McLaren MP4 12C detailed

The new supercar has been launched today, together with the new company which released detailed information regarding the new McLaren MP4-12C. As previously announced, the McLaren MP4-12C has a 3.8 litre 90 V8 engine with dual variable valve timing that develops 600ps and 600Nm of torque. Featuring a lightweight carbon fiber design, the McLaren MP4-12C has a power to weight ratio of 450ps and 450Nm per tonne. This means it benefits from some serious performance numbers. The McLaren MP4-12C can get from 0 to 200 km/h in less than 10 seconds and to get to 0 km/h again in 5 seconds. The top speed of the McLaren MP4-12C is rated at over 200 mph.

The McLaren MP4-12C price and availability will be announced in the second half of this year.

McLaren Press Release:

The McLaren MP4-12C

When the McLaren Automotive team set out on the road to design, develop, build, sell and service its own range of high-performance pure McLaren sports cars in 2005, they based their plans on three key factors: what they knew of the sports car market, the potential for technology and process

198 Formula 1 cars, and 2,114 SLRs is a different kind of challenge to taking on the world’s biggest car companies in the battle to build the world’s best high-performance sports cars. Especially when that challenge involves:

-developing innovative new technologies that offer unique benefits to a sophisticated group of customers
-designing every part of the car from scratch

-forging a car from those components that offers the ultimate performance for its price-point
-combining that performance with new levels of efficiency, safety and quality

Only when those cars are finally driven by the first customers in 2011 will McLaren Automotive know if it has delivered on its objective.

The company’s passion for engineering and car design, combined with its winning mentality, offer an indication for the potential. And the chance to start with a clean sheet of paper in developing a car that is truly unique in its talent is a rare opportunity.

McLaren Automotive believes that its 10 building

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blocks of success are in place for the first in the range of cars, the MP4-12C:

-A pure design concept: a rear-mid engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat sports car, built around the driver and passenger, from the inside, out
-Carbon at its heart: The McLaren MP4-12C should be based on a strong, light and rigid carbon chassis – just like all McLaren race- or road-cars since 1981
-An obsession to reduce weight: Lightweight engineering solutions enable the most powerful, most frugal, and most dynamic car in its class
-Day-to-day practicality: The car should be well packaged, fully equipped and a comfortable place to be on a drive from London to Monte Carlo, New York to Miami or Sydney to Perth
-Rational passion - design driven by function: In order to remain timeless, the car’s exterior design is driven by its aerodynamic properties, not by the whim of a stylist
-Tomorrow’s innovation, today: The McLaren MP4-12C, and all future models, will feature innovative technologies that add value to the customer, for performance, comfort and safety, and could be cascaded down to mass-market cars in the future
-Formula 1 focus on development: Testing would be incessant, covering all markets where the car will go on sale: the McLaren MP4-12C will be developed over one million miles
-Quality begins with design: Engineering, design and production teams are integrated to ensure the highest possible quality for the customer
-Bespoke production in England: McLaren will hand-build the McLaren MP4-12C in a brand new production facility at its UK headquarters
-Obsession with customer service: The world’s best retailers are lined up to deliver the best customer experience and aftersales support seen in the industry

Design concept

The McLaren MP4-12C is a mid-engined two seat sports car. In this, it is not unique but the packaging of the McLaren MP4-12C is based upon this layout for very good, historical reasons.

Almost all racing cars up until the late 1950s had a traditional bonnet housing the engine in front of the driver. In a revolutionary move, Cooper Cars, who were to be Bruce McLaren’s first British employer and Ron Dennis’ first racing employer, placed the engine behind the driver and within three years all other Formula 1 cars had moved to a mid-engined layout. Sporting road cars followed this lead towards the end of the 1960s and most cars claiming a sporting intent since have stayed true to this pattern.

The fundamental advantages for a sports car lie in the physics of the moment of inertia, weight distribution, the division of steering and drive, grip, traction and handling.

The moment of inertia describes how easy or difficult it is to turn an object. In the case of a car, the more weight that is located near to the centre between the axles, rather than towards the front or rear, then the easier it will be to change direction. This reduces the polar moment of inertia, or the tendency of heavy items at the front or rear to act as a pendulum. In short the polar moment of a car determines its agility, therefore weight distribution is crucial to balanced handling.

The natural starting point for weight distribution is 50:50 on the front and rear axles in order to have an equal weight acting on all four wheels, which in turn affects the level of grip each can provide. Determining a preferred level of understeer or oversteer alters the 50:50 displacement and then gives a car its own personality.

A 43:57 ratio was preferred by McLaren Automotive to offer better traction and a neutral balance.

The McLaren MP4-12C also has as much weight as close to the road as possible in order to lower the centre of gravity, and these objectives of positioning weight where it can best help the car to react positively to the driver’s commands provide the safest and soundest foundation for an agile, fine handling performance sports car.

Driving the rear wheels and steering with the front then helps retain a purity in which drive is delivered to the rear axle, allowing the front axle to concentrate on steering without being polluted by torque.

This is why McLaren chose the classic rear, mid-engined layout as the basis for the McLaren MP4-12C and from this basic principle all the other elements of the car were developed. Reducing weight throughout then became an almost obsessive goal across all engineering disciplines, starting with the core of the car, the carbon MonoCell.

Carbon fibre heart

Light weight and performance are defining philosophies at McLaren. Outright power alone is of little significance if a car’s weight saps output, or if that power is unmanageable and compromises the driving experience, or if it results in unacceptable emissions. Fundamentally, it is critical to keep weight as low as possible, yet increased customer demands for safety and advanced features all mean that shaving weight is ever more difficult.

Saving weight is therefore an obsession at McLaren, so at the heart of the McLaren MP4-12C is a carbon fibre composite chassis: the Carbon MonoCell. This forms the basis for all the McLaren MP4-12C’s targets for light weight, and adds stiffness, efficiency, safety and integrity to the package.

This revolutionary structure is the automotive version of a McLaren innovation that started with Formula 1 back in 1981. It is the latest step in a technology cascade that started when McLaren brought carbon composite technology from the aerospace industry to make the MP4/1 Formula 1 car, the first Formula 1 car to benefit from the strength, low weight and safety properties of carbon fibre.

McLaren’s Formula 1 carbon fibre experience subsequently offered the company the opportunity to apply its expertise to a production car. The first ever road car to be constructed of this material was the McLaren F1 produced from 1993, albeit in small numbers. The F1 was followed by a handful of cars from other companies and, at McLaren, by the SLR.

