McLaren Automotive, manufacturer of the new MP4-12C sports car, has announced that Daytona Group would be the company’s partner in South Africa. Daytona will host two sales and service facilities, one in Cape Town, the other in Johannesburg.
There have been in excess of 2 700 expressions of interest in purchasing the MP4-12C , registered on www.mclarenautomotive.com, and Daytona Group have to share the 1 000 units planned for the first year of production with McLaren Automotive’s global network of 35 partners. By the end of the decade, production is expected to increase to 4 000 units annually.
The first MP4-12Cs in South Africa are expected to go on sale toward the end of 2011, and personnel in the local McLaren facilities will receive ongoing training from McLaren Automotive experts at the firm’s headquarters in Woking.
“I am pleased to announce the partnership between McLaren Automotive and our new representative, Daytona Group, who are among the best in the car retail business in the region. South Africa, with its well informed, passionate car enthusiasts, is a key market for us, said Ian Gorsuch, McLaren Automotive’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
“The opportunity to represent McLaren in South Africa is an honour. We aim to serve McLaren Automotive customers in South Africa with passion and professionalism not only during the purchase process. We will look after the car and owner afterwards, giving them everything they need for years of happy ownership,” said Justin Divaris, CEO of Daytona Group.
The MP4-12C boasts a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 447 kW and 600 N.m of torque. The M838T engine is mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission dubbed SSG (Seamless Shift Gearbox), which features a Pre-Cog system that allows the driver to preselect the next gear via one of the paddle-shifters. The engine can spin up to a dizzying 8 500 r/min. Even so, 80 percent of its peak torque is available below 2 000 r/min.
