Our vision for the MP4-12C was to make a sports car that was fast 'and' efficient. Comfortable ‘and’ exhilarating. With intelligent design, we would avoid conventional compromises.
The freedom of a blank sheet of paper
Because we were starting from scratch with no carry-over parts from previous cars to cloud our vision, we had the freedom to design without compromise. While ultimately more challenging, it allowed us to put convention to one side and innovate, from the ground up. Every switch, dial and component is bespoke to our specification, meeting our own obsessively high standards.
That’s not to say we haven’t learned from the past – far from it. The MP4-12C is the result of 45 years of learning: from our very first 1964 racing car, to the carbon fibre breakthroughs of our sports cars, the F1 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Lightweight and strong
The 12C is the first car in its class to offer a carbon fibre framework at its core. The MonoCell is significantly lighter and stronger than conventional all-aluminium frames; it’s the perfect, lightweight partner to the V8 turbocharged engine – itself a product of our obsession with weight.
Performance and efficiency
Producing abundant torque throughout the 8,500rpm rev range, 80% of the M838T’s torque is available below 2,000rpm, for extreme acceleration at any speed. Yet despite its potency, the McLaren engine produces the highest horsepower-to-CO2 ratio of any car with an internal combustion or hybrid engine on the road today.
Exceptional handling and ride comfort
Stiffer than aluminium, the MonoCell offers a rigidity that, when combined with an innovative suspension system, means that the 12C doesn’t need a mechanical anti-roll bar. This provides exceptional improvements in ride comfort, roll control and grip on the road, without compromising performance during extreme driving.