A small number of other cars in the market offer such technology today and all of them lie in McLaren’s definition of the ‘ultimate’ segment – a select group of ultra-low volume cars priced far over £300,000. No manufacturer has commercially introduced the advantages of carbon composite technology to a more affordable sector of the market. But the McLaren MP4-12C does, through engineering passion and a relentless pursuit of efficiency.

So, McLaren did it first in 1993 with the F1, the world’s fastest ever naturally aspirated production car, then in the highest volume with SLR. Selling 2,252 cars, more than doubling the volume of its nearest peer, the SLR became the best-selling carbon fibre-based car ever.

Now, through the revolutionary one-piece moulding of the MonoCell, McLaren brings a carbon composite chassis down from the ‘ultimate’ segment to the ‘core’ segment - cars priced between £125,000 and £175,000 - where currently only traditional metal structures are offered.

McLaren has pioneered a sophisticated new carbon fibre production process that allows the MonoCell to be produced to exacting quality standards, in a single piece, in only four hours. This is a significant advantage when compared with the marriage of dozens of components (and many production hours) that normally feature in a carbon fibre chassis structure. This brings huge performance, efficiency and quality benefits.

The advantages this technology brings are:

-Light weight: The McLaren MP4-12C MonoCell weighs less than 80kg, some 25 per cent lighter than a comparable aluminium chassis. Carbon fibre forms the structural basis for the whole car and contributes to the car’s low overall weight and overall efficiency.
-High torsional rigidity: The MonoCell is 25 per cent stiffer than an equivalent all metal structure and provides the McLaren MP4-12C with a higher torsional stiffness to weight ratio than competitors. This inherent rigidity means the unique front suspension system, mounted directly onto the MonoCell, requires less compromise for the flexibility of the suspension itself. Therefore, it is easier to develop the unique balance between supple ride and precise handling that McLaren has targeted.
-A very strong safety cell: The MonoCell offers greater occupant safety. It acts as a safety survival cell, as it does for a Formula 1 car.
-Ease of repair: Aluminium extrusions and castings are jig welded into the finished assembly and bolted directly to the MonoCell. In an accident, the light weight aluminium alloy front and rear structures absorb impact forces and can be replaced easily, whereas cars with full aluminium chassis use their structure to absorb and crumple on impact, causing more damage (and expense) to the whole structure, including the passenger cell.
-Low perishability: Carbon composites do not degrade over time like metal structures that fatigue. One is able to get into a 15-year-old McLaren F1 and there is none of the tiredness or lack of structural integrity that afflicts traditional cars that have suffered a hard life. The McLaren MP4-12C will feel as good as new in this respect for decades.
-Extreme dimensional accuracy: There is absolute predictability in the production process. In any plane or dimension, between two points, every MonoCell will be within half a millimetre level of accuracy. This ensures an extremely high level of build quality and predictable performance.
The MonoCell project is managed by Claudio Santoni, McLaren Automotive’s Body Structures Function Group Manager.

“It was clear that we needed to develop a car with a carbon fibre structure. After all, McLaren under Ron Dennis has never made a car with a metal chassis!

“So, the whole McLaren MP4-12C project is based on the concept of the MonoCell. This means that McLaren can launch into the market with greater performance than our rivals, a safer structure, and a better built car.

“To put into perspective the great strides we have made with the McLaren MP4-12C’s MonoCell, if the costs and complexity of producing a McLaren F1 carbon fibre chassis are taken as a factor of 100, the McLaren MP4-12C chassis production costs are reduced to a factor of seven or eight, without degrading the strength or quality of the carbon structure. And this huge step-change in technology could make its way into more mainstream cars,” he concluded.

The Process

So, how has McLaren managed to cascade carbon composite technology to a car that is half the price of any other carbon-based car on the market? It is all about process and concept.

The tub for the McLaren F1 was made from pre-pregnated carbon fibre, like a Formula 1 racing car, and took 3,000 hours to prepare with 100 people working on it. It was a highly intensive and time-consuming process and in its best year only 24 F1s were made – two per month. The process developed for the SLR resulted in a much reduced time of 400 hours for each tub made of six pieces, and involving resin infusion moulding and resin transfer moulding which gave McLaren a wealth of further experience in the field.

Following McLaren’s design of the MonoCell, it has pioneered a new production process with global partner companies Carbo Tech (Austria) and Toray (Japan). This allows the tub to be produced through a new single moulding process to exacting quality standards, in a single piece, in only four hours. Naturally this brings cost benefits and could revolutionise automotive chassis development.

The MonoCell is made in a new Resin Transfer Moulding process. Dry carbon fibre pre-forms are cut to shape and laid out in a multi-piece complex part metal mould with coring technology that adds a further unique property – the MonoCell is hollow. All the different parts of the tool close simultaneously. The tool then goes into a press which restrains the mould against pressure at a constant temperature. High-performance epoxy resin is injected at very high pressure, permeating the whole tub, and the resin cures to deliver the tub’s strength.

The finished tub emerges in one piece and various finishing processes are completed on a computer-controlled milling machine. This is the stage where the interfaces between the tub and the front and rear aluminium crash structures are machined to ensure accuracy every time.

“Because we are machining the interfaces so accurately, it makes sense to machine locations for other ancillaries too,” explained Santoni. “Things like the wiring harness. Although it doesn’t need to be so accurately placed, the MonoCell enables us to use the accuracy of the concept to build a car to exacting McLaren standards.”

“The MonoCell is such a fantastic platform on which to build the rest of the car,” Santoni said. “Everything is where it needs to be: from the driver down to fitting a piece of carpet. The fit is always perfect and it is located in a nice, smooth and accurate area. It is quite another thing to fit carpet in a rough aluminium spaceframe where parts are often fitted to an accuracy of plus or minus five millimetres.”

There is no need to bond different parts together to make the whole tub, as with the SLR. It is hollow, saving further weight, and the integrity of production ensures that drilling for the location of suspension and ancillaries is accurate to the finest of margins. Ease and accuracy of repair has been an integrated element of McLaren’s design process for the McLaren MP4-12C.

“Getting the production process right is the result of five years of extensive research. Now that the process is perfected, it allows McLaren to produce the MonoCell repeatedly with a consistently impeccable quality,” said Santoni

“The process is efficient, clever, cost-effective and accurate, but for me the most important thing is the concept – the contribution of the MonoCell to the concept of the whole car,” Santoni enthused. “It is not just about a clever tool and meticulous preparation, it is the principle of ‘form follows function’ or why the MonoCell has the shape it has.

