At this summer’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, McLaren stunned attendees with its track-centered MP4-12C GT Can-Am edition. It wasn’t that the regular 12C was, in any way, lacking in performance, but rather that McLaren is best known for building race cars. Giving customers an “ultimate performance” variant of the 12C, built for track-day use, just seemed like a logical next step for McLaren.
At this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, McLaren announced that it would build a 30-unit run of the 12C GT Can-Am edition, priced at 375,000 pounds ($596,700). That money buys you a tuned version of the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-8, now good for 630 horsepower. It also gets you a high-downforce aero package derived from McLaren’s F1 technology and more carbon fiber bits than you’ll find on its GT3 racing variant.
The 12C GT Can-Am uses the same MonoCell carbon fiber monocoque found in production versions, but adds an FIA-approved roll cage, twin racing seats with six-point harnesses and the same steering wheel found in the GT3 version. Customers who are truly serious about lap times can opt for trackside support packages offered by McLaren. In fact, the only down side we can see is that the 12C GT Can-Am isn’t road-legal, but that’s what trailers and tow vehicles are for.
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
