It's difficult not to think of the
Porsche 911
when automotive anniversaries in 2013 are pondered,
Aston Martin
and Lamborghini also making a fuss about
a significant birthdays
this year. However, 1963 was also the first year of the McLaren company, and it's marking the occasion with a limited-production model.
Most people would just get a cake in
But, this being McLaren, the 50 12C and 50 12C Spider are not sparkly upholstery and new badges kind of specials. Well, not entirely.
The styling upgrades for the McLaren 50 models come from McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the sub-division that created the X-1, with input from design head Frank Stephenson. Most notably over the vanilla 12Cand 12C Spider, the 50 edition cars gain a jutting front bumper with a lower section made from carbon fibre. It's said to provide a tangible increase in downforce (with no figures to support it), but certainly gives the 12C a more aggressive look from straight ahead.
The entire front floor is made from carbon kevlar with McLaren of course keen to emphasise its race to road links. McLaren is also fitting the new 12C models with the bonnet badge seen on the F1, an option previously reserved for MSO customers and replacing the rather nondescript McLaren Automotive logo.
'Proper' badge rather than usual 'tick' logo
This being a McLaren special edition, the 50 12C and 50 12C Spider are have received some small performance tweaks. The most notable is the standard carbon-ceramic brakes, which sit behind bespoke 'McLaren 50 Ultra Lightweight' wheels that are painted Satin Black. The new wheels are 2kg lighter than the optional 'Super Lightweight' 12C items. Super Ultra Lightweight for 2014 perhaps?
Inside, the 50-edition 12C models gets a leather upgrade, a smattering of 50th anniversary logos and a commemorative plaque.
As their names imply, there will be 50 of both the 12C and 12C Spider anniversary models. Each is offered in McLaren Orange, Carbon Black or Supernova Silver, and McLaren will even throw in a monogrammed car cover as well as a carbon fibre box for the limited edition key as part of the deal too.
Smattering of goodies from McLaren Special Ops
But don't think it's being too generous, as these special edition carry a significant premium over the standard 12C models. Both the 50 coupe and 50 Spider are £20,000 more expensive than their standard equivalents, at £196,000 and £215,500 respectively.