took Alain Prost to a world championship title in 1989 and Hamburg’s showroom will have MP4/6, the car in which Ayrton Senna won his third, and last championship title, in 1991.

Two more showrooms are planned for this autumn – in Frankfurt and Munich.

McLaren's First Showroom in Germany Outside

Source: McLaren

July 21, 2011

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Price – £310 000

The price of the new McLaren MP4-12C GT3 is £310 000. The manufacturer will build just 20 units, which will race for teams in 2012.

At a press conference held at the McLaren Technology Centre, senior McLaren GT executives revealed to the world’s media and a group of prospective 12C GT3 clients the price and development programme details of the first non-Formula 1 race car built by McLaren since the McLaren F1 GTR.

“Having been a customer of GT car manufacturers for many years, I’m delighted we are now able to offer a carbon chassis based GT3 car for £310,000. There will be no hidden costs and we will work as hard as we can to support as many races as we can.”, commented Andrew Kirkaldy, CRS Racing Team Principal and Project Manager for McLaren GT

“We will spend the 2011 season developing the car with a team from McLaren Racing, McLaren Applied Technologies and McLaren Automotive and make sure this is the most efficient, reliable and easy to drive GT3 car on the grid when we deliver cars to customers next year.”, he added.

“The new MP4-12C sports car is the essence of a race car and we used Formula 1 simulation technology to get us ahead in our development programme. We have a unique mix of experience in the McLaren GT team and I expect the 12C GT3 to be the start of our GT racing plans. We have had great success outside of Formula 1, from the US, to France, to Japan and there is no reason why we can’t repeat that success in sports cars after 2012.”, said Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Group CEO.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Conference

Source: McLaren

May 5, 2011

McLaren MP4-12C GT3: full details

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 will be the first car from the manufacturer built for FIA GT series racing since the famous McLaren F1 GTR. The iconic F1 finished production in1997. 12C GT3 is based on the new MP4-12C, which is one of the best super sports cars in the world.

“McLaren has racing in its blood and it was a natural step to take our MP4-12C road car and turn it into the most reliable, efficient and easy to drive GT3 car. Every car on the grid will have its performance balanced by race rules, meaning our objective must be to select a technical specification that ensures any driver is able to access the 12C GT3’s performance limit with ease.”, commented Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Group Chief Executive Officer.

The 12C GT3 made its race debut at the UK circuit – Silverstone. Just a week after, the car was sent to the Circuito de Navarra in Spain for its first FIA circuit test. In simulated tests, McLaren GT was able to fine-tune engine calibration, power steering, spring rates, weight distribution, gear ratios and differential settings.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 comes with a new aerodynamics package, which is made entirely from carbon fibre. It is specially created by McLaren Racing in compliance with GT3 regulations. The body kit includes – a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders.

MP4-12C GT3 has the same 3.8-litre McLaren V8 twin-turbo M838T engine as the road car, but it will be de-tuned to 500PS (from 600PS) in order to provide optimum power for this performance-balanced race car. The car also includes the TAG-400 Engine Control Unit, which is a compact, self-contained engine management system and data logger for race engines designed and built by McLaren Electronic Systems.

Other very important features are the unique engine calibration, bespoke racing transmission developed in partnership with Ricardo and a suspension arrangement tuned specifically for racing.

Check out the specification, below!

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Technical Specification:

