Previewed last August in concept form at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the track-oriented McLaren C12 GT Can-Am Edition has been greenlighted for a series build run that will start next March. McLaren says it will create a maximum of 30 cars in the run. According to the boutique exoticar maker, the GT Can-Am Edition will be the most potent version of the C12, and pack an unrestricted version of that car’s bespoke 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that can make up to 630 horsepower.
Although the GT Can-Am Edition will share the same carbon fiber MonoCell central tub as its 12C and 12C Spider siblings, it gets a full FIA-approved roll cage and competition-spec interior trimout that includes two racing shell buckets with 6-point race harnesses as well a the same multifunction steering wheel from the 12C GT3 racing model, a yoke-style controller derived from McLaren’s MP4-24 Formula One car. The GT Can-Am Edition also comes with special dash that accommodates a special lightweight motorsport air conditioning setup.
Like its concept predecessor, the McLaren C12 GT Can-Am Edition will feature functional exterior modifications that were fine-tuned using technology and simulations borrowed from the organization’s racing wing. Those changes, highlighted by a prominent fixed carbon fiber rear wing, help increase the car’s overall downforce by 30 percent over the standard road-going 12C. Riding on custom black satin-finished forged lightweight racing alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli racing rubber, the GT Can-Am Edition also gets its own carbon fiber door-mirror mounts and covers, engine cover vents, side radiator intake vanes, sill covers and badges.
In commenting on the decision to transition the Can-Am Edition from one-off to limited-production status, Andrew Kirkaldy, managing director of McLaren GT noted: "The Can-Am name holds significant historical provenance for the McLaren brand, and those early racing cars of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme were truly incredible machines. To be able to produce this unshackled limited edition version of the 12C, I think is a fantastic way to resurrect a glorious chapter in the company’s past."
Each McLaren C12 GT Can-Am Edition will be built at the ultramodern McLaren GT home base in Woking, England. The price of entry for adding one of these track day wonders to your personal racing scuderia? A heady €375,000 – about $480,000 at current exchange rates.
