McLaren back where it belongs

Well-heeled Kiwis snap them up, writes Matt Greenop

Considering the Kiwi connection to the McLaren brand, watching the company's MP4-12C being launched around the world over the past year or so has been bittersweet.

New Zealand's well-heeled car fans have already swamped the McLaren dealership that opened last week in Auckland with inquiries about getting their bums on one of the most sought-after seats there is.

Straight after the launch function all complied MP4 stock was sold out, which is why we are yet to test the car.

Driven caught up with McLaren boss Mike Flewitt (pictured), who said: "Traditionally, supercars are more difficult cars to drive, but the 12C isn't a hard car to drive - there are variable controls for handling and for powertrain.

"Get into the car, set it in normal mode and you can use it as an automatic, you've got a great seating position and you can drive it very easily.

"That's not fundamentally why people buy the car.

"Through cities and on motorways you can drive it along quite comfortably as an automatic, but get out on the open road and you can use the paddles, change the engine settings and use it properly.

"If you go to the track you can take it up another level again. Fundamentally these cars sell to driving enthusiasts."

And enthusiasts Kiwis are, judging by the launch reaction.

The Grey Lynn showroom, close to parent company the Giltrap Group, will be making the first deliveries by the time Santa is climbing down chimneys. We'd be pretty keen to get an MP4-12C on Christmas morning, that's for sure.

Initially the local McLaren offering in Auckland will be the MP4-12C in both tin-top and spider guise, including the special edition McLaren 50 12C to commemorate the brand's 50th anniversary, and the jawdroppingly quick P1. Local pricing on this hypercar, which in Britain is £850,000 ($1.7 million) has yet to be announced.

One added bonus to the car that Flewitt describes as "incredibly special" is that it's now joined the exclusive club of road weapons that have lapped Green Hell, the Nurburgring Nordschleife, in under seven minutes.

There is another model joining the range, the P13, that is expected to be revealed in the early half of next year - something that Flewitt promises Driven some great details on at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Sir Colin Giltrap said: "It is a great privilege for me to be involved in the continuation of the McLaren story here in New Zealand.

"Bruce McLaren was someone I knew and, throughout the 90s, the Giltrap Group was instrumental in the importation of two McLaren F1 road cars to New Zealand.

"Bruce McLaren was the quintessential New Zealand pioneer with a vision of combining sportsmanship with solid engineering practice and cutting-edge technical expertise.

"It is a real honour for the Giltrap name to bring the range of groundbreaking cars bearing the McLaren name back to the founder's home country."

Very soon, Driven will bring you the full interview with Mike Flewitt, as well as a test of the beautiful 12C.