Paris show: McLaren teases mystery supercar

BRITISH sportscar specialist McLaren Automotive has issued a teaser image of a mystery new model it will reveal at the Paris motor show later this month, tipped to be the highly-anticipated successor to the McLaren’s F1 hypercar of the 1990s – codenamed P12.

Among the streaks of light in McLaren’s darkened photo is the ghosted image of a sleek sportscar’s front wings, bumper and bonnet with nostril-like vents above the distinctive McLaren emblem.

McLaren is saying little officially about the Paris debut other than it will represent the company’s “next exciting chapter”, in which it will “showcase future plans and unveil to the world its strategy to fast forward the world of automotive”.

More teasers are expected to emerge in coming weeks, with McLaren promising “the story will unfold over the coming weeks” through its social media outlets.

British publication Autocar reports the new car is “expected to have the performance to eclipse every other hypercar, including the Bugatti Veyron, the upcoming Porsche 918 Spyder and the successor to the Ferrari Enzo”.

It says the new car, like the 12C, will be built around McLaren’s ‘monocell’ carbon-fibre tub chassis and will use aluminium pushrod suspension, hydraulic anti-roll control, adaptive dampers and a five-stage traction control system.

Power was originally rumoured to come from a V8 but it reports suggest it will instead be a V10 developed by McLaren in conjunction with Ricardo, straining at the leash of active aerodynamics and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with brake steer function.

A £1 million ($A1.56m) price tag has been mooted and McLaren Automotive chairman Ron Dennis has been quoted as saying the car will be produced in strictly limited numbers of between 300 and 500 units.