“If you spend time around the MonoCell you can see why it is this shape. Every other carbon monocoque I have seen has a square front end without pontoons. When the McLaren MP4-12C’s concept was finalised we established the value of every single line on the MonoCell. There isn’t a single line on it that does not have a function. It is all down to load paths and we have specified every single area to ensure that we have exactly the right ply and the accurate thickness for the load that section must bear. The crossbeam is a perfect example of this minute attention to detail. No other carbon monocoque has this feature,” he said.

The crossbeam at the front of the MonoCell has been designed to share the distribution of impact forces across both sides. So, in the event of an offset impact that would normally see all impact forces taken on the impacted side of the car, the forces are distributed and shared on both sides of the McLaren MP4-12C.

“It is rare in the automobile world to work to the standards demanded by the aerospace industry,” claimed Mark Vinnels, McLaren Automotive’s Programme Director.

“Our ability to analyse and predict the performance of carbon fibre is in line with aerospace technology and is truly world class, particularly in the sense of predicting failure, which is obviously key in managing crash events and passive safety. We can now predict failure levels at individual ply level in the carbon composite and the results are absolutely correlating with what we predicted.

“We recently put the MonoCell through an extreme crash-test programme, including putting the same chassis through three high energy crashes. The MonoCell survived unscathed and uncracked, as did the car’s windscreen, showing just how strong it is, but also how good it is at absorbing and channelling loads,” he concluded.

Lightweight structures

“Adding lightness” Weight is the enemy of performance in every area of car design. It affects acceleration, speed, handling, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – everything. Whilst the MonoCell offers huge weight savings (and performance gains) over competitors, it has not been the sole focus of attention. McLaren Automotive’s engineers have pursued saving weight in every single aspect of the car.

“At a very early stage in the McLaren MP4-12C’s development we held a competitive ‘weight-down’ workshop with a team of our senior engineers and a team from McLaren Racing,” disclosed Neil Patterson, Chief Engineer for the MP4-12C. “The idea was to pool all our collective intellect and feed off one another to reduce the car’s weight to the lowest possible level within reasonable financial constraints. In the room we had an array of lightweight parts from Formula 1 cars and a McLaren F1.

“Throwing all our best ideas into the ring generated one hundred kilos of opportunity in one day. This kind of cross-fertilization exercise emphasises the holistic approach taken during the development of McLaren MP4-12C and these ‘weight-down’ days have continued throughout the McLaren MP4-12C’s development programme.

“It has been my job ever since to ensure that not one gram was added during development without it being reclaimed elsewhere. We are aiming for McLaren MP4-12C to be at least 75 kilos lighter than the published dry weight of any competitor,” Patterson concluded.

“We have spent most of the programme ‘adding lightness’,” said Mark Vinnels, Programme Director. “If the cost of reducing weight brought performance gains in speed, handling or economy, we did it. However, if that cost could deliver even better performance elsewhere we didn’t pursue it. We never set weight targets as such; we set cost-to-performance targets and examined everything in this way.

“A good example of this philosophy is that we considered carbon fibre body panels. They would have reduced weight but added little benefit as the new one-piece carbon MonoCell provides all of the torsional strength the body needs. The costs saved were used elsewhere for greater weight reduction and efficiencies overall. We focused on an holistic approach to weight saving throughout,” he concluded.

Here are some examples of weight saving measures on the McLaren MP4-12C:

-The carbon MonoCell not only reduces the weight of the structure but also allows for the use of much lighter weight body panels: at less than 80 kgs it is 25 percent lighter than equivalent size aluminium chassis.
-Facia airbags, steering column and a significant number of interior components all mount to a single one-piece pressure die cast magnesium beam that offers the same density as plastic and is 75 percent lighter than steel. Structural analysis and casting simulation has delivered a complex part capable of carrying all loads without additional brackets or fixings.
-The close position of the driver and passenger allows for a narrower, lighter body while giving improved visibility with a clearer perception of the car’s extremities.
-The small, compact downsized engine coupled to a compact SSG is extremely light, but is also short, minimising vehicle length and thus further reducing weight.
-The standard brakes for the McLaren MP4-12C reduce overall vehicle and unsprung mass. McLaren has developed a forged aluminium bell that attaches to the cast iron brake disc. This solution maintained the excellent brake feel of a cast iron disc while saving 8 kg. Carbon ceramic brakes with cooling ducts will be available as an option, offering fade-free braking performance during high performance driving, but the standard composite brake system is actually lighter than the larger carbon ceramic units.
-Lightweight exhaust pipes exit straight out the rear of the car, minimising their length and weight.
-Airflow-assisted Airbrake deployment dramatically reduces weight of the Airbrake activation system by about 50 percent, or 5 kgs.
-Significant weight was pared off the alloy wheels through intensive Finite Element Analysis.
-The engine cooling radiators are mid-mounted, as close to the engine as possible, to minimise the pipework, the fluids contained within them, and therefore weight. They were also mounted in car-line to minimise vehicle width. -Lighter hexagonal wiring saves almost 4 kgs over circular wiring.
-A new lithium-ion battery saves more than half the weight of a traditional Lead acid unit. Designed to occupy the same space as a conventional H8 lead acid unit, the McLaren MP4-12C battery saves over 10 kgs compared to a typical lead acid battery. Designed by McLaren in conjunction with a specialist supplier to match the performance of the McLaren MP4-12C’s electrical architecture, the lithium-ion battery meets all environmental, electrical and EMC requirements. And battery life should be longer than a standard storage unit.

But lightweight does not mean ‘stripped out’. At near 1300kgs (dry – in its lightest configuration), the McLaren MP4-12C is lighter than its main rivals thanks to this holistic approach to weight reduction; an approach that also takes into account a high standard specification.

Mark Vinnels said, “It is not just how light can we go, but what is the ideal weight for our customers – what will satisfy their performance expectations of McLaren coupled with their day-to-day needs for a car. We want this car to be used every day, but also push what is possible in a performance car – whether that is on the track or on the London to Monte Carlo cruise.

“Our background and skills mean we inherently work to the standards expected in Formula 1 or the aerospace industry – we’re not a ‘normal’ car company in that respect. Our analysis and application of lightweight technologies, such as carbon, benefits from 30 years of working with the material, so we are in a great position to offer an extremely light car; and one that is also extremely safe and luxurious,” he concluded.

