McLaren first showed the one-off design study of the MP4-12C Can-Am Edition at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance earlier in the year. Now, McLaren GT, the race car manufacturing arm of the McLaren Group, has confirmed that the track-focused 12C Can-Am Edition will go into a limited production run of only 30 cars with production starting in March 2013.


The ‘ultimate track car’



Based on the 12C GT3 race car, the 12C Can-Am Edition will be fitted with an unrestricted version of the familiar 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that features unique calibration and an optimised cooling system that boosts power output to 470kW. The 12C GT Can-Am Edition will be the most powerful 12C to date.



The 12C Can-Am Edition pays tribute to Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme who raced a series of McLaren models in the Can-Am series and won numerous championships between them for Bruce McLaren Racing.

Unique Styling



The 12C Can-Am Edition features a large carbon fibre rear wing which increases downforce by up to 30%, forming part of the aerodynamic package. Various carbon fibre components differentiate the Can-Am Edition from the GT3 race car and these include door mirror mounts and covers, engine cover vents, side radiator intake vanes and sill cover and badges.



The 12C Can-Am Edition shares the same carbon fibre MonoCell chassis as the 12C and 12C Spider and is fitted with a FIA-approved race specification rollcage. The interior features two black race seats with six-point harnesses and a unique McLaren GT steering wheel carried over from the 12C GT3 race car. The grip and shape of the steering wheel is derived from the McLaren MP4-24 Formula 1 car. The 12C Can-Am Edition is also fitted with an integrated motorsport air conditioning system in the carbon fibre dashboard. 



Andrew Kirkaldy, Managing Director of McLaren GT said, “The 12C Can-Am Edition concept shown at Pebble Beach earlier this year was purely that, a one-off design study. However, the reaction and response following the unveil was remarkable. It is a real testament to the performance and results of the McLaren GT customer teams this year, still only in the debut competitive season, that there is such a strong demand for this type of track-day special.”