McLaren Unveils All-New, All-Conquering MP4-12C Supercar

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed)
Sep 9th 2009 at 10:01PM

Most automakers involved in Formula One racing produce cars first, and race second. Only a handful are racing teams first, and produce road cars second. And they tend to be the most successful, and the most desirable. Only one example comes to mind, and that's Ferrari. But the Italian "scuderia" has now got some company from its toughest on-track competition.

After producing the legendary McLaren F1, the championship-winning racing team partnered up with Mercedes-Benz on the SLR supercar. But now they've back on their own with the newly unveiled MP4-12C. Built entirely in-house, the new McLaren boasts a twin-turbo V8 with approximately 600 horsepower and 433 lb-ft of torque, boasting the highest power-to-emissions ratio of any engine on the market. The custom-crafted powerplant resides in a carbon fiber body designed by former Ferrari stylist Frank Stephenson and encompasses the very latest in race-derived technology. Only 1000 examples will be built in the first year before McLaren ramps up production to meet anticipated growing demand, with a price tag in the neighborhood of $265,000. Have a look in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C