McLaren has taken to the slopes to celebrate the US launch of the new 12C Spider. Driven by Pikes Peak record holder Rhys Millen, the open supercar took on the treacherous Loveland Pass in Colorado against X-Games snowboarder, Chanelle Sladics.
Millen, as well as being the Pikes Peak world record holder, is also the 2005 Formula Drift Champion and the 2008 World Drift Champion. He has also made appearances in over 500 commercials and several movies - making him the perfect man for the job. His competitor, Sladics, has taken part in the X-Games eight times as well as presenting snowboarding competitions on ESPN.
To help with the snow-covered roads in the Rockies, Millen had the 12C Spider in Winter mode. This switches all of the car's driver aids to maximum assistance in order to keep the 625hp drop-top under control. The system also alters the car's shift patterns on its seven-speed SSG dual-clutch transmission to provide as much traction as possible.
The 12C Spider was originally debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last year and is now available to order across McLaren's 10 dealerships in North America. The $265,750 list price is before registration and taxes, meaning that buyers will be forking out nearly $300k for the Spider in the States.