McLAREN SHOWCASES 12C PERSONALISATION OPTIONS IN MIDDLE EAST REGION

Oct 29, 2012

• McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the personalisation service division of McLaren Automotive, starts tour of Middle East retailers
• The latest bespoke options to debut in the Middle East, where average amount of bespoke MSO features specified per 12C is highest in the world
• One in four of all McLaren 12Cs are specified with an element of ‘non-standard’ MSO content

Manama, October 29^th 2012 – McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the bespoke personalisation division of McLaren Automotive, has confirmed the importance of the Middle East with the region being selected for the world premiere of its new customisation options, which are available to new and existing owners of the 12C and the recently launched 12C Spider. A one-off 12C will tour the region, where the average amount of bespoke MSO features specified per car is triple the personalisation service division’s average, debuting new items including bespoke carbon fibre panels, as well as restyled bumpers and interior upgrades.

This striking 12C is finished in satin Volcano Orange with contrasting carbon fibre highlights, including the tailor-made carbon fibre bonnet, Airbrake and rear deck, as well as gloss black GT3-style rear bumper graphics and nickel plated interior switches and steering wheel spokes. Other options fitted include an MSO-designed carbon fibre front bumper insert, exterior MSO carbon fibre pack and extended carbon fibre gear shift paddles, which debuted earlier this year.

The world premiere comes as McLaren Automotive starts its tour around the region of its ultimate personalisation service, MSO, and the unique design concept will visit all McLaren retailers in the Middle East network, which includes Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait City and Manama.

McLaren Special Operations Head of Sales, Marcus Korbach commented: “The response to our personalisation services from Middle East customers has been incredibly exciting.  Customers who fit bespoke content to their cars in the Middle East region are spending on average three times more than customers in other regions around the world in which McLaren Automotive operates, this gives us the opportunity to really demonstrate the capabilities of McLaren Special Operations.” 

Korbach continued: “McLaren is a high performance sports car manufacturer in pursuit of offering the ultimate personalisation service and, to support this, the MSO team will be visiting all retailers in the region with this unique 12C to support them in turning customers’ dreams into reality.”    

Commenting on the tour, Mark Harrison, Regional Director McLaren Automotive Middle East & Africa, said: “McLaren Special Operations listens and responds to clients and, through the unique structure of the 12C and 12C Spider, is able to offer the ultimate levels of personalisation. Due to the car’s primary structure, the carbon fibre MonoCell, MSO can design a range of personalised parts and panels, but also a completely new body if so desired, as was demonstrated earlier this year by the one-off X-1 which was showcased at the Pebble Beach concours event.”

Harrison continued “Bringing this MSO show car out to the region, and visiting each of our retailers is another example of McLaren going that one step further, and being focused on customer experience.  MSO recognises the trend towards the bespoke, which has been evident in the Middle East for many years, making them perfectly equipped to support the needs of customers in the region.”

MSO is also another area within McLaren which can utilise the engineering principles, processes and knowhow from Formula 1.

This was described on a recent visit to the Middle East region by Head of McLaren Special Operations, Paul Mackenzie: “With a small team of engineers, designers and technicians dedicated to McLaren Special Operations, we are able to work in parallel with our main vehicle programmes, whilst still drawing on the expertise within McLaren as a whole. This gives us the flexibility to bring products to market very quickly, whilst maintaining the high standards of design integrity and quality expected from McLaren, just as the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 do to build race winning Formula 1 cars.”

McLaren Special Operations was initially set up as a division within McLaren responsible for maintaining and managing the McLaren F1 supercars on behalf of their owners, which it continues to do.  With this experience comes the ability to deliver a commitment to perfection and the highest levels of quality and offer the ultimate personalisation service.

A full set of images highlighting these MSO new personalisation options, and also further images of the 12C prepared for the MSO tour of Middle East retailers, can be seen exclusively at http://www.facebook.com/mclarenautomotive.

Ends

Image 2: The one-off 12C from McLaren Special Operations

Image 3: The one-off 12C from McLaren Special Operations

Notes to editors:

A selection of high resolution images may be downloaded for editorial use from: http://media.mclarenautomotive.com/.

McLaren’s finding “The Perfect Line” at Yas Marina Circuit can be found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF6fHZncjYc

The first 12Cs were delivered to McLaren’s Middle East customers in December of 2011.

McLaren Automotive is an independent company, chaired by Ron Dennis, and based at the McLaren Technology Centre, the McLaren Group’s headquarters in Surrey. McLaren Automotive has a rich and seamless heritage in producing premium sports cars for the road: the McLaren F1 road car, which was launched in 1992, set the world land speed record for a production car, and is regarded as one of the best examples of supercar exotica. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is the most successful supercar ever in its price bracket, having sold twice as many cars as its nearest carbon-based rival.

McLaren Automotive is now launching a new car company through a global network of highly regarded premium car retailers who will sell a full range of McLaren high-performance sports cars built at an advanced new manufacturing facility, the McLaren Production Centre.

McLaren Automotive’s debut model is the MP4-12C. Drawing on the company’s long-standing Formula 1 experience in its concept and development, the 12C will be lighter, more powerful, more fuel efficient and more exclusive than its key competition.  The 12C will be followed by a range of new McLaren models and derivatives all will be high performance, yet highly efficient and make the best use of Formula 1 technology and know-how.

It will achieve its performance benchmarks by introducing a unique one-piece moulded carbon chassis into the ‘core’ sports car segment using a new production method. All McLarens will be based on this innovative carbon technology; McLaren has not built a racing or road car on anything other than a carbon chassis in 30 years.

Further information

Tom Pryor
Marketing and Public Relations Manager ME and Africa
Phone: +973 1 75 02775
Mobile: +44 7899 816 872
Email: tom.pryor@mclaren.com

Michelle Hogan
(Performance PR Middle East)
PR Account Manager
Mobile : +971 (0) 55 5843280
Phone : +971 (0) 4 4347365
E-mail : mich@performanceprme.com

Media website: www.media.mclarenautomotive.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/mclarenautomotivetv

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mclarenautomotive