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Mike Sinclair9 Jun 2017
NEWS

ADRs could stop McLaren hypercar

Australian government rules may stop three-seater McLaren despite central driving position

Local deliveries of McLaren’s upcoming three-seat hypercar are in jeopardy due to Australian Design Rules (ADRs).

Speaking at today’s unveiling of the second generation 720S in Melbourne, McLaren Regional Sales Manager Anoop Arjun told motoring.com.au that discussions with Australian authorities had thrown a cloud over local plans for the still-secret flagship.

McLaren has christened the hypercar project, BP23. In effect it pays homage to the mould-breaking Gordon Murray designed BMW V12-powered F1 racers from the 1990s.

The car is expected to be shown in 2018 with production slated for 2019-20.

“BP23 is designed to be a cross-continental hypercar. We have no issues in other markets [except Australia],” Arjun told motoring.com.au.

For cars to be road registered in Australia, they must be satisfy a swag of ADRs – some of which are not necessarily intuitive.

Under ADR 42/00 (General Safety Requirements) 2006, it states “The centreline of the steering control must not be located to the left of the centreline of the vehicle” [42.5.1.1]. A vehicle configured such as the proposed BP23 would satisfy this requirement.

However, under the same set of regs, rule 42.10.3 states “No motor vehicle must be constructed to provide seating for a passenger at the right-hand side of the driver.” It seems this is where the BP23 runs afoul of the Feds.

Local McLaren sources say they have a number of potential customers for the BP23, which was shaping to be the first modern hypercar road-legal Down Under. Cars like Ferrari’s La Ferrari and McLaren’s own P1 have not been built in right-hand drive.

Fortunately for the British brand, local buyers have been quick to step up to fill the order books for the new 720S which is now on sale from $489,900. Local deliveries do not commence until Q3 of this year (2017), however, with customer responses so strong, those signing on the bottom line this week will have to wait until Q3 next year before delivery.

“The response is a strong indication that McLaren has established itself [in the Australian market],” Arjun, himself an Aussie, told motoring.com.au.

“We had to build a nameplate with the MP4-12C and 650S, but now we’re building on that foundation. We’ve made huge progress,” he said.

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