JEDDAH: Building on their portfolio of supercars, Al-Ghasan Motors has landed the distributorship for the McLaren MP4-12C, the latest from the supercar maker’s stable.
Set to make its debut in the Kingdom in 2011, the mid-engined 12C has generated over 2,500 expressions of interest worldwide, far exceeding the first year’s anticipated production. There is, say McLaren “huge interest from Saudi car enthusiasts”.
“Saudi car buyers are demanding, while at the same time enjoying and appreciating high performance cars. As such they are fully aware of the McLaren brand thanks to the F1 and SLR projects, which benchmarked McLaren on a different level from other high end car manufacturers,” said Ghassan Al-Sulaiman, president and CEO of Al-Ghassan Motors.
Al-Ghassan Motors will join a global network of 35 partners who will be responsible for selling an initial annual production run of 1,000 MP4-12Cs. As McLaren Automotive moves to a full model range of high-performance, two-seat, mid-engine sports cars, the aim is to sell around 4,000 models annually by the middle of the decade.
Al-Sulaiman said that over the years Ghassan Motors had built up a thorough respect and understanding of McLaren’s products. “Our partnership with them is a great achievement. Our aim is to translate our appreciation for McLaren into delivering the highest standards of customer service. Not only will we be there during every step of the purchase process, we will look after the car and owner afterward, giving them everything they need for years of happy ownership,” he concluded.
McLaren Automotive has a rich heritage in producing premium sports cars for the road. The McLaren F1 road car, which was launched in 1992, set the world land speed record for a production car, and is regarded as one of the best examples of supercar exotica. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, one of the fastest cars on the streets, is also the most successful supercar ever in its price bracket.
