Making its debut as one of just nine dealerships to carry the British supercar in the U.S., McLaren Philadelphia in Westtown Township, Chester County, offers the sleek and speed-savvy latest model only an hour outside of Berks County.

The McLaren, known as one of the most innovatively designed racing cars ever built, began sweeping the tracks in the late 1960s. By 1992, McLaren Automotive introduced its first road-ready model, the F1, which cost around $1 million.

Between that first year and 1998, only 106 were produced.

Anxiously awaiting a new breed of sports car from the European manufacturer, McLaren enthusiasts now have the MP4-12C to satiate their automotive sweet tooth.

This single retail model starts at $229,000 and can reach beyond $300,000 for those who elect to go with MSO, or McLaren Special Operations, for custom-tailored vehicles.

"McLaren decided to pursue Porsche Premier Dealers because of their overall performance and attention to customer service," explained sales and finance manager Chad Sierer.

He noted that McLaren Philadelphia stirred to life through Robert DiStanislao's automotive reputation. DiStanislao is the dealer principal for the West Chester Pike location.

DiStanislao also owns Porsche of the Main Line in Newtown Square, Delaware County, which in the past had been named the No. 1 pre-owned Porsche dealership in the country. This and a healthy, existing business relationship with the British company put him in a top-choice spot for being one of the few in the country chosen by McLaren headquarters to carry its latest model.

McLaren Philadelphia sells to buyers from New York to South Carolina and westward to Ohio.

The dealership began delivering MP4-12Cs in December, according to Erika Fleck, a receptionist at McLaren Philadelphia.

Sierer disclosed that of the 40 cars it has been allotted to sell for the year, 30 already are sold. Just 15 of those have been delivered so far, with the farthest buyer residing in Tennessee.

"Most people go off from the spec sheets," Sierer sdaid, explaining that the majority of those looking to purchase the car are customizing it fully to their liking.

And as McLaren Philadelphia only has a showroom model, a bare chassis on display and a few test-driving cars, all orders are configured ahead of time with the buyers, who must gather their patience for a few months until the model arrives for delivery in the States.

At the Beverly Hills storefront, Jay Leno already received his MP4-12C, and Patrick Dempsey is slated to have his delivered soon, too, Sierer revealed.

Only 500 of the road-hugging MP4-12C will be produced before McLaren breaks into building a whole new model, again.

"Where a lot of cars use steel components for their chassis, this system has been able to use fluid hydraulics and dynamics to balance the car and stabilize it, which is lighter weight and more linear," said after-sales specialist Matt Gramling. "It's a much more sophisticated drive feel under a lot of driving conditions."

"Producing 592 horsepower puts the 12C into an elite class of super car," Gramling said. "Harnessing this power, with their chassis and handling advancements, is what sets it apart within this class."

The rolling chassis is carbon fiber, unlike most cars today with metal chassis systems.

"The way they've used the chassis system is probably the No. 1 advancement they've made over any other car, be it Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche," Gramling continued. "No other car is doing what McLaren is doing right now with their chassis system."

And although the dealership aims to serve those supercar aficionados looking to make this want-worthy car their own, it brings a more local and community-oriented angle into the picture, too, by offering high-quality service work on any car, aside from McLarens, with complimentary pickup and delivery of any vehicle for those who become clients.

The dealership has a 2,000-square-foot showroom and employees 10 people.

The MP4-12C perched along the front entrance, in its special hue of McLaren orange paint, succeeds in its goal of inspiring drivers to take a glimpse at this rare car carving out a name for itself in Chester County.