Interior design and packaging

It all starts with the driver

Packaging was fundamental to support the MP4-12C’s low weight targets. Externally, the car had to be compact, yet internally it had to offer an unparalleled driver and passenger environment where space, comfort and driving enjoyment at all levels were not compromised.

At 4507mm long, 1895mm wide at the front axle (1908mm rear), and 1199mm high, the McLaren MP4-12C is compact externally, yet the interior is spacious, being designed to accommodate 98th percentile adults in comfort.

“With the interior, we have created a real step forward in the packaging of a sports car,” said Frank Stephenson, Design Director. “The MonoCell concept allowed us the freedom to design the occupant space around the driver, just like in a Formula 1 car. And this also brings the driver closer to the centre of the car, improving control and driver enjoyment. Positioning the pedals inboard improves the problem of wheel well intrusion. We also repackaged many of the major components that normally sit under the dashboard to allow for more space and a unique form.

“The MonoCell’s dimensions define the interior space and our design team had input into its dimensions. The result is, in my view, the perfect space – unique and uncompromised. Packaging in sports cars is often an after-thought – “now, what can we fit in and where?” – but with the McLaren MP4-12C it was fundamental. The occupants have to enjoy being in this car more than any other sports car they have ever owned,” he concluded.

Ergonomically, the McLaren MP4-12C delivers on its aim of making the driver feel as comfortable as possible, whether driving in town or on a track. The steering column is centred on the driver, and is parallel to his seat and shoulders. The brake and throttle pedals are also placed directly in line with the driver. All primary controls are within a hands-reach yet surfaces and switches do not intrude or interfere during spirited driving.

But the creativity of the interior design itself also aims to set new standards. The whole focus is on making the McLaren MP4-12C cockpit a uniquely comfortable and functional space. The design offers a symmetry that wraps around the occupants and makes them feel not only physically, but also emotionally comfortable.

This has been partly achieved by the 7 inch touch screen telematics system oriented in ‘portrait’ mode. This is a first for the automotive industry and is more intuitive than ‘landscape’ orientation - we read down a page and our mobile telephones and other personal information devices are configured this way.

It has also been designed with the minimum of command buttons in order to minimise the complexity of its operation, and can be viewed by both driver and passenger.

The telematics system is revolutionary – McLaren wanting to surprise McLaren MP4-12C owners with every turn. Richie Sibal, McLaren Automotive’s Function Group Manager for Electrical Systems said, “Most owner’s reaction to the portrait telematics screen will be, “why doesn’t everyone do that?” That reaction would underline our philosophy for this car; with a clean sheet of paper we have been able to innovate and define new concepts and solutions.

“The touch screen itself comes from the world leader in this technology,” Sibal confirmed. “It has a circular polariser built in to minimise reflection and outstanding levels of luminance. The 60⁰ viewing angle from either side of the car provides excellent clarity and ease of use.

“We wanted to minimise the touch screen controls to avoid driver distraction,” he continued, “so it only has six –‘applications’ such as navigation and audio, two ‘soft’ buttons that change operation according to function, ‘mute’, ‘volume’ and, of course, ‘home’. The car will also employ the best speech recognition technology available, which allows voice commands to activate navigation, telephony and audio functions,” he concluded.

McLaren designers paid great attention to all-round visibility from the car for both safety and driving precision.

The low windscreen cowl gives a full six degrees downward vision from eye height and, importantly, allows the driver a clear view of the front of the car. The view of the top of the front wings, with the highest point positioned directly above the centre of the wheel, also facilitates perfect placement of the McLaren MP4-12C in a corner. Rear vision is excellent too and an internal buttress with a rear three-quarter glass provides a clear rearward view.

The steering wheel is probably the most important sensory item for any driver. Apart from the feel and feedback from the front wheels, the actual grip and design of the wheel itself is paramount. The steering wheel is ‘clean’ – there are no buttons to distract the driver. It is also small and very tactile.

McLaren designers and engineers found the solution to the steering wheel design challenge under their own roof. Having employed an advanced and compact airbag, the steering wheel design was then inspired by McLaren’s racing expertise.

The steering wheel grip of the McLaren MP4-12C is as technically precise as a McLaren racing driver’s wheel. This is because past McLaren world champions’ grips were modelled on a CAD system and scanned to produce an exact replica on the McLaren MP4-12C’s steering wheel.

Such attention to detail is to be found throughout the McLaren MP4-12C’s interior and it does not suffer from an over abundance of switches, knobs and dials.

For components that customers can see and touch it is even more important that they are pure McLaren. None of the switches are carry-over parts from another maker: all are bespoke items designed exclusively by McLaren for the McLaren MP4-12C.

“No one can sit in the McLaren MP4-12C and identify anything from another car,” said Sibal. “This is not always the case with car manufacturers because it is costly. However we took the view that customers in this sector don’t want to look at buttons or controls from a mainstream car. Such attention to detail will pay off in the long run and helps develop a McLaren design language for future cars, because we have designed the switches to be modular. Controls and consoles will be available in a variety of materials such as aluminium and carbon fibre, so that customers can personalise their car and choose exactly its look and feel.”

It is not only the appearance of the switchgear that is important: the haptics and ergonomics are essential ingredients in providing a unique environment for the McLaren MP4-12C buyer. Haptics – the ‘look’, ‘feel’ and ‘touch’ of a control – and ergonomics – how accessible they are and what kind of feedback they give the driver – have been the subject of considerable focus at Woking.

“Being able to design the interior controls from scratch has enabled us to dial in a silky feel to some switches and for others, where necessary, a detent to assist the driver.

“We have minimised the overall number of switches and controls for ergonomic reasons, but ensured that there is a consistent feel throughout the car. We have also created a consistent McLaren background illumination colour for all the dials and switches,” confirmed Sibal.

As far as media is concerned, the McLaren MP4-12C’s infotainment system supports all major file types with bespoke extensions for typical MP3 players and other devices. It accommodates all Bluetooth V2-compatible mobile phones and uses a world-class navigation system. It has a picture viewer, a video player and AM/FM radio. It is notable in not offering a CD player – modern use of MP3 players in cars negates the need to add such a weighty device.

Audio quality is taken very seriously and the McLaren MP4-12C features a system from Meridian, the first time the premium audio manufacturer has designed an automobile application. Two versions will be offered and the highest specification will be equipped with surround sound.

