This is it – the first in an all-new range of high performance sports cars from McLaren Automotive, the road car side of the business at legendary McLaren.

Previously known by its ‘P11’ codename, it finally gets its proper nomenclature: the McLaren MP4-12C. Catchy – perhaps they should have stuck with P11!

Anyway, more importantly, McLaren claims that with its new line-up of technology-led and customer-focused performance cars for the 21st century, ‘the rules in the sports car world are about to be re-written’.

We’re the only Middle East magazine to have visited McLaren’s high-tech headquarters in the UK to find out more about the new car, and along with these first pictures we bring you all the information currently released on the new car, plus the latest on plans to market and distribute the car in the GCC.

Scroll down to click through our detailed individual sections, but these are the headline details:

• All-new mid-engine sports car priced to compete with cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, Porsche 911 Turbo and forthcoming Ferrari 458 Italia.
• 0-100kph will be under 4.0 seconds, with a top speed of over 320kph.
• Bespoke McLaren engine is a 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo producing 600bhp with 443lb ft of torque. Revs up to 8300rpm, Peak torque at 3000rpm, with 80% available from just 2000rpm.
• 7-speed dual clutch (DCT) sequential with F1-style rocker paddle shifts on the steering column. No manual version will be made.
• Weight is less than 1400kg, and it’s claimed to be smaller than rivals but with a longer wheelbase and more interior room and luggage space.
• Unique in this segment, it features a costly carbon fibre tub as the core of its chassis structure. The carbon ‘MonoCell’ is the first application of one-piece carbon fibre structure derived from race car engineering for this market segment – previously seen on F1 and Mercedes SLR.
• McLaren promises performance, handling and ride comfort way beyond rivals.
• Matrix of up to 16-levels of driver-enabled suspension and transmission settings.
• Drivers aids include ABS, ESP, ASR traction control, Electronic Brake Distributio, Hill Hold and Brake Steer.
• Fully customisable exterior and interior colour and trim packages.
• Design finalised by Frank Stephenson (CV, includes cars such as the modern MINI, Fiat's cutesy 500 and Ferrari's F430 and 599 during his stints in Italy).
• Scissor-style dihedral doors.
• First of four new sportscars based on the same architecture to be introduced by 2015.
• Spiritual successor to McLaren F1 road car (1993-1998).
• GCC dealers will be appointed by the end of the first quarter of 2010, deliveries will being in early 2011.
• 1000 cars to be produced in its first year.
• Estimated price $200,000-250,000

By the way, what’s with that name?

‘MP4’ has been the chassis designation for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981. It stands for McLaren Project 4, resulting from the merger of Ron Dennis’ Project 4 organisation with McLaren.

The ‘12’ refers to McLaren’s internal Vehicle Performance Index through which it rates key performance criteria both for competitors and for its own cars. Combining power, weight, emissions, and aerodynamic efficiency, the coalition of all these values delivers an overall performance index.

The ‘C’ refers to Carbon, highlighting the use of carbon fibre technology in the future range of McLaren sports cars.