McLaren’s newly developed GT facility has unveiled the MP4-12C GT3, the company’s first production-based racing car since the legendary F1 GTR. The Surrey-based manufacturer is now alluding to a street legal version of this racer as part of its “new product every year” plan.
Reportedly, only 20 models will be made available as McLaren plans to not “over-egg it” like a certain German manufacturer who has made good use of a popular emergency number. And, if the plan is to have it fill the shoes of the iconic F1 GTR, supercar enthusiasts certainly have something to look forward to.
The MP4-12C GT3 made its debut at the Blancpain Endurance Series. With 368 kW, this version of the new McLaren supercar develops less power than the “normal” version but, thanks to development by CRS Racing, various tweaks have been made to make this race car as competitive as possible.
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Group CEO, said, “McLaren has racing in its blood and it was a natural step to take our MP4-12C road car and turn it into the most reliable, efficient and easy to drive GT3 car. Every car on the grid will have its performance balanced by race rules, meaning our objective must be to select a technical specification that ensures any driver is able to access the 12C GT3’s performance limit with ease."
Whitmarsh believes that this vehicle stands out on the grid because “no other GT3 car in 2012 will be supplied with a road-car carbon chassis, or a steering wheel and other associated technology from a Formula 1 car”.
You can watch the debut test of the McLaren MP4-12C here.