“The McLaren MP4-12C will be one of the first cars to feature WiFi and it will enable access to the internet via hotspots,” said Sibal. “It will have the ability to push or pull media files from, and to, car from home or office. Alongside the familiar business and home facilities such as web browsing and email, we will introduce exclusive applications direct from the McLaren portal,” Sibal concluded.

The infotainment system also supports the option of a three camera recording system. One is placed in the nose of the McLaren MP4-12C, a second at the rear and the third at eye line from behind the driver’s shoulder. Thus, a full, three-angled record of the McLaren MP4-12C’s lap around the Nurburgring, for example, can be permanently stored on a customer’s hard drive.

The layout and ergonomics of the interior are aided by the McLaren MP4-12C’s packaging. The driver and passenger sit closer together, giving the driver a better feeling of control for placing the car on the road accurately as well as leaving more room between the driver and the door panel. This allows not only more space for arm movements during hard driving, but also provided space for an additional ‘door console’.

Like the McLaren F1, the driver has controls on both sides, which allows for a rational positioning of switches:

-Climate controls on each door console
-Telematics on the upper centre console
-Active Dynamics Panel (see below) on the middle centre console
-Transmission, handbrake, door locks, bonnet release and hazard warning light on the tunnel console
-On-board computer (left) and cruise control (right) on the steering column

As such, all groups of controls have their own place and are accessible within a hand’s distance from the steering wheel. The instrument cluster has a large central tachometer and digital speed readout. Behind the steering wheel (and moving with it) is a Formula 1-inspired rocker for changing gears. It has been engineered to deliver a Formula 1 haptic.

The science of haptics has been applied to all the controls in order to generate a consistent and high quality feel. All the controls are bespoke, designed exclusively by McLaren, and not a single one has come from the parts bin of another manufacturer.

The Active Dynamics Panel on the middle centre console provides two rotary switches, ‘P’ and ‘H’, and four push buttons:

-‘Start/Stop’: McLaren MP4-12C is keyless
-‘Active’ activates all the dynamic controls: on ignition, the McLaren MP4-12C starts in ‘automatic’, and ‘normal’ settings for Handling and Powertrain. Depressing ‘Active’ then engages the preferred driver settings
-‘Winter’ sets all electronic support systems to a maximum intervention level, with gearshift strategy and torque control optimised to limit any loss of traction
-‘Launch’ initiates the launch control system

The two rotary switches, ‘P’ and ‘H’, control ‘Powertrain’ and ‘Handling’, each having three position settings for ‘normal’, ‘sport’ and ‘track’ driving modes.

-‘P’ changes throttle response and acoustics, gearbox strategy, shift times and impulse (how much one can feel the gearchange). The coaxial ‘Manual’ button controls use of manual gearbox functions.
-‘H’ changes stability control, steering weight, suspension firmness and roll stiffness. The coaxial ‘Aero’ button allows the driver to deploy the Airbrake to a 15 degree Driver Downforce position for increased downforce.
“The opportunity to set preferred performance settings for both handling and powertrain, independent of each other, will be relished by McLaren MP4-12C owners,” said Louis Baldanza, McLaren Automotive’s Product Manager for McLaren MP4-12C.

“Spirited driving on rough B-roads for example can be enjoyed with ‘P’ in ‘sport’ and ‘H’ in ‘normal’, giving great throttle response and sharp gearshifts, but with a smooth ride. On arriving at a circuit, the owner can then simply switch to ‘track’ for both ‘P’ and ‘H’, depress ‘Manual’ and ‘Aero’ for full control of the gearshifts and maximum downforce from the Airbrake,” he concluded.

The supportive, lightweight seats are comfortable and electrically-adjustable for height. There is plenty of stowage space in the car with a shelf behind the seats big enough for small bags, a closed storage bin under the armrest, pockets on the front of the seat cushions, and a ‘floating’ centre console that leaves ‘cupholder’ space beneath.

The interior’s simplicity belies a world-class level of comfort and safety that will include a full quota of airbags, fully automatic dual zone climate control, parking sensors, trip computer, cruise control and fully electric memory seats.

The standard interior materials are all premium quality.

Exterior Design
Everything for a reason

The McLaren MP4-12C has been designed around a demanding mechanical package that puts emphasis on aerodynamics, compact dimensions, performance and efficiency, practicality and comfort. The design of the McLaren MP4-12C was driven by aerodynamics and engineering innovation; the reason why McLaren Automotive believes it will remain contemporary and elegant throughout its lifetime as well as distinctive among its peers.

Frank Stephenson, McLaren Automotive’s Design Director, finalised the design: “Like most designers it’s a boyhood dream to work with high performance sports cars. They are the purest expression of speed and purpose and, with increased consumer demand in this market and environmental aims to the fore, offer designers the ultimate challenge. The McLaren MP4-12C design was led by aerodynamics and engineering influenced by the pinnacle of car design – Formula 1 – and it’s a fascinating challenge to work within such inspirational philosophies.

“It has been absolutely fundamental, and will remain so in future McLarens, that the design team and engineering teams work hand-in-hand. It does inhibit a designer’s natural tendencies, but it makes for a better product, more quickly. Putting them together makes designers more pragmatic and engineers more creative and, as I have seen at McLaren, delivers great results.

“Designers are never satisfied! So, what’s the point in a team of designers being locked away for months only for the engineers to tell them that what they have designed cannot be built? It’s a waste of time and money. Everything we do at McLaren must be for a reason, and this collaborative system ensures that we’re quick, innovative and purposeful. It means that the designers, engineers and production teams are all heading in the same direction.

“I really feel that the end result – the styling, if you like - communicates the McLaren MP4-12C’s engineering integrity and technical benefits and it is this purity that makes the design timeless and the product premium.” Stephenson concluded.

The overall design theme supports engineering and aerodynamic ambitions. Purity of lines then give the car its character. All the fins, vents and the flat underbody are there for a reason. No styling addenda have been incorporated for appeal or style alone. This aerodynamic purity explains why this car can hit top speed with great stability without resorting to tea tray wings or deep front air dams.

Successful car design is based on proportions and McLaren’s styling team, whilst driven by the demands of the purest airflow, honed a mix of concave and convex surfaces that present balanced proportions and a feeling of lightness. Nothing is out of place on the car and surfaces interact smoothly and with purpose; surfaces that are integrated into the whole of the car along two continuous lines that flow round the body.

