McLaren MP4-12C owners driving Spider sales

McLaren has revealed existing MP4-12C owners are placing just as many orders for the new Spider as conquest buyers – and many are NOT trading in their existing 12C to buy their new car.

McLaren teases MP4-12C Spider

Official: 625hp McLaren MP4-12C Spider

McLaren MP4-12C (2012 onwards)

A McLaren spokesman said the current order rate for the new Spider, to be launched in October 2012, is evenly split between new owners and those who already own a McLaren.

This means current McLaren owners are helping to give 12C owners a surprise additional boost on top of the new buyers attracted to the first open-top model.

What’s more, the cars are becoming increasingly more expensive as they leave the factory, too. Since the start of the year, demand for McLaren’s bespoke ‘McLaren Special Operations’ service – where buyers can choose unique features from coloured steering wheel stitching to a one-off design of front bumper – has risen.

“At the start of the year, 10% of 12C were MSO models. The current rate is 15%: by the end of the year, we expect 25% of 12C to have been through our MSO division.”

He explained that car collectors are particularly drawn to the service. “If their collection has a signature colour, we can take a sample and produce a 12C in a perfect match to it. We’ve even had one owner who wanted his 12C finished in the same faded red as his elderly Lamborghini…”

McLaren has already sold over 1,000 12C, 13 months after the start of production: the current build rate is 7-8 cars a day. The ramp-up is faster than some predicted, meaning the company’s medium-term goal of selling 4.000 cars a year is well on track.

The spokesman also confirmed McLaren’s original plan to launch a new model every year after startup remains on course. “The 12C Spider is this year’s car: another new model will follow this time next year”.

Current speculation is that this will be McLaren’s supercar successor to the F1, currently codenamed P12.

McLaren teases MP4-12C Spider

Official: 625hp McLaren MP4-12C Spider

McLaren MP4-12C (2012 onwards)