McLaren to debut MP4-12C Can-Am at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance weekend is less than a week away, and debuts continue to roll in. Wednesday's addition comes from McLaren, which will show off a track-focused concept named the 12C Can-Am Edition. The design study is painted in McLaren orange and satin black.

The orange is a tribute to Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, who were successful drivers in the 1960s and '70s. The roof, door and bumper sections are finished in satin black, while carbon-fiber accents sit on the side radiator vanes, wing mirrors and engine cover.

Despite being based on the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 race car, McLaren says the Can-Am Edition is a one-off and not subject to regular racing regulations. It has unique aerodynamic tweaks using Formula One technology, which increase downforce by 30 percent. The aero package includes a carbon-fiber front splitter, carbon-fiber dive planes and a carbon-fiber wing, which sits high in the rear.

A revised version of the McLaren's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 remains but with a new calibration that allows a power output of 630 hp. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the rear wheels.

The braking system for the Can-Am was developed by Akebono. That's covered by satin black rims and Pirelli racing slick tires.

Inside, the MP4 Can-Am gets the racing treatment. Two black race seats have six-point harnesses attached. A roll cage was installed, while the steering wheel was ported from the GT3 car--the shape and grip of which was inspired by Lewis Hamilton's Formula One car. An air-conditioning system is also installed, which is becoming mandatory in a number of race series.

Those heading to Monterey for the weekend should check the car out, and if you can't, come back here next week for more pictures and information.

Monterey car week is packed with car shows, vintage racing and car auctions. Autoweek will be there providing streaming photo galleries and live coverage of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, historic racing at Laguna Seca, the Monterey car auctions and plenty more. Go to Autoweek's Pebble Beach homepage for complete coverage and live updates.

By Jake Lingeman