The 2011 McLaren MP4-12C has taken another step closer to production with the end of the first phase of its development process. Over the next few weeks, the first prototypes, built last December and codenamed "XP" (Experimental Prototype) will be replaced by second-generation cars.
Ahead of the first shakedown test of the new batch of prototypes, we were given exclusive access to Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin and Technical Director Dick Glover at the McLaren Technical Center in Woking, England.
McLaren also provided a video that it's using to promote the new supercar.
Another Step Closer to Reality
The new cars, codenamed "XP Beta," have been styled to replicate the production version of the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C and feature a revised cooling package. Rumors have been circulating that McLaren has been having trouble cooling the twin-turbo 3.8-liter twin-turbo M838T V8 that McLaren engineered with Ricardo, the well-known British supplier of innovative automotive technology, and Glover admits it's been a challenge for this 600-horsepower powerplant.
"It is about balancing the load around the cooling circuit," he explains. "If you have too much cooling, you get too much aerodynamic drag, and so it's important to get the balance just right. We are never just going to take the safe option with this car."
Goodwin has the enviable task of developing the car's dynamic repertoire and has been testing mules of the MP4-12C since mid-2007. "This car will be defined by its driving experience," he says. "This is a high-performance sports car but we've also added loads of comfort. It will be very usable."
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