Some people have had the misfortune of training their replacements…right before they get a pink slip. The McLaren 12C is in the automotive equivalent of that same situation, effectively being replaced by the more power 650S.
The older 12C is still available for order, but its production has been halted in order for McLaren to create the first specimens of the 641-horsepower 650S, which also comes as a Coupe or a Spider. The new Mac packs more standard equipment, including an “Alcantara interior, carbon-ceramic brakes, an electric adjustable steering wheel and a new infotainment system.” As a result, its cost is about $33,000 higher than its predecessor’s.
But that means there will be more room between the 650S and the entry-level “P13” set to arrive in 2015, which should ring up at two-thirds the price (~$216,000).
That baby McLaren, the new 650S and an eventual network of 100 dealers should help the English firm reach its goal of going from 1,400 2013 sales to “selling ‘several thousand’ cars in a ‘few years.'”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
