McLaren Automotive’s high-end, high-performance sports car, the MP4-12C, was unveiled for the first time in the Middle East in Bahrain today.

The highly anticipated model from the British manufacturer was unveiled at a special event at the Royal Bahrain Golf Club.

The innovative 12C marks the beginning of a new era in core-segment sports cars. This two-seat, mid-engine model features a revolutionary one-piece, carbon-fibre chassis structure, the carbon MonoCell.

“It is the first time a car has featured a one-piece, carbon-fibre structure; a strong and lightweight engineering solution that comes straight from the world of motorsport,” said a spokesman.

The 12C introduces new standards not just in handling, ride and outright performance, but also safety, economy and practicality in an already competitive sector. The 12C is equipped with a bespoke McLaren 3.8-litre, V8 twin-turbo engine producing around 600 bhp, and driven through a unique McLaren seven-speed, Seamless Shift, dual-clutch gearbox (SSG). Yet when it comes to CO2 emissions per horsepower, the MP4-12C is even more efficient than a hybrid car, he said.  

McLaren Automotive’s managing director Antony Sheriff said: “Embarking on the 12C’s regional tour here in Bahrain was a natural choice for us. Our regional head office is located here, as are our partners Mumtalakat, therefore Manama truly is McLaren’s home away from home.

“McLaren Automotive appreciates the importance of the Bahraini market for the premium car sector, and is particularly aware of the great passion Bahrainis hold for high end sports cars. Car buyers in this country are extremely well informed, and have a very strong knowledge and understanding of luxury cars, which was one of the reasons that encouraged us to base ourselves here,” concluded Sheriff.
Ghassan A H Al Sulaiman Trading Est. (Alghassan Motors) has been chosen to represent McLaren Automotive in Bahrain.

Al Ghassan Motors is now part of a worldwide network of 35 retail outlets, and will start to sell the 12C from early summer 2011. Additionally, Al Ghassan Motors will host a fully equipped official service centre that is staffed by technicians who have received full technical training at McLaren’s headquarters in the UK.

The 12C has already received over 3,000 expressions of interest registered on www.mclarenautomotive.com, with significant interest coming from Bahraini car enthusiasts, officials said.

The sports car will sell at around BD90,000 ($239,000), said officials. McLaren hopes to sell around 1,000 cars in the first year. About 15 per cent of them will be in the Middle East.

Ghassan Abdulrahman Al Sulaiman, president and CEO of Al Ghassan Motors, said: “Together with McLaren Automotive we look forward to delivering a great range of McLaren sports cars to Bahraini car enthusiasts over the coming years. We also aim to build a great name for McLaren Automotive in Bahrain by delivering an extraordinary ownership experience to all its customers.”

McLaren Automotive’s regional network includes retailers in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as a service centre in Lebanon.

Ian Gorsuch, McLaren Automotive’s regional director, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, said: “The passion and knowledge that car buyers here have for high-performance sports cars make the kingdom a key market for us. It is evident from the feedback we received so far that high performance sports car buyers in Bahrain are very excited about the 12C and McLaren Automotive’s plans.” – TradeArabia News Service