The McLaren MP4-12C, later known simply as the McLaren 12C,[3] is a sports car that was designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. It was the first ever production car wholly designed and built by McLaren,[4] and their first production road car produced since the McLaren F1, which ended production in 1998. The car's final design was unveiled in September 2009 and was launched in mid-2011.

The MP4-12C uses a carbon fibre composite chassis, and is powered by a longitudinally-mounted McLaren M838T 3.8 L (3,799 cc) twin-turbocharged V8 engine, generating approximately 600 PS (592 hp; 441 kW) at 7,500 rpm and around 600 N⋅m (443 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 5,600 rpm. The car makes use of Formula 1-sourced technologies such as "brake steer", where the inside rear wheel is braking during fast cornering to reduce understeer. Power is transmitted to the wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission Seamless-Shift gearbox (SSG) manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni. The entire drivetrain is the first to be entirely designed and produced in house by McLaren.

A convertible version of the car called the MP4-12C Spider, renamed the 12C Spider in 2012, was also available. In February 2014, McLaren announced the related 650S, with revised bodywork, upgraded engine and other technical improvements. In April 2014, McLaren announced the end of production of the 12C.

In 2008, McLaren hired Frank Stephenson as design director for their reborn production car project.

As with the McLaren F1, carbon fibre is used extensively in the vehicle to minimise weight. The MP4-12C weighs 1,301 kg (2,868 lb) dry.

The chassis is based around a F1 style one-piece carbon fibre tub, called the Carbon MonoCell, weighing only 80 kg (176 lb). The MonoCell is made in a single pressing by using a set of patented processes, using Bi-Axial and Tri-Axial carbon fibre multiaxial fabrics produced by Formax UK Ltd. with the MonoCell manufactured by Carbo Tech in Salzburg, Austria. This has reduced the time required to produce a MonoCell from 3,000 hours for the F1 and 500 hours for the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, to 4 hours for the MP4-12C.

The car has a conventional two side-by-side seating arrangement, unlike its predecessor the F1 which featured a three-seat formation (front centre, two behind either side). To make up for this, however, the car's central console is narrower than in other cars, seating the driver closer to the centre. Interior trim and materials can be specified in asymmetric configuration - known as "Driver Zone".

Curb weight:                                             1434-1483 kg (3161-3269 lbs) 

Torque:                                                     600 Nm (443 lb-ft) @ 7000 rpm

Transmission:                                           7 speed dual clutch

Layout:                                                      middle engine, rear wheel drive