Monday 11th October 2010

Pics: McLaren 12C extreme testing in Arizona

Arizona scenery gets even more spectacular as Brit supercar 'rips it up'

---

McLaren's presence at the Paris motor show was limited to a 'behind the scenes' appearance of the new 12C for French media and potential customers, which is our excuse for missing this fabulous set of pictures issued as part of the company's show news release...

The pics were taken during recent 'extreme weather testing' in Arizona, which is the latest round of an intensive programme that began in 2007, and during which more than 40 prototype vehicles have been built to undertake real world testing.

The latest iteration of 12C concept-phase vehicles is codenamed Validation Prototype (VP), they tell us, and McLaren VP and XP (Experimental Prototype - the previous phase of 12C concept car) 12Cs are being continuously tested in the UK and across Europe.

With temperatures peaking at 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit), a 28-strong team of engineers, technicians and vehicle development partners ran two VP cars and one XP car day and night over three weeks on a mixture of driving surfaces between Lake Havasu City - where the team was based - and the town of Flagstaff, further west in Arizona.

The 12C prototypes began testing on a dynamic handling platform and high speed circuit at a proving ground near Yucca, and then completed the programme at high altitude on public roads in Flagstaff.

Pleasingly, the guys also decided to record the event for posterity with an 'official snapper' - these images are the result.

[Fuelbrother DC]

Welcome the new Esprit! Featured by McLaren! This is what Lotus should have created.

[dmax]

yeap, it is a GT in the "old" Lotus spirit
I love everything about that car.

[ZOLLAR]

I'm not sure why but i Really like the picture where its parked outside the abandoned cafe...

[dvance]

"...which is the latest round of an intensive programme that began in 200, and during..."

It'd better be good after 1810 years in development

Edited by dvance on Monday 11th October 11:38

[JohnGoodridge]

Getting used to it now; the more I see of this car, the more I like it.

[ibisti]

I saw one in the flesh near Guildford the other day and it looked great in the flesh. It was a Titanium grey at dusk but had major road presence, at first I thought it was a koenigsegg as it came towards me but it's better proportioned imho.

[TimmmyT]

ZOLLAR said:

I'm not sure why but i Really like the picture where its parked outside the abandoned cafe...

Me too! It would have been a superb picture if the engineers hadn't been in it. Think it just captures the whole idea of Arizona and it's sparseness, the old knackered cafe and then this new state of the art piece of machinery out in what looks like the a*se end of nowhere. Makes me think how good it would be to have that car there where there's no bloody traffic!

[Tuna]

Fuelbrother DC said:

Welcome the new Esprit! Featured by McLaren! This is what Lotus should have created.

Agreed. First impressions of the new Esprit is that it is 'just part of the line up' of new cars they're producing. It doesn't stand out and it doesn't excite. Technically it sounds excellent, but the competition offers some seriously beautiful alternatives and the top of the Lotus range should make people look twice.

Unfortunately for McLaren, in many ways all they can do is disappoint from here - expectations for this car are sky high, and a move into 'mass' production will carry a lot of risk.

Let's hope both companies can deliver when it matters. It'd be great to see these two on the roads and getting the praise their names deserve.

[Jez200]

Excellent shots, Car looks fantastic.
POTW full size please!

[PompeyM3]

More I see of this, the more I like it. Saw the orange-ish one they had a Goodwood FoS this year, which looking at these photos here wasn't the best colour ever.

Shame it wasn't me that won the Euro-millions as I'd get one of these on order

[dlockhart]

My boss does have one of these on order - those doors are going to be interesting in the exec car park.

[RTH]

It does have a rather bland look could almost be a mass produced coupe from Japan or Korea. If you saw one coming the other way on the road I doubt if you would say wow ! look at that!

[pagani1]

The pics are great. Unfortunately it's dropped to 4 on my car to have list behind the Jaguar C-X75, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento and the new Pagani, but for the money and looks it will give Ferrari a run for it's money. Meanwhile back in the real world my 964 is going to a free Porsche clinic this weekend.

[300bhp/ton]

Reckon that one or two of these would make great candidates for POTW

[SleeperCell]

RTH said:

It does have a rather bland look could almost be a mass produced coupe from Japan or Korea. If you saw one coming the other way on the road I doubt if you would say wow ! look at that!

I actually see that as a something of a plus point

[LandingSpot]

SleeperCell said:

RTH said:

It does have a rather bland look could almost be a mass produced coupe from Japan or Korea. If you saw one coming the other way on the road I doubt if you would say wow ! look at that!

I actually see that as a something of a plus point

Wait til you see it on the road, it's awesome.

[pSyCoSiS]

That car is growing on me...

Is it just me, or does it look a bit like the Audi R8 / Lambo Gallardo?

Like I said, could just be me!

[Andysywv]

With a bit of luck these Validation Prototypes will end up in the classified ads at a decent knock down price

[Stu R]

Wasn't sure at first, but having seen one on the road, and a lot more pictures of it in decent colours, I really am starting to love this car.

[DanBMW]

Ive seen 3 of these on the road now, an orange one in Chobam area (apparently while Jenson Button was testing one, didnt get to see the driver though) and two in Hereford a grey and a black one following each other.
They did look good, the double intake on the side makes it stand out.