A perfect example of the exterior design resulting from the combination of aerodynamics and engineering innovation is the front of the car, from the A-pillar forwards. It is very low and narrow, since it does not have to house large engine cooling radiators, two of which are mounted longitudinally at the sides behind the occupants. This offers the added benefit of segment-leading space for storage under the bonnet.

This intelligent use of air flow defines the car. Moving the radiators back also means that the same air that flows through the radiators also cools the engine, whilst it also reduces the length of pipework within the car and volumes of associated fluids, thereby reducing weight.

The McLaren MP4-12C’s face is dominated by large and distinctive air intakes. A removable front splitter, bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights inspired by the form of the McLaren logo, and a large windscreen with low cowl complete the McLaren MP4-12C’s face. The McLaren logo itself also graces the bonnet of a road car for the first time.

Illumination from the running lights bleeds into three distinctive gills just above the headlamps. The windscreen is deep and low for superb forward visibility and redolent of the McLaren F1: in wet weather it is swept by a single weight-saving pantograph wiper blade, as was the F1.

Stephenson said, “The McLaren MP4-12C does not reproduce the F1 design, but it unashamedly builds on its functionally-driven engineering and design highlights such as the large, deep windscreen and the low cowl to give the driver good visibility for accurate placement on the road. Any similarities are there for a reason.

“We evolved the design in the wind tunnel until the design was finalised in mid-2009 and this resulted in some great final touches to the front end in particular. The larger air intakes, more pronounced and personalised headlight units, and the removable front splitter give the car a great face.”

From the side, the McLaren MP4-12C cannot be mistaken for another sports car. The dominant side air inlets are divided by dramatic turning vanes that help direct (without slowing) cooling air over the in-line side radiators. This shape was designed and optimised using McLaren’s extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) capability. Likewise, the scalloped shoulders drive airflow to the Airbrake, thereby enhancing its effectiveness in the aerodynamic package.

The other prevailing design characteristics are the dihedral doors (a hereditary gene from the McLaren F1), which has a clear purpose, like every other element of McLaren’s design ethos.

The concept of dihedral doors is simply to allow the driver and passenger to get into and out of the car as easily as possible as well as allowing a smaller door opening than would otherwise be necessary. The simple act of moving the door forward and upwards invites the driver to step across the sill and sit in the car more easily. The door can be opened and closed from a seating position.

In tighter parking situations, dihedral doors allow ingress and egress in a situation where another car has parked too closely. In traditional door systems a larger parking space is necessary to permit the doors to open wide enough.

With its single hinge, the dihedral doors offer weight-saving features and are unique to the McLaren brand. As is the handle-free keyless door entry system that offers both a purity of design as well as a contribution to the car’s aerodynamics: door handles disrupt air flow.

The design of the standard cast alloy wheels (19” front, 20” rear) was driven by McLaren’s light weight objectives: the styling was agreed in concept, and then the wheel was tuned using finite element analysis to take a further 4kg out of the wheels. Bespoke Pirelli tyres (235/35 R19: 305/30 R20) have been developed in conjunction with McLaren specifically for the McLaren MP4-12C.

The McLaren MP4-12C’s rear is unique. Exhaust pipes exit high, in the centre of the car and straight out from the engine – minimising their length and therefore weight. The rear features a bank of slats and vents to ensure efficient evacuation of hot air from the engine bay, and the engine itself is visible through a thin glass cover on the rear deck. The LED tail light clusters do not dominate the rear - they are only visible when illuminated - and appear ‘hidden’ behind horizontal black bars. The two upper bars at the rear light up as LED brake lights and turn indicators. Below the light clusters, the business-like appearance is completed with the car’s downforce-optimised rear diffuser, edged with the reverse light and reflector.

At just 4507mm long, 1895mm wide at the front axle (1908mm rear) and 1199mm high, the McLaren MP4-12C is short, narrow, and low, and has short front and rear overhangs due to its long 2670mm wheelbase – a layout that promotes stability and assists handling response. There will be no mistaking the McLaren MP4-12C from front, side or back.

Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic efficiency defined the McLaren MP4-12C’s design. It has smooth upper body surfaces to yield a highly effective drag coefficient and generate very high levels of balanced downforce at high speed. This helps to maintain traction, cornering ability and stability while low drag aids top speed and acceleration.

A completely flat underbody helps to smooth out and speed up air flow under the car, as faster air pulled from the rear of the car increases downforce at the rear. A removable nose splitter gives more downforce at the front.

Aerodynamics also plays a major part in the cooling of the car and in reducing its CO2 emissions. Air flow through, over and under the car has been honed through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and real-world testing programmes. Managing engine temperatures has been a key focus for the development team, driven by the ground-breaking combination of a small capacity, high power engine that sits very low in the chassis and as close as possible to the cabin.

Simon Lacey, Head of Vehicle Technology: “From an aerodynamic standpoint, the main impact we can have on CO2 is in controlling engine temperatures.

“But it’s a fine and challenging balance to achieve, that relies on intelligent use of air, because driving cool air over and through the engine bay boosts performance, whilst keeping the oils in the engine and systems hot reduces CO2. And you want both, of course – cool air and hot oils to improve performance and reduce emissions.

“Our Formula 1 culture helps us here as we have worked with CFD for years and can quickly spot where air is losing energy and slowing down. We trust what CFD tells us – we can see the results every other weekend,” concluded Lacey.

Through its motor racing exploits, McLaren has played a major part in honing the accuracy of CFD data. This experience has considerably benefitted the McLaren MP4-12C’s aerodynamic properties.

“Every aspect of the McLaren MP4-12C has been tuned using the most advanced equipment available,” explained Ian Gough, McLaren Automotive’s Head of Aerodynamics. “Of course, the requirements in Formula 1 are different to that of the McLaren MP4-12C but there are some features that derive directly from Formula 1 experience. One example is the guide vanes behind the front and rear wheels.

“Rather like the turning vanes behind the front wheels of the McLaren Formula 1 car that have now been banned, the vanes on the underside of the McLaren MP4-12C are designed to divert turbulent airflow created by the wheels. If the wake from the wheels is allowed to interfere with the clean air flowing across the smooth underbody, it prevents this clean air from generating downforce as the diffuser rises at the rear.”

The vanes have created a very significant improvement in airflow beneath the McLaren MP4-12C that helps generate a lot of downforce without any drag at all, whilst the diffuser itself is designed along Formula 1 principles.

