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McLaren, the sports car manufacturer partly-owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, is driving ahead with plans to steer the company to even greater glory in 2013.
The 12C was launched in the Middle East in November 2011, and has since achieved sales of around 1,500 cars worldwide to date, well ahead of expectations.
In the past 12 months it has won an array of admirers and accolades such as the prestigious Middle East Motor Awards ‘Car of the Year’ ahead of 17 other category winners after notching the ‘Best Super Car’ title, much to the angst of well-established brands such as its Italian F1 rival and formidable road car maker, Ferrari.
Mark Harrison, McLaren Automotive’s regional director, Middle East & Africa, said the team was not sitting on its laurels despite the recent glory. “So where are we today? We’ve qualified well up the grid but have some way to go before we take the lead.”
Mr Harrison continued: “We are up against major competition but each year we’re growing stronger – just wait and see what happens in the next 12-months. It’s really exciting.
“2013 will see us forging ahead – watch this space, with the wind in your hair, of course!”
He was making reference to the recently-launched open top 12C Spider during an exclusive interview with GulfWeekly at the Capital Club in Bahrain.
Although its price is 10 per cent more than the BD100,000 coupe, demand from the region is expected to be high.
“Historically, a model’s convertible option has always been compromised by having to add weight to keep it safe and sound. That’s not the case with the 12C Spider which behaves exactly like the coupe because of its unique carbon chassis construction.
“It may be our first-ever convertible road car but if you take into account our track pedigree, it’s the 134th!”
The first 12C Spider was delivered to its delighted owner in Kuwait recently and one will be winging its way to Bahrain for test-driving purposes before deliveries start in earnest.
It is believed that two thirds of buyers in the Middle East will opt for the convertible in the future.
And, it was recently revealed that owners of the McLaren living in the region are spending more on enhancing their super sports car than anywhere-else in the world.
As a result the company is touring the Middle East showing off some of the new offerings available to individualise the dream machine.
McLaren Special Operations, the bespoke personalisation division of McLaren Automotive, has selected the region for the world premiere of its new customisation options, which are available to all owners of the 12C and the 12C Spider.
Its head of sales, Marcus Korbach, said: “Customers who fit bespoke content to their cars in the Middle East region are spending on average three times more than customers in other regions around the world in which McLaren Automotive operates; this gives us the opportunity to really demonstrate the capabilities of McLaren Special Operations.”
A one-off 12C is currently touring the region debuting new items including bespoke carbon fibre panels, as well as restyled bumpers and interior upgrades.
This striking 12C is finished in satin Volcano Orange with contrasting carbon fibre highlights, including the tailor-made carbon fibre bonnet, airbrake and rear deck, as well as gloss black GT3-style rear bumper graphics and nickel-plated interior switches and steering wheel spokes.
Other options fitted include an MSO-designed carbon fibre front bumper insert, exterior MSO carbon fibre pack and extended carbon fibre gear shift paddles, which debuted earlier this year.
But it was the basic debut 12C model which created a storm at the recent 2012 Middle East Motor Awards.
The 12C was rated ahead of almost 50 car models, including some of the world’s top supercar models, by a jury panel comprising of the region’s top automotive experts across 17 categories.
The awards are regarded as the region’s most prestigious automotive accolades, judged by a jury panel that includes 17 of the region’s most influential motoring journalists from nine countries.
This is the first year a McLaren model has taken part in the awards, and the luxury high performance sports car manufacturer was named ‘Best Super Car’, before being crowned with the overall title of ‘Car of the Year’. These honours cap a successful first year of sales across the world for the brand.
Organiser Saif Al Midfa, director general of Expo Centre Sharjah, said: “The 12C is a clear winner for ‘Car of the Year’. McLaren’s debut model is a stunning car and worthy of making the ultimate wish list for any automotive fan.”
Mr Harrison added: “To win ‘Best Supercar’ in the Middle East is an amazing achievement coming in our very first full year as a luxury sports car manufacturer. But to win the overall ‘Car of the Year’ title is unbelievable.
“It is a great reward for all the skilled and passionate designers and engineers back at McLaren in the UK and our retail partners in the region who have worked incredibly hard to launch the brand. But the real winners, I believe, are our first customers. They are driving the Middle East’s ‘Car of the Year’.”
The future is looking bright for McLaren. On the product side it will also launch the P1 Super Car in 2013 to accompany the arrival of the Spider. On the dealer front massive expansion will take place in Asia and Al Ghassan Motors in Bahrain will shortly open its new state-of-the-art showroom at Moda Mall.
And, on the business front, by the middle of 2015 McLaren Automotive’s full range of cars will be out, including the much-anticipated entry level competitor to the Porsche 911, as revealed exclusively in GulfWeekly.