Width (mm)	1995mm
Height (mm)	1145mm
Wheelbase (mm)	2670mm
Fuel tank capacity	120 litres
Chassis/body	McLaren carbon fibre MonoCell with aluminium front and rear frames and bespoke carbon body panels
Aerodynamics	Front and rear diffuser, front splitter, dive planes and adjustable rear wing.
Transmission	6 speed sequential using actuation via steering wheel mounted paddles Limited slip differential with a range of ramps and adjustable pre-load. Wet sump Sintered clutch hydraulically operated Driveshafts with tripod joints
Engine type	V8 twin turbo McLaren M838T
Engine capacity	3.8L
Bore x Stroke	93 x 69.9
Max. Engine speed	Limited to 7500rpm
Cylinder block	Cast aluminium , 90 deg V angle, dry sump scavenge, Nikasil coated liners
Crankshaft	Forged steel flat plane
Pistons	Forged aluminium
Conrods	Forged steel
Cylinder head	Cast aluminium with plastic composite cam covers, inlet & exhaust variable cam timing
Valvetrain	32V with 40 deg variable cam timing on intake & exhaust. Low mass with sliding contact end pivoted pinger followers, single variable rate springs and hollow cast chilled iron camshafts
Intake system	Two water/air charge air coolers. Plastic composite plenum.
Exhaust system	Cast stainless steel exhaust manifold with compact MHI fixed geometry turbo chargers. 970 deg C turbine inlet temperature.
Fuel system	Returnless fuel rail with twin fuel tank mounted pumps and twin spray injectors
Engine management	MESL TAG400 ECU & CIU 100 Interfacing with Bosch ABS and Shiftec control units
Wiring harness	Modular installation: Engine, chassis, fuel cell
Lubrication	MOBIL1: engine and transmission
Cooling	Air/water heat exchangers for engine water and charge air cooling combined with water/oil heat exchangers for engine, transmission & PAS.
Front axle	SKF integrated axles with handed single wheel retaining nut
Rear axle	SKF integrated axles with handed single wheel retaining nut
Front suspension	Double wishbone adjustable for ride height camber and toe
Rear suspension	Double wishbone adjustable for ride height camber and toe
Dampers	Coil over Multimatic dampers with DSSV technology with independent bump and rebound adjustment
Front brake system	Akebono 6 piston monoblock calliper 378Ø x 36mm Iron ventilated disc
Rear brake system	Akebono 4 piston monoblock calliper 355Ø x 32mm iron ventilated disc
Steering	Electro-hydraulic PAS
Wheels	Forged Aluminium Front 12” x 18” Rear 13” x 18” MESL TPS system compatible
Cockpit electronics	Multifunction steering wheel with integrated driver display Central switch panel with systems display screen
Steering wheel	Derived from MP4-24 Formula 1 wheel retaining integrated driver display, paddle shift and switches

Source: McLaren

May 4, 2011

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 has just completed its debut tests at the MIRA proving ground facility and Silverstone Circuit in England. (more…)

March 11, 2011

McLaren MP4-12C production start

After its stellar world debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the series of exclusive showcases to prospective customers and media across the globe in 2010, the McLaren MP4-12C ultra-sports car has finally enter production at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, England. (more…)

February 3, 2011

McLaren MP4-12C priced for Europe

McLaren priced the perfect road machine MP4-12C from £168 500 (including 20% VAT) when it goes on sale in the UK in 2011.

The car is just £1045 cheaper than Ferrari 458 Italia. Probably, this is the main reason why McLaren MP4-12C has already received over 2 700 pre-orders.

MP4-12C is powered by features a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine 608PS (447 kW) and 599Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed “Seamless Shift” double-clutch transmission (more…)

November 24, 2010

McLaren MP4-12C at Goodwood Festival of Speed

McLaren MP4-12C is may be the most eagerly expected car in the world. It will be presented for the first time to a public audience at Goodwood Festival of Speed. The event takes place from Thursday 1- Sunday 4 July 2010.

Current Formula 1 World Champion – Jenson Button and 2008 Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton will drive the MP4-12C up Goodwood Hill on Saturday and Sunday respectively in the Supercar Run.

The prototype was tested at Goodwood Motor Circuit in March this year. The VP9 Validation Prototype car, which will be driven by Jenson and Lewis is finished in traditional McLaren Orange. (more…)

June 30, 2010

McLaren F1 reunion

McLaren F1 is a true legend. Still, after 20 years there is no faster normally aspirated production road car in the world. F1 GTR is the only car, which won Formula 1 World Championship, Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours. Furthermore, this was the first production road car to use a full carbon fibre monocoque.

The first McLaren F1 car was launched on 28th May 1992 and delivered to its happy owner in December 1993.

McLaren is a pioneer in carbon fiber technologies. They used carbon fibre chassis in 1981 for the first time. Nine years later, the carbon monocoque for the McLaren F1 was created and it weighs only 100kg and still has the highest levels of strength and safety. (more…)

May 27, 2010

September 10, 2009

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