McLaren has just announced that the McLaren MP4-12C will debut at the Paris auto show and the fact that the new supercar has been tested in hot and extreme weather conditions in Arizona. The company has released today an image gallery of the McLaren MP4-12C prototypes being put through their paces in the Arizona desert.
During these tests, the McLaren MP4-12C prototypes have been exposed to temperatures of up to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). The McLaren MP4-12C was tested on a high speed proving ground near Yucca and a high altitudes on public roads in Flagstaff.
McLaren has also confirmed today its new retailers for Spain, North America, Bahrain and
the Asia-Pacific region.
McLaren Press Release:
MP4-12C makes Paris debut
National and regional media in France and prospective customers of McLaren Paris will be given the
opportunity to view the groundbreaking new MP4-12C high- performance sports car at a private venue in the French capital city from 05-08 October, shortly after the opening day of the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
McLaren Paris, owned and managed by Neubauer Group, will present a 12C finished in Supernova Silver and XP13, a rolling 12C chassis, to more than 300 guests over the course of two days. Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close to the innovative technology under the skin of the 12C, with Frank Stephenson, McLaren Design Director present to unveil the car.
Eric Neubauer, Group Director for Neubauer Group will be joined by Christian Marti, McLaren Automotive Regional Director for Europe in presenting the 12C to guests.
New retailers announced for McLaren Automotive in the Middle East, Europe and North America
Al Ghassan Motors is today confirmed as McLaren Automotive’s local partner in the Kingdom of Bahrain and joins four other Middle East sales and service partners situated in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi.
Al Ghassan Motors has vast experience in the luxury automotive industry and has been selected for displaying an outstanding track record in excellent customer service, a core competency of all retailers appointed to represent McLaren Automotive.
A total of 35 retailers will represent McLaren Automotive in 19 countries worldwide from 2011. In Europe, McLaren Automotive will appoint 13 retailers. Spanish and Portuguese customers will be serviced by a retailer based in Madrid, with further details to be announced in due course. McLaren Automotive has to date confirmed details of its European retail partners in Birmingham, London, Manchester, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Brussels, Milan, Monaco, Paris and Zurich.
A McLaren Automotive retailer for Newport Beach in Orange County, California will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The announcement follows a highly successful debut presentation of the 12C at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California. Ten retailers will be appointed in North America and Canada for 2011, with retail partners already confirmed in Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Miami and Toronto. Details of a Philadelphiaretailer will also be confirmed in the near future.
Meanwhile, retailers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney are anticipated to be confirmed in October.
12C prototypes undergo extreme testing in Arizona
From the start of the 12C development programme in 2007, more than 40 prototype vehicles have been built by McLaren Automotive to undertake real world testing. The latest iteration of 12C concept-phase vehicles is codenamed Validation Prototype (VP). McLaren VP and XP (Experimental Prototype – the previous phase of 12C concept car) 12Cs are being continuously tested in the UK and across Europe. More recently, an intensive extreme weather testing programme was undertaken by the McLaren Automotive development team in Arizona, USA.
With temperatures peaking at 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit), a 28-strong team of engineers, technicians and vehicle development partners ran two VP cars and one XP car day and night over three weeks on a mixture of driving surfaces between Lake Havasu City - where the team was based - and the town of Flagstaff, further west in Arizona.
The 12C prototypes began testing on a dynamic handling platform and high speed circuit at a proving ground near Yucca, and then completed the programme at high altitude on public roads in Flagstaff.
Tony Joseph, Regional Director for McLaren Automotive North America, said:
“Feedback from prospective customers we received at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance clearly indicates that Americans are keen to see McLaren succeed in this market, so it is vitally important that our development team undertakes test programmes in North America.
“The combination of extreme ambient temperatures in a high altitude environment is perfect for testing components including the 12C’s bespoke heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, which has performed exceptionally well in Arizona. Amassing mileage in these conditions is invaluable in proving the 12C’s new engine, which was equally impressive throughout significant changes in the test environment.”
Andy Beale, a Vehicle Development Engineer working on the programme said: “Between Lake Havasu City and Flagstaff the development team passed through Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Our 12C prototypes received great comments from motorists along the way, relating in particular to the car’s design and its exhaust note.”
