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AN exclusive sports car has been unveiled with the aim of inspiring existing and future owners of the first ever pure McLaren mean machine for the roads.
Bespoke treatment applied to the vehicle includes stunning satin matte Volcano Orange paintwork, a gloss black roof, diamond cut finish wheels with gloss black inners, branded carbon sill panels, carbon steering wheel, front wheel arch louvres and carbon fibre engine cover vents, rear deck vent and wiper system cover.
The move came as McLaren Automotive, partly-owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, officially unveiled its special operations division responsible for delivery of bespoke projects.
McLaren Special Operations celebrated its launch at Pebble Beach in the US by presenting an example of the groundbreaking new sports car, finished in a unique version of Volcano Orange, and featuring a range of upgrades.
The MP4–12C is the debut model of what will be a range of high-performance vehicles from McLaren Automotive, the independent car division of the famous brand based in Woking, England.
The 12C, which will go on sale in the Gulf region later this year, and future models within the range, aim to challenge the world’s best sports cars, benefiting from the expertise and virtuosity of the McLaren Group.
Paul Mackenzie, programme director at McLaren Automotive, with responsibility for McLaren Special Operations, said: “For nearly 20 years we have been closely managing relationships with owners of the McLaren F1, and understanding their needs is a great foundation on which to launch a service that will now include 12C customers.
“McLaren Automotive already offers 12C customers extensive options to personalise their car. However we recognise some owners have specific tastes and we have the knowledge and capability to design, engineer and produce almost anything a customer may desire for their 12C.”
McLaren Automotive also presented a second special version of the MP4-12C at the Pebble Beach event. This unique 12C was painted by McLaren Racing, the Formula 1 focused sister company to McLaren Automotive, using AkzoNobel Sikkens chrome coating, which is usually applied exclusively to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 cars.
The special lightweight coating is designed to minimise friction and have a low drying time requirement – critical for manufacturing demands of the grand prix circuit. The paint scheme is not available for commercial purposes and is reserved exclusively for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 programme.
The Middle East is a key market for McLaren Automotive, and the company has set up a regional network that includes Bahrain retailer Al Ghassan Motors, as well as a service centre in Lebanon.
The MP4–12C is likely to cost around BD100,000.
Customers with enquiries for the McLaren Special Operations sales team can make contact at specialoperations@mclaren.com and a short film including footage of the unique MP4-12C can be viewed at www.youtube.com/mclarenautomotivetv
