McLaren keeps opening one showroom after another around the world, yet there are stories circulating the web that the Woking-based carmaker has stopped production of the MP4-12C supercar due to safety concerns.
Tony Joseph, director of McLaren North America, admitted that there are some delays, but they have nothing to do with safety: “There are no safety concerns for the delay. We’ve had some quality-related issues in a few cars we wanted to address before we continue to deliver customer cars”, he told Autoweek magazine.
Joseph denied the rumors that the MP4-12C faces performance and safety problems, claiming that the issues were mostly condensation in the headlights and a problem with battery drainage and door operation.
“We believe the battery issue is coming from the electrical head unit, which appears to not be shutting off”, he said. The glitch seems to be software-related, since the car’s electronics shut down when the doors are locked in order to stop the battery from draining.
In Europe, 59 cars have already been delivered to customers, but not all of them have been affected. Joseph said that McLaren is dealing with the problem case-by-case basis, sending repair people on location to fix the issue.
Joseph admitted that while McLaren dealers will get their demo cars on time, shipment of the 179 cars ordered by US customers may be delayed by a couple of weeks until the problem is solved: “We want to make sure we deliver a proper product to our customers. And I would rather delay them by a couple of weeks if I can ensure a better product.”
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