Well, the conservative exterior design is deliberate, that is stated in their design statement on their site, and it most definitely will not have McLaren F1’s price tag. The innovation in the MP4-12C are by no means run of the mill. The first Carbon Fiber Monocell structural chassis with a weight of only 176 lbs, the use of magnesium structural components and the first use of seamless shift gearbox directly derived from current F1.
The car only weights 2866lbs with 600 bhp, which is around 190lbs lighter than the 458 and 30 bhp more and 700 lbs lighter than the SLS with 30 bhp more.