Skip to main content

McLaren 12C Spider

Summer’s well and truly here. And what better way for a millionaire to celebrate than drop the top on his new McLaren MP4-12C. Trouble is that until today they would’ve need an angle grinder to do just that. Well put the power tools down Mr Monopoly because today McLaren have unveiled the convertible version of the MP4-12C. It’s called the 12C Spider and aside from the folding hardtop roof the cars are identical.
The McLaren 12C Spider uses the same carbon ‘MonoCell’ chassis as the MP4-12C, with literally no modifications as the chassis is so stiff it doesn’t require any extra strengthening despite the lack of a roof. The only concession for a convertible roof is a slight 40kg (88 lb) weight increase. Performance is only marginally affected too. Zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) takes the same 3.1 seconds as the fixed-roof car, however the 0-124 mph (0-200km/h) time is 0.2 seconds slower at 9.0 seconds, and the top speed is fractionally less at 204 mph (329 km/h).

Power comes from a mid-mounted 3.8-litre V8 twin turbo engine, which for the 2013 model year produces 616 horsepower in both the 12C Spider and the MP4-12C coupe. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a a 7 Speed SSG dual-clutch transmission with steering wheel mounted paddles.
The folding roof of the McLaren 12C Spider can be operated at speeds up to 19 mph (30 km/h). It takes 17 seconds to raise or lower. The roof is operated using a switch in the lower section of the centre console inside the cabin. Behind driver and passenger sits a rear windscreen which may also be electronically lowered and raised. With the roof lowered this acts as wind deflector to minimise disturbance to the occupants. With the roof raised the rear window can be lowered, allowing the V8 engine’s roar to be heard without rustling anyone’s hair-piece.
With the roof raised the vacant area underneath can be used as an additional luggage area which provides 52 litres of useful storage space.  The car comes as standard with bespoke luggage that has been designed specifically to fit this space.
The McLaren 12C Spider is available to order from today in 22 countries across the world.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Maserati Ghibli vs BMW 6 Series : Which Will You Buy?

When considering vehicles like Maserati Ghibli and the BWM 6 Series Gran Coupe, both reflect an effort toward blending dignified luxury with exhilarating performance. Though beholding vehicles of this caliber is always an exercise most fruitfully left to the natural eye, the image above serves as a simple example of each sedan’s inherent dignity. In lieu of experiencing each vehicle’s performance profile from behind the wheel, the table provided similarly works to demonstrate what both Ghibli and BMW’s 6 series have been engineered to accomplish. Comparing the Maserati Ghibli vs. BMW 6 Series in this regard yields a number of important emphases. Local clients will notice that both vehicles develop their identity around six-cylinder engines with a pair of strategic turbochargers. Yet regardless of identical displacement and analogous induction technology, Maserati serves its Ghibli clients with significantly greater quantities of horsepower and torque. In addition to t...
Read more

McLaren 650S Sprint

McLaren’s new 650S model now comes in three flavors, the standard road going 650S, the competition-spec 650S GT3 for serious racers, and now there’s the 650S Sprint which is aimed at track enthusiasts who still want a little bit of comfort. The 650S Sprint also replaces the MP4-12C-based 12C Sprint as McLaren’s track toy for the super-rich. Compared to the road model, the 650S Sprint features increased downforce and better cooling airflow to the 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged V8. It also features a competition-spec fuel tank and quick-fill cap, a larger radiator borrowed from the GT3 car, a new hood with additional cooling ducts for the radiator, front wing louvres for improved airflow, reduced ride height and recalibrated damping and spring rates, 19-inch center-locking race wheels with either Pirelli slicks or wet tires, onboard air jack system, and an upgraded braking system. On the inside the McLaren 650S Sprint features a stripped-out design with a FIA-approved rol...
Read more

Lamborghini Canto – What the Murcielago could have been?

Back in the late 1990s, when Lamborghini were starting to realise they needed a replacement for the ageing Diablo, they started reviewing design proposals from various automotive design firms. Zagato’s offering was the Zagato L147 SuperDiablo, or as it was to be later known, the Lamborghini Canto. The Lamborghini Canto first appeared in 1998, it arrived only two years after another Zagato designed Lamborghini concept had been unveiled, the Diablo-based Raptor. The cars shared a number of similar features, including the wraparound windows, triangular lateral air intakes, and trademark double-bubble roof. However of the two, the earlier Raptor was probably the better looking. Clearly Ferdinand Piech – head of the Volkswagen Group – thought so too. After VW bought Lamborghini in 1999, one of his first decisions was to review the Canto’s development and redesign the concept. The car was re-engineered and the rear extensively restyled to include smaller air intakes....
Read more