Hyper 12C breaks cover
Pray silence for McLaren's most powerful 12C yet
Yes, it bears one of those names that trips off the tongue like a walrus falling over a stool, but it’s worth learning because the 12CGTCAE... ahem... is the ultimate incarnation so far of a car that’s already rather remarkable.
Limited to a run of just 30 and billed as the ultimate track car, it’ll get a breathed-upon version of the standard car’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 with a unique engine calibration and an optimised cooling system.
The key difference, though, will be the removal of the GT3 version’s FIA-mandated restrictors, allowing the V8 to deliver its full 630hp potential. This we consider to be a Good Thing, and it might well address the criticisms of the Macca which hold that it just feels a bit too clinical.
Aero package boosts downforce by 30%
Inside, there’ll be a steering wheel based on that of the MP4-24 Formula 1 car, as well as a full FIA-approved rollcage, black race seats, six-point harnesses, and... erm... an ‘integrated motorsport air conditioning system’. Just like they fit to all the GT3 racers. Or something.
Of course, all this finery must come at a price, and the Can-Am Edition’s is a not-inconsiderable £375,000. That’s more than twice the cost of the standard 12C, which seems a lot when you consider the upgrades involved. That said, a vast portion of that cost will be the price tag attached to the Can-Am’s exclusivity, and if it’s an exclusive McLaren you’re after, you can’t really do much better.
GT3 racer makes a tempting alternative
That means it gets not only the magnificent aero package, but also all of the top-end suspension, braking and transmission upgrades that come with the territory.
Of course, it isn’t road legal, so this one’s strictly a circuit plaything for the wealthy, but we’d submit that it’s this, rather than the Can-Am Edition, which is probably the ultimate McLaren track car. What’s more, it’ll set you back significantly less at a shade under £300,000. You pays your money, you takes your choice – but we’d take the GT3 and spend the change on something to haul it around with.
Presumably race teams can reclaim VAT, is ther any way Jo public can avoid VAT for a track car??
Or would you need to make up a race team and register it as a company, still worth it if you are saving £60k!!
t 'lack of emotion' comments that have surrounded the MP4. Looks fantastic and purposeful without being cheesy.This car has got me thinking about something I thought of recently; Instead of having a compromise of car that's road legal and supposedly handy on a track why not have a dedicated track performance car instead?
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