McLaren Automotive has marked its return to the automotive world with the release of the McLaren MP4-12C. The brand new sports car starts a new era for the specialist from Woking. To experience the launch of the new car company, we were granted a day behind the wheel of their new sports car at the factory in Woking. Introduced as being designed around the driver, the MP4-12C is the start of a lineup of cars to be released over the coming five years.

A McLaren team with experience in developing successful Formula 1 cars and expertise gained from launching McLaren cars in the past, came up with the new type of sports car. The MP4-12C uses numerous parts developed together with their successful Formula 1 team. The result is a car that McLaren believes is faster, more efficient, more agile and even more comfortable than any other sports car in its sub £ 200,000 segment. A combination which is new to the sports car segment and sets a different type of level we will try to explain in our road test.

The most noticeable part fitted to the new McLaren is the one-piece carbon MonoCell chassis, which is used as a basic structure for the car. The MonoCell is a lightweight, hollow, very strong and predictable structure that is produced in one piece through the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process. Other interesting and unique features are the Proactive Chassis Control suspension system, race-derived Brake Steer and McLaren Airbrake.