Revisiting the McLaren MP4-12C, the birth of McLaren Automotive – car pictures of the week
In issue 333 of evo, we revisit genesis for McLaren Automotive – the first production MP4-12C
Can you believe it’s been over 15 years since McLaren Automotive (not to be confused with McLaren cars, of F1 supercar fame) gave us the first in a long line of spectacular supercars? The MP4-12C, dull-of-name though it was, changed the world of supercars inexorably on its arrival in 2010. This month, in evo 333, we revisited what even McLaren itself would look back and call a difficult first album, which is also the subject of this edition of car pictures of the week.
Teething problems aside, it set the precedent for an unbelievable escalation in horsepower, all-round capability and brute force performance (sometimes at the expense of powertrain character) that drew all its competitors in. Before long, Ferrari strapped turbochargers to its effervescent V8, clipping the revs, outright responsiveness and aural fury in the process. But that didn’t matter, because McLaren had to be chased.
To this day none have quite replicated McLaren’s wide-scale commitment to carbonfibre in relative mass production. At the heart of the thousands of supercars it’s built since 2010, has been a carbon monocell. Likewise, few have looked to replicate the extraordinary McLaren Proactive Chassis Control system of hydraulically interlinked dampers that gives McLarens uncanny ride quality and negates the need for conventional roll bars. And all of it started with the MP4-12C, specifically the exact MP4-12C seen in these images, as it’s what’s affectionately referred to as ‘job one’ – the first 12C built, intended for public sale.
If the 12C was incredibly innovative technically when it appeared, some criticised its looks for being a little staid. Off the back of the wild overcorrection in McLaren styling that those criticisms inspired and with hindsight, we happen to think there’s a lasting elegance to McLaren Automotive’s first baby. Here’s an excerpt from evo deputy editor James Taylor’s Icon feature:
‘It’s still quick. Truly, breathtakingly quick. With turbo-spooled fire in its belly and a semi-active-suspension magic carpet beneath its body, the McLaren MP4-12C doesn’t so much drive down the road as teleport from one bit of it to the next.
‘We’re on a slightly dilapidated ribbon of B-road loosely draped over some of the steeper bits of the Peak District. I’ve driven this road at various times in various cars, but in the McLaren it’s as though all the straights have been taken out. I suppose 626bhp and a sub nine-second 0-120mph time will do that.’ – James Taylor, evo 333.
To read the full test, pick up a copy of evo 333 in-store or online.
