During the 1960s and 70s, racing drivers Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren made their name in the CanAm Series in the very first orange McLaren racing machines.
Celebrating the company's heritage, McLaren GT, the race car manufacturing arm of the McLaren Goup has just announced that a special track-focused McLaren 12C Can-AM Edition will make its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
In order to pay proper homage, the 12C GT3-based 12C Can-Am is a one-off design study painted in McLaren's heritage racing orange hue and finished with a satin black trim and a dash of carbon fibre to complete the design. Aero wings and fins can be found throughout the car's body. According to McLaren Racing, the aero efforts produce an increase of 30 percent in downforce. Underneath the dazzling exterior is the same carbon fiber MonoCell tub chassis as the MP4-12C road car.
Still purely a concept, the 12-C Can-Am Edition is not subject to regular racing regulations even though it is essentially based on the 12C GT3. The Can-Am Edition will feature a revised and recalibrated version of the MP4-12C's 3.8 liter twin-turbo V8 engine with an optimized cooling system. Power is increased to 630-hp, making this the most powerful MP4-12C yet. What's more, the track-specific Can-Am Edition weighs only 1,200 kg, or just 2,645.5 lbs. Stopping all that power becomes the responsibility of the highly efficient, Akebono developed braking system. Black satin finished forged lightweight racing wheels are at the four corners, each wearing a sticky set of Pirelli racing slicks.
Inside, the 12C Can-Am cockpit is race ready. The two bucket seats come with 6-spoint harnesses to hold you in place white a racing rollcage keeps you protected within. What's more, steering wheel in the 12-C Can-Am are similar in shape to that of Lewis Hamilton's steering wheel found in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car. As hardcore as the Can-Am Edition looks, be happy to know that an integrated air conditioning system is available as it is now mandatory for a growing number of racing series.
Be sure to check out the McLaren 12C Can-Am Edition at the Concours d'Elegance if you want to see it in person! Enjoy the images below.