“As the diffuser tunnels become a ramp, air from the flat floor accelerates and is evacuated into the area of low pressure behind the car, which it then enhances. In crude terms it helps suck the car down onto the road.

Another element of the McLaren MP4-12C’s aerodynamic armoury is the Airbrake which works with the diffuser to create even more downforce. When it is fully deployed under heavy braking, the Airbrake creates significant additional wake that works with the diffuser to suck even more air from under the car: it actually speeds the airflow beneath the McLaren MP4-12C,” Gough concluded.

Innovative Technologies

McLaren’s raison d’être is to race to win. And only by constantly adapting, innovating and challenging the status quo, can a racing team, or a car company for that matter, progress towards such a goal.

The new McLaren MP4-12C features a raft of new technologies never before seen in the sports car or automotive world. From the engine to the transmission, the suspension to the braking system, the use of aerodynamics to electronics, the McLaren MP4-12C genuinely re-writes the rule book on how a high-performance sports car is designed.

Dick Glover, McLaren Automotive’s Technical Director, said, “Our experience with the McLaren F1, and with many people from the Formula 1 and Le Mans racing teams, gives us a great insight into what is technically possible in a car. Some of those innovative technologies have been applied to motor racing, and subsequently banned because of the performance benefits they offer, but we are now reaping the benefits of that knowledge.

“The vehicle dynamics – its consistency of balance, mechanical grip, steering quality, damping quality – are all delivering on our exceedingly high expectations. We are confirming the benefits of technological concepts such as Brake Steer and our Proactive chassis control system – both firsts for a road car.

“Likewise on the powertrain, the SSG transmission and race-derived engine are producing a blindingly quick car, but one that has a very accurate shift quality and great engine driveability. Importantly, while cruising, the engine is also quiet. It still sounds magnificent when you open it up, but its low capacity generates impressive efficiency,” he concluded.

Powertrain: pure McLaren

The McLaren MP4-12C is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 3.8 litre 90 V8 engine - the ‘M838T’ (the nomenclature stands for McLaren - 8 cylinder – 3.8 litres – Turbo). This marks the start of a new era in ‘core’ segment sports cars - smaller capacity, lighter weight, higher efficiency and more economical power units.

The engine has the highest specific power output in its segment which, when allied to the car’s lightweight carbon MonoCell, delivers power- and torque- to weight ratios which exceed 450ps and 450Nm per tonne.

M838T is a unique McLaren power unit, developed specifically for the McLaren MP4-12C. It is compact, lightweight, very stiff, and offers an uncompromising combination of very high performance with driveability, and peerless economy and CO2 emission values targeted at well below 300g/km.

Taking power and emissions in combination (measured by its horsepower to CO2 ratio), the McLaren MP4-12C aims to deliver its power at greater efficiency than any other car on the market with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids.

M838T features dual variable valve timing and produces around 600ps and 600Nm of torque. A dry sump and flat plane crankshaft allow the engine to be placed extremely low in the chassis thereby lowering the centre of gravity and improving handling responses. It also features lightweight cam covers and intake manifold, which reduce weight and heat transmission into the charge air, as well as Nikasil-coated aluminium liners for further weight reduction.

“We wanted the engine to be as small as possible. After evaluating a number of ‘off-the-shelf’ units, we felt that, in terms of design and layout, every alternative was too big a compromise,” explained Richard Farquhar, McLaren Automotive’s Powertrain Manager.

Farquhar sought the following characteristics from the McLaren MP4-12C’s engine:

-Short in length to minimise the McLaren MP4-12C’s wheelbase for optimum dynamics.
-Short distance from the centre of the crankshaft to the bottom of the engine for the lowest possible centre of gravity.
-Positioning, with the transmission, as close to the centre of the car as possible in order to minimise the polar moment of inertia and its dynamic effects.
“That is why we decided to design our own engine,” said Farquhar. “It is compact in terms of length and height and it complements the concept of the McLaren MP4-12C perfectly. Its high end power, wide torque band, effective operation at high G forces and its traction performance over the rev range make it a perfect partner for the character of the car.
“I am particularly satisfied by the environmental performance,” he continued. “With the McLaren MP4-12C we are leading the way in the sports car market with a smaller capacity pressure-charged engine: not only will we deliver class-leading power output but the McLaren MP4-12C engine will consume considerably less fuel than its competitors. Our target on emissions is 300 g/km of CO2, but we won’t rest until we get below that. I am convinced we have created the blueprint for the way forward for engine technology in the sports car market,” claimed Farquhar.

The positioning of ancillaries shows McLaren’s attention to detail in how every part of the car contributes to the whole McLaren MP4-12C concept. On most engines the ancillary drives are belt driven and, therefore higher up on the engine casing.

The McLaren MP4-12C engine has no belt drive at the front which minimises the engine length, while the air conditioning compressor and alternator have been located directly behind the primary water pump on one side and the oil pump on the other. They are located axially and operated directly by a gear and chain drive from the camshaft low down at the front of the engine, tucked in tight against the ladder frame and the sump (the ancillaries weigh around 15 kgs). This keeps the heavy masses where they are most effective – low down, to lower the centre of gravity, and as close to the centre of the car for a low polar moment of inertia.

The flat plane crankshaft and dry sump allows the crankshaft to be located as low as possible, which also helps lower the McLaren MP4-12C’s centre of gravity. The dry sump system complements the high dynamic performance of the car and the high G loadings it can generate. It evacuates oil from the sump and holds it in a dedicated reservoir located at the right hand front corner of the engine bay, not at the rear like many cars, so that yet another significant mass is placed to benefit the McLaren MP4-12C’s handling.

“Everything in this engine is unique: it is bespoke for McLaren,” explained Farquhar. “The M838T has all the DNA of a racing engine and it was important to keep those characteristics in its inherent architecture. But in its application it has been developed to meet the twin demands of flexible road driving and more urgent track activity.

“The performance ‘feel’ is critically important to the character of the McLaren MP4-12C, particularly on a track,” he continued. “Around town it is very different: the tip-in, tip-out responses in stop-start driving must deliver smooth and driveable characteristics, while maintaining the McLaren MP4-12C’s ability to overtake with imperceptible turbo lag.

