A McLaren

MP4-12C evolution? Sort of. Pics of this visually tweaked 12C have been doing

the rounds for the last 24 hours, and although it’s not all some have claimed

it to be, it is proof that McLaren’s road car biz has the same soul as the race

team. Constant evolution is the name of the game. There is a lot more to come

from the 12C, our 2011 Top Gear GT of

the year.

The facts

are these: this new car, badged HS for ‘High Sport’ (surely ‘EF-even faster’

would have been more appropriate) is one of five commissioned by a commercial

partner of McLaren Automotive. Four of the cars are/will be sold by the Miami

dealer, one in Marbella. And contrary to reports, Ron Dennis is not getting

one.

The

development is only visual, but ‘more than cosmetic’, hence the new-look nose

and tail. McLaren are not saying there are no mechanical tweaks, but

speculation that it’s a street version of the MP4-12C GT3 are way wide of the

mark. The five cars were built to order by McLaren’s Special Vehicles

Operations. These guys have been around since the days of the McLaren F1, and

were also responsible for the special Mercedes-McLaren SLR derivatives the like

722 cars and the bonkers-but-beautiful ‘Moss’ edition.

Where is

really gets exciting is when McLaren makes its clear the Spesh Ops team will do

“anything” to an MP4-12C for customers willing to pay. Our conversation with

McLaren’s spokesbloke went like this: “You mean like Ferrari specials

division?” “Oh yes. And more. Unlike most Ferraris the structure of the 12C is

all in the monocoque. You can do what you want – inside the law – with the

exterior panels…”

Spesh Ops

are already working on “two or three” other projects, so it’s going to be a

busy year for McLaren Automotive and the MP4-12C. No less than 12 of the GT3

racers are set to see action in various sports cars series globally, and as

anyone who saw the car in action at the Autosports International show in Birmingham

last week will attest, that’s good news.

There

will also be a Spider version of the 12C later in the year. It’s already been

spotted testing its new folding hard-top which - due the deal Ferrari did with

roofers Webasto – uses exactly the same system as the 12C’s nemesis: the

Ferrari 458.

And then *pauses for breath* there will also be a

road-going, totally hardcore version of the GT3. That might look a little bit

like the car you see here, but will be very much faster.

There is

no truth to the rumour McLaren will dub it the ‘FHS’.

Here’s a video the enterprising Jodito20 took on a visit to

the Miami dealership and posted to youtube: