Known for producing racecars, the McLaren Group has been around for years, but the company released its first production exotic automobile this weekend at England’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Even though it revealed its first exotic car offering this weekend, McLaren is a famous name in the automotive world. The producer of the popular McLaren F1 supercar of the 1990s, the company is striking out on its own for the first time.
While McLaren has had its name on street cars in the past, the new model will be the first car produced solely by the British auto manufacturer.
The new McLaren model, called the MP4-12C will feature a V-8 engine capable of producing 592 horsepower. The 2,865-pound, carbon-fiber bodied MP4-12C has a retail price of about $225,000.
McLaren will be selling the car at 35 dealerships in 19 countries worldwide. Some dealers already sell other exotic car brands like Ferrari or Lamborghini, but others will be focusing primarily on McLaren automobiles.
McLaren expects to release another model in a couple of years, but in the meantime, they plan to focus on offering exceptional service for the existing model. In fact, Antony Sherriff, the managing director of McLaren Automotive, feels this might be where the small company beats its larger Italian competitors.
“There are things we can do as a small company that a larger one couldn’t,” Sherrif told The New York Times. “Every single technician, whether they’re from Greenwich or Abu Dhabi, will spend significant time at the factory. They might even spend time on the assembly line.”
Sherrif says that McLaren dealerships will have all the parts necessary to handle any maintenance and repairs on the cars.
While the sticker price of a McLaren MP4-12C is high by most standards, the car is actually pretty reasonably priced when compared to other exotic vehicles. However, the cost may put it out of reach of many enthusiasts.
That’s where exotic car dream tours come in. An alternative to buying an exotic car, these tours give you a taste of speed without the worries about maintaining an exotic car, finding a facility that specializes in exotic car storage, or tracking down a low cost insurance quote.
The initial production run for the MP4-12C will be only 1000 units, but the company plans to recoup some of its development costs by increasing production in future years.
Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance SEO writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing.
I heard the the new McLaren supercar is going to make a stop at Park Place in DFW. Not sure if it’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you can see it there long before you can buy one.