McLaren MP4-12C Enters Production

The new supercar, the McLaren MP4-12C has begun production at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The new McLaren was debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where it was received with much enthusiasm and excitement. The firms Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton (both F1 Champions) took the car for a spin at the festival and gave it their thumbs up. The car was also presented to prospective customers and media across the globe in 2010.

McLaren Automotive which is a separate entity to McLaren F1 plans to build 1,000 of this new McLaren in Birmingham in 2011. Most of the 1,000 units will be built in the new £40 million McLaren Production Centre but, that building is not due for completion until May. Therefore, the first production models will be built at the existing MTC facility.


Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director said, "Meeting our prospective customers at launch events around the world, from Dubai to Cape Town, Paris to Los Angeles, has filled us with inspiration. There is genuine desire for McLaren to be launching our own range of sports cars, and an exciting appreciation of what McLaren stands for: innovation, technology leadership, and a winning mentality.”

Memorable events in the 2010 launch year of the McLaren 12C have been captured in a new short film, which can be viewed online at McLaren Automotive's official YouTube channel. This short film has appearances from Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the 2008 and 2009 Formula 1 Drivers' World Champions.

Both of the F1 Champions have enjoyed testing prototype McLaren 12Cs and continue to feed back their thoughts on the car's development. The video also captures visitors' reactions to the McLaren 12C at its debut. Brand new footage reveals McLaren Automotive's Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin taking the car winter testing at Dunsfold Aerodrome – which is the BBC Top Gear test track - as he assesses ESP calibration on Winter settings as part of the McLaren 12C's variable Proactive Chassis Control system.