Cars That Go Fast: MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE AND UK MCLAREN RETAILERS PRESENT THE MP4-12C TO FIRST PROSPECTS MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE AND UK MCLAREN RETAILERS PRESENT THE MP4-12C TO FIRST PROSPECTS ================================================================================ Elton on 07 July, 2010 08:55:00 McLaren Automotive, the world’s newest sports car company, recently confirmed the first partners in its UK retail network: Rybrook in Birmingham, Jardine Motors Group in London, and Sytner in Manchester. These three outstanding and experienced automotive retailers are part of an initial global network of 35 dedicated McLaren retailers. They have been invited by McLaren Automotive to present the MP4-12C to their most valued customers and contacts at exclusive events between July 6 and 10 at McLaren’s stunning headquarters, the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). Ron Dennis, McLaren Automotive’s Executive Chairman said, “This is a major step in McLaren’s history as we progress with our plan to launch a premium, profitable and innovative new sports car company. We have been rigorous in the selection process of our first group of global retail partners – taking a year to select the best thirty-five from six hundred potential retailers. They are now part of the McLaren family. “It is, therefore, their responsibility to represent our incredibly high standards to future McLaren customers. But this is a relationship, and McLaren also has a responsibility to our retail partners: to provide a sustainable business, with the best opportunities for growth through a strong brand and exciting, innovative cars of the highest quality.” Over 2,500 prospective customers have registered an interest in buying the 12C, therefore early demand is expected to be high, and many of the guests at the MTC presentations are expected to confirm an order for what promises to be the most highly anticipated sports car in years. The first 12Cs are anticipated to be delivered to McLaren Birmingham, McLaren London and McLaren Manchester in spring 2011. The UK, along with the USA, will be McLaren’s biggest market, and initial interest in the UK for the 12C already exceeds the first year’s allocation. Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive’s Managing Director: “I am thrilled that we have initiated this relationship between McLaren Automotive and our UK retailer partners with this series of unique events. No other car company in the world can show Formula 1 and highly innovative sports car production under one roof. When you see the 12C alongside a 50 metre long trophy cabinet displaying Grands Prix, Le Mans, Can Am and Indy Car silverware, Formula 1 cars that that will be piloted at the British Grand Prix by British world champions, and a carbon fibre workshop that boasts 30 years of experience, it is clear why we have confidence in our plans. “The UK is our home, and the strong demand for the 12C is evidence of the strength of the McLaren brand in the UK. British car enthusiasts are demanding; they enjoy and appreciate performance cars, and traditionally buy what’s best – not necessarily what’s British. Competing in this market will, therefore, be a major challenge for us as a new sports car company, but McLaren’s brand and experience stand us in good stead. And we now have the ideal partners in the UK who have enormous experience in delivering extraordinary customer service to help us deliver on those expectations,” Sheriff concluded. McLaren Automotive’s focus for the retailers is on delivering the best aftersales service as part of a new level of exceptional customer care for sports car owners. And the selected retailers have embraced that commitment with plans to present McLaren in brand new or bespoke retail environments. McLaren Automotive did not demand new facilities – the focus remained on what is best for the customer – but the three preferred partners delivered business plans that match McLaren’s high standards. Christian Marti, McLaren Automotive’s Regional Director for Europe, said: “We began our comprehensive search for the best retailers over a year ago. There was understandably strong competition to represent McLaren in the UK. As we have seen in all launch markets, the demand to be one of the first McLaren retailers was huge –we considered over 20 UK car retailers within a total of 600 potential global partners. “During the selection process we shared our long-term business plan, innovative product line-up, and focus on what is best for the retailer – sensible investment and attention to customer service and aftersales. We have a phrase at McLaren that sums up our attitude towards the retail business: “sanity, not vanity”, and we will work very closely with Rybrook, Jardine Motors Group and Sytner to deliver great solutions for our future customers,” Marti concluded. McLaren focus fits retailers’ future plans McLaren Automotive aims to deliver the 12C through retailers who understand and appreciate the company’s desire to offer cars and customer service of a higher quality than previously experienced in the performance sports car market. McLaren’s strong brand and heritage, its reputation amongst performance car owners, and future plans for a range of high-performance sports cars proved highly attractive to the three successful retailers. Henry Whale, Managing Director at Rybrook, McLaren’s franchise in Birmingham said: “With their incredible passion and total professionalism, McLaren has already established a world-beating brand through its Formula 1 activity. We are confident it will replicate this success as it launches its eagerly awaited sports car company, and that the 12C will redefine the sports car driving experience. We are delighted to be representing McLaren at the launch of this exciting project and we believe this appointment further enhances Rybrook’s position as a leading retailer of prestige motor cars in the UK.” Simon Everett, Group Operations Director for Jardine Motors Group, McLaren’s representative in London, said: “Jardine Motors Group is ideally placed to support McLaren’s new sports car company. We are one of the UK’s leading motor groups and operating predominantly in the premium and high luxury sector – a natural champion of McLaren’s passion, skill, and experience. Representing McLaren in its very important home market in London is a great opportunity for the group and we are looking forward to working with them to establish this exciting new brand through a unique business model that delivers the highest levels of customer service.” Jon Crossley, Sytner's Managing Director for its McLaren franchise in Manchester said, "Our enthusiasm for prestige motor cars is coupled with a great passion for motor racing and particularly Formula 1. This announcement is terrific news for my team who have a great understanding of, and appreciation for, the supercar market. They are very excited by the new McLaren’s close relationship to motor racing technology and its world-leading carbon innovation. We are really looking forward to introducing the new McLaren to our customer base and being a part of a very exciting future with such a prestigious brand." Carbon and Formula 1 at the heart of 12C Taking on the world’s best premium performance cars, the 12C will be lighter, more powerful, more fuel efficient and more exclusive than its key competition. It will achieve its performance benchmarks by introducing a unique, McLaren-developed carbon MonoCell chassis into the ‘core’ sports car segment in a production process that introduces technical innovation and new levels of quality to the market. All McLarens will be based on this Formula 1-inspired carbon structure; since the 1981 Formula 1 MP4/1 racing car, McLaren has only ever constructed its racing or road cars around carbon fibre chassis. Key to McLaren’s aspirations has been the integration of Formula 1 with the road car project. Through simulation, the flow of processes and principles between McLaren’s road car and racing car engineers, and the employment of a number of Formula 1 experts on the road car team, the 12C has been designed, developed, and engineered to the same standards, expectations and speed of thought as the company approaches its Formula 1 projects. McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing are just metres apart under the same roof at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC), and have combined to deliver a sports car designed for aerodynamic performance, just as in Formula 1. New factory and global plans A brand-new manufacturing facility, the McLaren Production Centre (MPC), began construction on March 1 2010 adjacent to the MTC. It will begin to build cars for the UK from spring 2011. The very first UK customers will have their cars built in the first months of 2011 in the MTC, prior to the opening of the MPC. This planned manufacturing programme will ensure the same unprecedented quality that McLaren delivered on the SLR is transferred onto all future McLarens.