McLaren-Mercedes chose Lewis Hamilton's 23rd birthday to unveil their new car on Monday.
"The MP4-23 [car] is the coolest birthday present you can get -- well it is for me anyway," said Hamilton, winner of four races in his rookie season. "I feel stronger than in 2007. We will do everything possible to reach our goals."
The car was rolled onto the stage at the Mercedes-Benz Museum with the presentation taking place for the first time in the home town of the German carmaker, which supplies the engine.
McLaren's turbulent last season was marked by near misses, infighting and controversy.
Hamilton and former driver Fernando Alonso lost their bid for the driver's title to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the Brazil Grand Prix, the season's final race. A spying scandal also led to a record US$100 million fine and being stripped of the constructor's title.
Alonso left McLaren and signed with Renault after rocky relations all season with McLaren team boss Ron Dennis who refused to give the Spanish two-time world champion No. 1 status.
"We aren't wasting any more time on the past," Dennis said. "We want to build on last year's good results and fight for the driver and constructor's titles again."
Test driver Pedro de la Rosa will give the MP4-23 its first road test today in Jerez, Spain.
"We already know that the car is faster than the one driven in the final at Brazil," McLaren business manager Martin Whitmarsh said.
Hamilton expects the stiffest opposition to come from Ferrari drivers Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, Alonso and his new McLaren teammate, Heikki Kovalainen.
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