McLaren MP4-12C sports car stickers for $231,400

What is the most jaw-dropping figure from the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C? Is it the 592 hp coming from just 3.8 liters? Or the lithe curb weight of less than 2,900 pounds?

Perhaps it's the price.

We expected a heady sticker, and on Thursday, the British supercar maker confirmed that its upcoming road-going demon will cost $231,400, including $2,400 in shipping fees.

But what about the gas-guzzler tax? A McLaren spokeswoman says avoiding it--despite the herculean horsepower--remains a possibility. More tests will be conducted, she said.

The MP4-12C goes on sale in late summer in 35 markets around the world. There will be 10 retailers initially in the North America, concentrated heavily around big cities and along the coasts. They include Beverly Hills, Calif., Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and Toronto.

McLaren said on Thursday that Newport Beach, Calif., and Philadelphia will also be among the launch markets.

Canadian pricing will be announced later.

The carbon-fiber-intensive MP4-12C has a one-piece chassis dubbed the “MonoCell” and will offer 14 interior trims. The most notable color for the outside likely will be a shade of orange that conjures images of McLaren's racing heritage from the 1960s and '70s.

The MP4-12C is the beginning of a purported product blitz from McLaren, which has only dabbled in customer cars until now. It's most notable previous effort was the F1 road car. The auto business has been since split from the racing team and is now run by former Formula One honcho Ron Dennis.

By Greg Migliore