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McLaren's new supercar will be called the MP4-12C.

The car, which as previously known by its codename, P11, will be unveiled this Wednesday, but company boss Ron Dennis revealed the name in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper.

See the McLaren MP4-12C spy picture gallery

Dennis also outlined McLaren's plans to build three new models over the next six years, eventually c...Read the full article

Autocar:

McLaren's new supercar will be called the MP4-12C.

An inspired and lovely name it is.

Perhaps only McLaren can make an English brand that'll rival Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Bugatti for prestige and image, and I hope the values they'll bring to this car will be similar to those applied to the F1: uncompromising, state-of-the-art engineering with the final touch of finesse that lifts the production beyond the Heath Robinson contraptions of TVR, Noble and Aston Martin and into a rarefied super-league.

^ Of course it will.

MP4-12, wasn't that the first silver (West) McLaren-Mercedes in 1997?

 

Many congratulations to Ron Dennis

A new exciting chapter in Ron's illustrious career. Can't wait to see this car.

I hope we'd see McLarens competing and winning at Le Mans and in GT1.

 MP4-12C  ...  doesn't it just roll off the tongue?

 

Fred The Fiend:

 MP4-12C  ...  doesn't it just roll off the tongue?

No, not really. Certainly not up there with the 'F1', 'R8', F430... No doubt it will be shortened for casual use. And what's with this, 'We're building a brand' rubbish? What's wrong with building a car company first? Can't wait to see the finished car but all this peripheral marketing info and posturing gives it a weird vibe so far.

Very clumsy name, from the Subaru school of branding!

Couldn't agree more. A car name for pub bores.

So, I take it that this Macca has 4 wheel drive and 12 cylinders? No? Perhaps it's got 12 cylinders and 4 turbos? No? Ok, can someone please enlighten my on exactly why it's got the numbers 4 and 12 in the name?

 

 

  They want to go 4 better than the Alfa 8C

Dreadful name, i for one was up for the Mclaren P11 Woking.

The original MP4-12 was an F1 car, known for the following features -

1) it was winter tested in traditional McLaren orange, before changing to sponsor colours for the first race.  Sunday Times report that MP4-12C road car launch colour will be orange.

2) It's engine (and therefore the whole car) had a lower centre of gravity than its rivals.  (Note - current F1 engines have their C of G heavily regulated & limited) Lets hope that that is also a design feature of the road car.

3) It had "fiddle brakes" i.e. 2 brake pedals.  The driver could apply the brake to an individual rear wheel to control wheelspin.  This was banned within 1 year.  It seems inconceivable that the road car would have 2 brake pedals & manual control of individual wheel braking BUT at least 1 major website is reporting that the road car has "brake steering" - presumably an automatic version of the F1 car's fiddle brakes.

Can't wait to find out which of these references (if any) are relevant to the choice of name.

Could have been worse, they could have called it the 'Ron'