We pretty much know everything there is to know about the upcoming 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, like all its technical details, its price tag, and even the dealer locations where it will be sold, but there’s one glaring omission here, the car’s final performance specs.
Finally, McLaren has released the official figures and we can now confirm that the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C will ship with a dry sump 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8, mounted in a mid-engine position and churning out a peak output of 441 kW at 7 000 r/min and 600 Nm of torque from 3 000 r/min all the way up to 7 000 r/min. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via McLaren’s own seven-speed ‘Seamless Shift’ dual clutch gearbox and the engine’s redline starts at 8 500 r/min.
All this power combined with a kerb weight of just 1 366 kilograms, means the MP4-12C is capable of 0 – 100km/h in 3.3 seconds, or 3.1 seconds when equipped with the optional Corsa tyres. The quarter mile (400 m) sprint passes in 10.9 seconds and top speed is 330 km/h, the same as the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the Ferrari 458 Italia. Despite the stellar performance, fuel economy is a claimed 11.7 L/100km for the European combined cycle.
With any performance car, stopping prowess is just as important as speed and in this case the McLaren MP4-12C doesn’t disappoint. Putting the boot in at 200 km/h will see the car come to a stop in a reasonable 123 meters.
The first McLaren MP4-12C’s are due to arrive in South Africa from mid-year. With the first year’s allocation of 20 units having already been sold.
