McLaren customers will soon take delivery of the 592-horsepower, mid-engine MP4-12C, but the wizards at Woking aren't resting on their laurels. The company has already announced that it intends to release at least two more models based on the 12C over the next two years. The first should be a street version of the 12C GT3 race car that is currently being campaigned in the European FIA GT3 series by CRS Racing. That $512,000 GT3 race car is limited to a run of 20 and uses a detuned version of the 12C's 3.8-liter twin turbo V-8 paired with a new paddle shift gearbox developed by Ricardo. Expect similar bodywork and race-tuned performance the GT3 street version that should make its debut in 2013.
What will the McLaren flagship supercar be like 10 years from now?
We will undertake further research into the use of carbon-fiber composites. McLaren hasn't produced a road or race car with anything other than a carbon chassis for 30 years. I expect us to continue to find intelligent ways to use carbon in more applications in our future range of sports cars. We'll also consider alternative powertrain concepts. Key to success in this area will be developing energy storage units that are lightweight and efficient, yet allow us to push ultimate performance and increase driving pleasure. We understand sports car customers won't accept compromise, so our future cars must provide class-leading fuel efficiency and deliver the performance one expects of a car wearing the McLaren badge. -Dick Glover, McLaren Automotive, Inc. Research Director
