McLaren’s MP4-12C road car is a vital product for the company as it seeks to become a major independent sports car manufacturer as well as a racing team.
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have been involved in the development of their first sports car since the F1 and the pair drove it on its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend.
See them in action in the video above and pictures below.
Hamilton and Button drive MP4-12C – pictures
McLaren Silverstone preview videos
McLaren have also published two videos of their drivers previewing the British Grand Prix – using a Scalextric model of the new Silverstone track:
Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Vettel to drive sustainably-fuelled F1 cars at Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Lotus 43: F1’s only 16-cylinder race-winner
- Goodwood Festival 2015: Eighties F1 cars
- Goodwood Festival 2015: Highlights from the hill
- Goodwood Festival 2015: Cars from F1’s first 30 years
- Minardi M189: Heroic minnows’ only race-leading car
- Raikkonen joins F1 stars at the Goodwood Festival
- Schumacher’s first cars & recent racers at Goodwood
- Senna’s racers among eighties F1 cars at Goodwood
- LEC, Maki and more rare seventies cars at Goodwood
BBQ2
7th July 2010, 13:04
I do really enjoy these series of vids from McLaren the past weeks :-)
miguelF1O (@)
7th July 2010, 17:59
i respect the new mclaren road car i want one tottally mclaren it may have some mechanical probs but i dont care
KNF
7th July 2010, 13:21
Is there anything motoring related you CAN’T do with Scalextric??? :D
Button: “He’s off, done a Mark Webber…” Ouch!!! ;)
Tango
7th July 2010, 13:39
Yeah, Low, very low… But great. (especially in a (scripted?) commercial)
BasCB (@bascb)
7th July 2010, 15:48
Not sure if it’s scripted but McLaren and Vodafone are doing a great job with these in the last weeks.
First the funny “build a car together” video, than the impressive visit to the old car storage before Goodwood (Jenson making fun of Lewis drifting skills) and now this nice making fun of the Red Bull guys (“done a webber”, better than the simulator and presenting it in the same way as the RBR pre race simulator rides) is great as well.
They are really into something here!
BasCB (@bascb)
7th July 2010, 16:30
And making a bit of fun about Ferrari’s interpretation of the testing/media day rules.
This is a lot better fun than those hore whisperer rants of Luca. And better publicity.
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
7th July 2010, 13:33
They blatantly used this as a test for their blown diffuser.
BasCB (@bascb)
7th July 2010, 16:29
on the McLaren MP4-12C!
miguelF1O (@)
7th July 2010, 17:58
no on goodwood with the other versions of mclaren f1 eveeryone is doing that so it is hypocrite to accuse ferrari
miguelF1O (@)
7th July 2010, 18:04
no one knows what they do to those cars
BasCB (@bascb)
7th July 2010, 19:13
I hope you are joking there Miguelf1O.
How would they be able to test a blown double diffusor with openings in the floor on that car? It had exhausts from the top (very short)to enable best power output and nobody had even heard of a double diffusor then.
McLaren would have to completely redo the car and then make it look like their 2008 to fool the public.
Not really worth the trouble of getting one over Ferrari. Instead they made a “media day” on a Scalectrix track, a nice pun on their competitors Ferrari and Red Bull.
ExplosiveFace
7th July 2010, 14:02
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the name of the new car. Were they so out of ideas they decided to find a name somewhere in their office and add a ‘C’ to the end?
We want turbos
7th July 2010, 23:51
MP4-12 was the 1997 f1 car it confused me a little to be honest!!
KNF
8th July 2010, 4:05
It was pretty much a dog of a car, even though it won 3(?) races, the last of which was at Jerez after a quick deal between Frank Williams and Ron Dennis…
Courtney Ives
7th July 2010, 14:28
Orange :D A real Mclaren
BasCB (@bascb)
7th July 2010, 15:49
it looks pretty good in those pictures, these orange cars are better than that sparkling tangerine metallic that was shown earlier. They look more like racing machines, instead of being just expensive toys.
tombo
8th July 2010, 23:38
original and best
Himmat
7th July 2010, 15:09
amazing car man!!!
CNSZU
7th July 2010, 15:10
I cannot see anything special with this car. Sure it has a single carbon fiber monocoque, but it looks just like any other gazillion sports cars already on the market. No personality whatsoever.
matt90
7th July 2010, 23:28
I reckon the car will be amazing, so I don’t understand why they didn’t go to more effort with the exterior. I guess at least it’s (relatively) understated.
Hare
8th July 2010, 23:29
I think the exterior is fine. I think the performance will define it.
Thing is with a car, that look’s like that, it’s gonna look better in real life than in photos.
I love the rear end of it, reminds me of some older cars.
I think this is a great ‘base’ model. Imagine the GTR versions, and the mods that people will do.
Also, 150k is not expensive for a car of that calibre
DaveW
7th July 2010, 15:12
It looks surpsingly tame. Nothing about its says, “My other MP4 is a Formula One car.” I guess a car can only be so hard core before the trip from Manhattan to East Hampton becomes physically unbearable—you can’t do a beach weekend with a McLaren F1. But you will risk the valet not parking this right in front of the entrance at the hotel, rather than crammed between a couple M3s in a garage, because he will not know what it is.
Tango
7th July 2010, 15:33
True, it looks like a simplified lotus elise
BasCB (@bascb)
7th July 2010, 15:52
I like it especially because it looks simle. Siple lines but very effective. Compare it to the latest Ferrari.
They need funny front and tail light details and a “interesting” bonnet and windshield to style it. That will make it look old in only a few years.
Now compare that to the McLaren F1 or the Ferrari F40, F50 or Enzo.
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
7th July 2010, 17:24
This just looks like a load of bits from various parts bins. It’s guilty of the worst crime a car can commit – dullness. There’s more than a hint of Ferrari 360 about it too, which isn’t a good thing.
Hare (@hare)
7th July 2010, 23:10
……………nah
PJA
7th July 2010, 18:03
Love the Scalextric setup of Silverstone.
Steven
7th July 2010, 21:25
Steering wheel is on the wrong side he he!
Glenn
7th July 2010, 23:49
Button “Oh you rolled it, you pulled a Mark Webber…” hahaha
kyle Benji
7th July 2010, 23:59
they should make a scalextric track for all the circuits that would be amazing.
How would they create spa?
Scalextric
8th July 2010, 3:28
Wasn’t it nice of me to have the boys round to my place?
BasCB (@bascb)
8th July 2010, 12:28
Did they let you play as well, or are you just in the organizer role here?
Any new info on the Austin GP? With Hellmund said to be present at the British GP they might want to give some info to the media
Scalextric
8th July 2010, 14:11
Wait, I just woke up.
I’m also dreaming of a third US GP in California, just to annoy everyone who thinks the US doesn’t ‘deserve’ 2…
Hellmund had indeed said a month ago that his official launch would be at Silverstone.
wasiF1
8th July 2010, 4:55
Nice car, this will take the fight to the Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault in the car market that will be fun.
Jose Arellano
8th July 2010, 7:18
the old mclaren is much much better
carldec
8th July 2010, 17:22
ah… remember the 2007 version of these films when Hamilton and Alonso were making friendly before the fall out.
mbenn
8th July 2010, 21:13
When does this car go on sale? I’m working on production tooling for it in my day job :)