I would have not guessed that but I can see it now Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
in my mailbox today: ".... Its been quite a year for McLaren Automotive. Just 12 months ago, the first 12C high performance sports car was sold and McLaren opened its very first retailer showroom with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton at One Hyde Park, London. Since then, sales of the 12C have topped 1,000 and McLaren has expanded its retailer network into 21 markets around the world. But this is only the start of the McLaren story. Today, we are excited to share with you the announcement of our second model, one that will stir the soul more than any McLaren sports car yet: the 625PS, twin-turbo V8-engined, open roofed 12C Spider. The 12C Spider is based on the same super stiff carbon fibre MonoCell chassis as its hardtop sibling and so will be just as dynamic to drive. But removing the roof will dial up the sensations experienced, the emotions felt and the noise heard. Especially at the speeds the 12C Spider will be capable of. And true to McLarens ethos of offering high performance without compromise, the 12C Spider will be more usable than any car this exciting has a right to be...." Pictures should be out soon. Regards, Frank
The original Porsche Targa (where the name came from) had an optional dropping (removable) rear window.
Looks really nice. I don't understand the glass cover though as you could never see any of the engine in the 12C anyway. For a guy obsessed with weight, you would think this is counter productive. The rear deck is also a bit "busy" compared to the rest of the car. But, it's impressive for sure. They did a great job.
The Spider retains the moving rear wing to assist braking at high speed. But is there any objective test data to support the idea the the wing actually helps? For example what is the 12C's braking distance from 100 to 0 mph compared to that of the 458? Of course, a lot of other factors affect braking distance, but I'm curious if the 12C's wing is a gimmick or a tried and tested benefit. I suppose McLaren, with all their F1 experience, should be able to make aero packages that work, but who knows for sure?
Here are some test results around that I could find. The 458 has different numbers in a few cases, but going by magazine test results MP4-12C 200 - 0 km/h 135.1m 458 200 - 0 km/h in 134.8m
I don't think the 12c airbrake is meant to help braking but to help maintain the car's stability under heavy braking, by adding downforce on the rear to limit mass transfers. When I was invited to test the car last year, it was a very impressive feeling. As for the braking distances above, they are correct but they are based on a standard McLaren steel brake system. The Carbon/Ceramic option should improve that slightly.
The official 12C Spider intro video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LrPpxwYcFMM (Anyone know what it costs to film something like this?)
$400 to $500 grand probably. Lots of specialized cameras and helicopter shots, CGI, and travel expenses. The car sound is still pretty weak. I would have thought they would have tried to boost it a bit in the film. I'm surprised the roof can go up while the car is moving. I see a lot of potential problems with breakage. It's a great feature as long as the roof doesn't jam or act like a sail. They seem to really want to show the car being tail happy here. Is it a slap at the UK press?
