When McLaren Automotive announced the launch of the MP4-12C in 2011 (later simplified to 12C), it marked a significant chapter in the world of supercars.

This model was McLaren’s first production car since the legendary F1 and was set to re-establish the brand in the road car market.

The 12C was not just a car, it was a statement of McLaren's engineering prowess and its ambition to dominate the high-performance sports car sector.
Publicly unveiled in September 2009, the mid-engined MP4-12C commenced manufacture at McLaren's new state of the art factory at Woking in mid-2011, just after production of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren model had ceased.

Its stylist was Frank Stephenson, who had been recruited from Alfa Romeo Centro Stile following spells with Ferrari and FIAT.

Like its F1 and SLR predecessors, the MP4-12C used a carbon fibre MonoCell body tub, albeit one that now took considerably less time to produce thanks to advances in composite manufacturing technology.

This time th...