Crashed MP4-12C in Seattle Update

[AF News Desk]

Much of the news regarding McLaren's yet-to-be-released MP4-12C the last few days has surrounded the very first crash for the $250,000 super car on a highway in Seattle, Washington last week.

Photo Via Quattroworld.com
A pre-production McLaren MP4-12C sits facing the wrong way on
a Seattle, Washington highway after losing it's rear passenger side wheel during
what are believed to be diagnostic tests with software technician on a test drive.

The car, which is believed to have lost a rear wheel and spun out, was reported taken to a local shop where it was awaiting the arrival of a McLaren tech to arrive.

As for what was happening with the car, according to information reported on Jalopnik.com, GTSpirit.com and our very own AutomotiveForums.com, it was out with a software engineer on a test drive.

Here is what is currently known regarding the crash:

Originally Posted by Justin Hyde, Jalopnik - 4/4/11

McLaren's $250,000 MP4-12C hasn't even begun to be built in volume yet, but it's already had its first wreck, and Seattle residents were rendered sleepless by it. UPDATE!

Two Jalopnik tipsters sent in eyewitness reports and some information about why the McLaren was in Seattle in the first place: tipster Chris says the crash apparently took place while a software engineer had it out on a test run, and that

Another tipster, Dana, says the McLaren was housed in a nearby garage; a coworker was able to snap the photo above of the wounded McLaren returning home. Given how obsessed with detail McLaren is, this MP4-12C will either become a test mule for supercar mechanics or be given a Viking sendoff.

Photo Via Quattroworld.com
The $250,000 MP4-12C makes it's way into a Seattle-area garage after
losing a wheel on a Washington highway during a test drive.

Our very own ChrisRT was able to give a first-hand account of the aftermath:

Originally Posted by ChrisRT

I was driving on HY-99 Northbound at about 1PM wondering why traffic was so congested. To my surprise I saw 3 Seattle Police cars and 2 DOT trucks behind a wrong way facing Mclaren. It turns out the rear passenger wheel was separated from the car.
As unbelievable as this seems, at about 3:30PM, one of the software techs had it on a test drive and someone from the program came to my work and requested equipment to transport the car with only 3 wheels in their location. He also informed me that a Mclaren technician was dispatched immediately from overseas to tend to the car.

Wicked cool that I usually don't take that route, if I do, not at that time, I was able to see my 2nd favorite car aside from the Mclaren F1, and the tech approached me at my work some 5 miles away. Out of all the people in Seattle...

That is about all the info I have on it. I didn't have the time to snap photos but I'm sure someone else did.

We will try to bring you more information as it becomes available to us.

[-Josh-]

I bet the guy who crashed that feels like an ass.

[Moppie]

How embarrassing!


5th gear was allowed to take one of the preproduction models on a shake down test across Europe.
While they loved the car, they also had some technical issues with some of the electrics.
Not quite as bad as a wheel falling off though,

[speediva]

Did they forget to tighten down the lugnuts? Bet that tech will be gone soon...

What's up with the rear passenger wheel falling off, but being on in the pictures? I doubt that a non-production vehicle would have a scissor jack for them to put it back on on-site.

Oh, and I LOVE that AAA got the tow. LOL

[Peloton25]

This car just arrived in the US via air freight about two weeks ago.



>8^)
ER

[Peloton25]

Relayed from a knowledgeable source:

This was being driven by an employee of a company who are supplying part of the electronics (wouldn’t be pushed as to exactly what bit) for the car.

They claimed that they needed a completed car to fulfill their works, but driving it was not necessary.

McLaren went to a lot of trouble to get the car to them and so were far from amused that it had not only been driven, but also crashed. Again no one would say exactly what went wrong or if anything fell off the car.

>8^)
ER