Ever since Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963, McLaren has been pioneering new technologies

to win. We were born on the track and its where we grew up. Its where we developed our distinctive ambition, drive and ruthless quest for innovation and quality, as well as our expertise in advanced simulation, aerodynamics, electronics, and efficient performance. This unique combination has delivered 12 Formula 1 Constructors World Championship titles and 8 Driver Championship titles, making us the only racing outfit to have won Indianapolis, Can-Am, Le Mans and Formula 1 championships. We have also established our own unique approach to road car design, combining our Formula 1 expertise with an unparalleled attention to detail, in the pursuit of the purest driving experience. Embodying this philosophy, the 1993 McLaren F1 established its own unique place in sports car history as the worlds fastest production road car, having achieved a speed of 240.1mph. Described by many as the finest drivers car ever built, the McLaren F1 excelled both on the road and the race track, winning the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours in its debut year.

Singapore 2008: MP4/23 Formula 1 Championship winning car

For McLaren, the pursuit of driving perfection means defying convention. If it doesnt push the edge, its not good enough. Forget what you know about sports cars. We are McLaren. This is the MP4-12C

and these are 12 ways in which we pushed the edge.

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1981 MP4 /1

1993 F1

2011 MP4 -12C

CARBON FIBRE PIONEERS

Is it any wonder that we havent built a car with a metal chassis for 30 years? Carbon fibre is five times stiffer than aluminium, yet considerably lighter. So, in 1981, we pioneered Formula 1s first ever carbon fibre monocoque, the MP4/1. In 1993, we were the first to use a carbon fibre chassis on the road with the McLaren F1. It is thanks to our unique understanding of carbon fibre that we are now the first to bring its lightness, rigidity, strength, safety and precision to a whole new sector of the sports car market with the 12Cs Carbon MonoCell.

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PURE McLAREN
Our vision was to build a true drivers car without the usual compromises. Lightweight and strong. Fast and efficient. Comfortable and exhilarating. Because we were creating the MP4-12C from scratch, we had the freedom to innovate from the inside out. Every single component has been designed with fanatical attention to detail to achieve this vision. When we say the 12C is Pure McLaren, we mean it.

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OBSESSION with WEIGHT

At McLaren we regard weight as our mortal enemy. It affects every area of car performance. Acceleration, speed, handling, fuel efficiency, CO2 emissions everything. So much so that our engineers have turned saving weight into an obsession. Rather than embossing the McLaren logo onto the MP4-12Cs already lightweight magnesium beam, we saved 2.1 grammes by debossing it instead: a a small but symbolic victory in the war on weight making the MP4-12C astonishingly light.

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formula 1 simulation
Five decades of Formula 1 innovation and success have placed us at the very forefront of the possible. Our simulator (shown here) acknowledged to be the best of its kind anywhere enabled us to define and test drive the perfect dynamic set-up for the 12C with incredible accuracy, a full two years before the first prototype turned a wheel. This use of cutting-edge simulation is perhaps the most effective technology transfer from Formula 1 to road cars, and what keeps us ahead on road and race track.

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EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE
There was only one way the MP4-12C could achieve both class-beating CO2 emissions and breathtaking performance. We had to design our own twin-turbo, V8 M838T engine. Producing 600hp and 600Nm and yet less CO2/km per horsepower than a hybrid city car it delivers relentless acceleration throughout the rev range. Eighty per cent of maximum torque is available below 2,000rpm all the way up to the redline at 8,500rpm, guaranteeing pure driving pleasure at all speeds and total exhilaration on the track.

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GROUNDBReaKING
The MP4-12Cs braking performance is as astonishing as its acceleration. When the brakes are applied at high speeds, the Airbrake is extended into the airstream. Like a steadying hand, it shifts the centre of aerodynamic pressure rearwards, keeping the rear wheels in contact with the road and preventing them from locking up. Efficient and effective, this system offers the driver ultimate confidence when braking at high speed.

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GOOD ENOUGH IS NOT GOOD

We pioneered seamless shift technology in Formula 1. So it was a natural step for our engineers to design a bespoke, seven-speed, dual-clutch Seamless Shift Gearbox (SSG) to give the 12C almost instantaneous shifts. But almost instantaneous was not good enough for us. Thats why we developed Pre-Cog. Acting in a similar way to a pre-focus button on a camera, the transmission is primed to shift when initial pressure is applied to the rockershift. The gear change is completed instantaneously as further pressure is applied.

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NO COMPROMISe
For more than half a century, sports cars have relied on heavy anti-roll bars to improve handling, usually to the detriment of ride comfort. To avoid this age-old compromise, we introduced the 12Cs Proactive Chassis Control. Thanks to its revolutionary hydraulic system, PCC delivers the benefits of anti-roll bars with none of the compromises. The result is exceptional levels of roll control, grip and ride comfort. Not only that, you can select from four dynamic handling modes (Winter, Normal, Sport and Track) to suit different driving style and road conditions.

9.0 FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

Every line and every sculpted surface of the MP4-12C has been honed using the most advanced techniques developed for Formula 1. In a process involving countless hours in the wind tunnel, sophisticated Computational Fluid Dynamics software, and more processing power than a thousand home computers, the shape of the 12C emerged: streamlined, lean and distinctively McLaren.

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EVERYTHING FOR A REASON

Everything for a reason, thats the McLaren way. Yes, they do look spectacular, but the dihedral doors were designed for a very practical purpose. The forward-set, single-hinge design creates a larger foot-swing area that makes getting in and out of the car considerably easier.

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IRIS
The IRIS system lets you connect with your 12C in a totally new way. It has a fully integrated PC with a plethora of useful features such as Bluetooth and a media player. Not only can you use your voice to control an advanced satellite navigation system, but WLAN connectivity allows you to transfer files remotely from another computer to your car. We have also partnered with audio specialist Meridian to design a bespoke sound system for the 12C. It uses the latest digital signal processing technology to deliver crystal-clear sound.

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MP4-12C prototypes covered a distance equivalent to 40 times around the Earth during testing

THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

We have been to the ends of the earth to put our MP4-12C development prototypes through their paces, a gruelling one million mile odyssey that has encompassed searing desert heat, bone-chilling Arctic cold, the stop-start grind of urban rush hours and the unrelenting challenge of the Nrburgring Nordschleife. Only by undertaking such punishing tests could we be sure that we had delivered the essential mix of quality, reliability and durability.

It is our passion and obsessive nature that defines what we do. It is our 45 years of experience at the pinnacle of motorsport that allows us to continually push the edge.

What drives us is passion Cut us & we bleed McLaren. The 12C fully refleCts that foCus, drive & determination in its performanCe, style & desirability
Ron Dennis McLaren Automotive Chairman