While its name may be an unappealing mouthful, this coupe certainly deserves the title "supercar."The new McLaren MP4-12C stays flat, even in the tightest turns, and accelerates in breathtaking bursts on the Auto Club Speedway in this town east of Los Angeles.
The 12C has won attention for a custom-designed, 592-horsepower V-8 and carbon-fiber construction that gives it a dry weight of 2,868 pounds and bragging rights over rival supercars such as Ferrari's 458 Italia coupe, with a dry weight of 3,042.
The twin-seat coupe, which starts at $231,400 with shipping, would look far more at home on a Grand Prix course than on a workday commuter route. Yet it was designed to be at home in both places.
The MP4-12C is both the "ultimate sports car" and "a car you can drive every day," says Anthony Joseph, McLaren Automotive's regional director for North America. "It's a car with a dual personality."
The road car is McLaren Automotive's first branded model as an independent, privately owned company since Mercedes-Benz let go of its 40% stake two years ago. If McLaren is to meet its goal now of a new model every year, the MP4-12C must succeed.
Since deliveries began late last year, about 1,000 cars have rolled out of McLaren's factory in Woking, England. The company is shooting for production of about 4,000 cars a year by mid-decade. But it's competing with a growing list of rivals for well-heeled supercar buyers. Others besides the Ferrari 458 are the Audi R8 GT, Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, Lexus LFA and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Thanks to USA TODAY - Source http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/03/mclaren-mp4-12c-supercar/1#.T2pZcmB5HJw
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