Goodwood Festival of Speed: McLaren MP4-12C debut

The McLaren MP4-12C - on the McLaren stand at the Festival of Speed

I know, you probably already know that McLaren are going to give the MP4-12C its first public outing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. In fact you definitely know that if you read here regularly. But it does no harm to remind you, especially as the Festival of Speed kicks off on Friday.

What we didn’t know for sure until this morning – although they were in our report on star drivers at Goodwood – is that both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will be taking the 12C up the Goodwood hillclimb on Saturday and Sunday, which could well be worth the price of admission on its own.

But if you need additional ‘McLaren Reasons’ to be there you’ll also find a 12C prototype on the McLaren stand resplendent in Volcano Orange with a carbon fibre splitter, diffuser, engine covers and engine bay panels. Even the seats are carbon fibre and it sports a set of alloys with a ‘Stealth’ finish (presumably you can’t see them – or at least the finish?).

But it won’t just be a 12C up the hillclimb and one on the stand. McLaren hasn’t forgotten its history so they’re bringing along the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR.

As if you needed more reasons to go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

By Cars UK