McLaren 12C GT Sprint price and details

After a debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, McLaren has announced prices for the track-focused 12C GT Sprint. Co-developed alongside McLaren’s racing arm McLaren GT, it will cost £195,000.

Based on the 12C road car, the 12C GT Sprint retains many of the standard car’s unique driving systems but McLaren has developed them with a harder edge. The Brake Steer and active McLaren Airbrake systems have been honed for more extreme track use, while the adaptive chassis has been recalibrated to allow greater driver involvement, creating more a visceral GT experience.

The GT Sprint also benefits from the engineering featured on the 12C GT3 racer and is designed to help bridge the gap between the standard 12C and the GT3. The FIA-approved safety roll cage, central cooling radiator and digital read-outs have all been carried over from the competition car and there is even an on-board air jacking system for rapid tyre changes.

Built around the same carbon fibre chassis tub as the road-going 12C, the GT Sprint is also powered by a tuned version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 now developing 616bhp, up from 592bhp. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a seven-speed twin clutch gearbox.

Visual alterations include a substantial 40mm drop in ride height and more aggressively designed aerodynamic bumpers, along with a GT3-inspired bonnet with radiator exit ducts. Further racing derived features such as the carbon fibre rear wing and front splitter are also available as options.

McLaren has also tweaked the active suspension and fitted racing slick tyres, while inside a six-point racing harness and fire extinguisher complete the race car revamp. Air conditioning has also been fitted to provide some level of comfort during extended visits to the track.

Sadly the GT Sprint is not road legal - but buyers who can afford the near £200k price tag should probably be able to afford the relatively small price of booking themselves into some of the world's best racing circuits.

“The 12C GT Sprint takes things to a new level with the addition of many race track specific features,” said Chris Goodwin, Chief Test Driver for McLaren, “As a driver, this potent combination just inspires confidence all the way round a lap and in the 12C GT Sprint, that lap is now considerably faster.”