“Many of our customers will use their McLaren MP4-12C every day and in a variety of conditions: others, only occasionally. The M838T is an engine with a very wide operating envelope in terms of bottom- and mid- range torque with peerless top-end performance,” said Farquhar. “Seldom do high power and torque outputs complement low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, but for McLaren MP4-12C the application of variable valve timing and bespoke twin-turbocharger technology has enabled us to scale new heights: it is a pretty special application.”

The maximum engine speed at 8,500 rpm is extremely high for a turbocharged application and the wide maximum torque curve provides immense pulling power from under 2,000 right up to 6,500 rpm. The full 600Nm is targeted from 3,000 rpm, with 80 percent targeted as available below 2,000 rpm. Peak power is reached at 7,000rpm. This vast spread of torque and power delivery, combined with a quick, transient throttle response, provides a flexible range of driving characteristics, playing a key role in delivering the McLaren MP4-12C’s unique dynamics.

Variable valve timing maximises performance at the low end of the rev range and aids the goal of lower emissions, as does the efficiency and performance of the low air pressure-loss intake and exhaust systems. The twin turbochargers have been developed to maximise their operating efficiency throughout the engine speed range and the charge air is routed through heat exchangers in the engine bay, which have been uniquely developed to maximise cooling and charge density and power.

Not only is this jewel of an engine a joy to look at and a thrill to drive, it also delivers a great soundtrack to highlight the performance, flexibility and driveability. The sound of the engine has been thoroughly engineered through exhaust manifold design and tuning of the exhaust and intake systems to deliver a unique engine note.

“With a modern engine and its complex control systems it is important that we don’t dilute what the driver feels when he touches the throttle,” said Farquhar. “The acoustic and sensory experiences the driver gets from the engine provide not only part of the satisfaction but also helps to modulate his driving to how the car is behaving.

“Historically, turbo engines have sounded muffled which is a natural result of the exhaust gases being re-routed,” he continued. “To engineer aural and emotional responses has been an engineering programme in its own right. In the case of exhaust gases, the design of the manifold, the diameter of the pipes, the application of exhaust valve geometry, and the materials and design of the rear mixing box are all the result of an intense focus on ensuring the sound quality of the McLaren MP4-12C is not like that of a traditional turbo unit,” Farquhar concluded.

The intake manifold sits above the eight racing style inlet trumpets that are tuned in length to achieve maximum power. Exhaust gases exit through a mixing box into the high-level exhaust pipes, rather than a conventional and heavy silencer box. This application, inspired by noise engineering from motorcycles, channels exhaust gases through an exhaust valve that features a channel that then projects emotive, but legal, levels of engine noise.

All parts of the exhaust system up to the mixing box feature sandwich layer heat-shielding that helps minimise heat build-up in the engine bay. In just an 18mm gap, exhaust pipe temperatures reduce from 900OC to 300OC

Seamless Shift Gearbox

The engine drives the rear wheels through two wet clutches and a seven-speed SSG Seamless Shift dual-clutch gearbox that is bespoke to the McLaren MP4-12C.

The Seamless Shift technology offers variable programmes ranging from ‘normal’ for road use and ‘sport’ for quicker changes still, right up to a lightning quick high performance ‘track’ mode. In addition an ‘automatic’ mode, ‘launch control’ and ‘winter’ modes can also be selected, the latter changing all electronic functions to suit low grip conditions and delivering maximum driver aid and support. There is no traditional manual transmission offered; the two pedal layout offered further scope to create a narrow, lighter, and more comfortable car.

Design of the SSG system was driven by a demanding mechanical package that not only reduces weight and improves dynamic control for the entire vehicle, but also delivers real driver benefits.

It is a development on the automated and sequential manual gearboxes with paddle shifts that proliferate in the car market today. The character of the transmission will engage even experienced drivers with its responsiveness and its contribution to the whole dynamic package. With minimal torque loss, there is none of the lurch, hesitation or unpredictability that characterise traditional automated-manual transmission systems.

It is also lightweight and compact in design. The input shaft lies very close to the output shaft to help position the entire powertrain low in the vehicle. Twin secondary shafts ensure any rear axle weight overhang is minimised and rear crash performance is uncompromised. The bespoke SSG is further complemented by an entirely new control system.

This obsessive attention to detail comes as second nature to McLaren, but is not just there to satisfy the engineers’ passions. McLaren’s designers have also engineered the system to work seamlessly with, and for, the driver.

Its size and positioning contributes to weight reduction and benefits packaging targets, improving the McLaren MP4-12C’s driveability. Driving programmes and shift strategies take the driver’s own inputs and use them to directly control the engine’s torque and speed to deliver performance, economy or comfort as requested.

“McLaren was offered proprietary dual clutch transmissions but none was right for our concept. The dimensions and packaging would have been compromised by the layout and positioning of the masses in every case,” explained Farquhar. “SSG is a twin layshaft design with two small diameter wet clutches placed side by side, rather than concentrically.

“As a result we have built a seven speed gearbox that is 150-200 millimetres shorter than a conventional single layshaft six or seven speed box. This, in turn, allowed us to bring the mass of the transmission as far forward as possible in relation to the rear axle, thereby benefitting not only the concentration of weight nearer the centre of the McLaren MP4-12C, but also allowing the central part of the diffuser to ramp up earlier for better downforce,” he concluded.

Gears are changed using a Formula 1-style diecast aluminium rocker shift that pivots in the centre of the steering wheel. It is actuated on either side of the steering wheel. As with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 car, a shift up can be actuated either by pulling on the right or pushing on the left of the rocker, a shift down by pulling left or pushing right. The rocker moves with the steering wheel, rather than being mounted on the steering column, so that if a gear change is needed while lock is being applied the driver knows exactly where it is located. Gear changes are accompanied by a distinctive click from the rocker paddle that can be both heard and felt by the driver.

The rocker itself incorporates an innovative feature created by McLaren engineers called Pre-Cog. The name stands for pre-cognition, literally ‘foreknowledge’. The rocker on the McLaren MP4-12C has two positions with a slightly different haptic (or feel) for each. The first pressure applied by the driver to the rocker informs the gearbox to get ready to swap ratios, thereby saving time – latency – between the message being sent and the gearbox being primed to act. The second pressure confirms that the gear should be changed and the torque handover is completed in milliseconds.

“What Pre-Cog actually does is initiate the shift process by priming the clutch and torque handover – it takes significant time out of the process and delivers both an instantaneous and engaging shift control,” explained Dick Glover, Technical Director.

“It’s a little bit like the first pressure on a camera shutter button. There’s no requirement for the driver to use it but it i

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