Former McLaren F1 Driver John Watson Gets Behind the Wheel of the McLaren MP4-12C

McLaren MP4-12C is an awesome ride

Mar 7 2011, 8:11am CST | by Shane McGlaun

Former McLaren F1 Driver John Watson Gets Behind the Wheel of the McLaren MP4-12C

The name McLaren has been tied to F1 racing and some of the hottest sports cars on the planet for decades. The company has the awesome three-seat street car powered by a BMW engine that was for a time one of the fastest cars on the road. Today McLaren has a new car for the streets called the MP4-12C.

McLaren has announced that it has brought one of its former winning race drivers, John Watson, to Silverstone to drive the new MP4-12C. Watson won the 1981 British Grand Prix behind the wheel of a McLaren MP4/1 F1 racing car. The new MP4-12C is the first in a new generation of McLaren carbon fiber street cars for ultimate performance.

The new vehicle is the first street car to use a one-piece hollow carbon chassis structure called the Monocell. The 1981 MP4/1 was the first car of any kind to use a carbon chassis. The new 12C street car has a serious amount of power under the hood. The car uses a 3.8L V8 with twin-turbochargers. The smaller displacement means that the weight can be kept down in the car and allows the car to be as light and nimble as possible.

McLaren rates the engine for 600bhp and 600nm of torque and the engine is designed to be greener than the typical performance car. 80% of the torque produced by the engine is available below 2000 rpm. The car also uses a F1 style gearbox that changes gears using paddles and the suspension of the car is designed for fast track use and for comfortable street driving.

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Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
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