The official MP4-12C Thread

You have great taste, I would order mine the same way.

 

got to think how many (with options) $250k+ cars are there without Nav, none of use buy cars for the next user ,but you would probably lose more than the cost of the irsis on resale without ever having the user benefits,if your worried about the extra weight
it is probably only a couple of kilos...just put a bit less fuel in !!!!!!

 

Dealers opinion is the only must have option is Iris.

 

Sounds positively stunning! Congrats!!

 

Yes, the dealer has the same opinion about resale and the IRIS. I was leaving it out because I will rarely use the nav and radio...not really concerned about the weight. I guess I'll add the IRIS. Anyone else put in their final order and how'd you spec your 12C?

 

here is my final spec and my reasons for it

volcano(mid life crisis) orange-i wanted it on my F1 but didnt have the money 17 years ago,and ive had my fair share of silver and black .
black leather and alcantara with orange stitching carbon pack and iris.
lightweight wheels in silver,i just think they have a bit more style than the superlight weight and 1 kilo saving per corner wont make me a better driver! silver because as a daily driver my wife might kerb it!!!
i like the carbon splitter/diffuser,but i think when i track it ,i would be worried about damaging them,so it would spoil my enjoyment.
dont need the steath ,but would do so if i had the wheels
last,the sports exhaust,i originally had on,then they homologated the steel to be only 1 kilo heavier,so took it off.then a month ago i thought about putting it on,but couldnt as i had had my final spec put in,and then its set in stone.WARNING TO YOU ALL,it is set in stone,somebody wanted to change the wheels,no go,now thats set on stone!!!
I am not too bothered though as in the uk most tracks have a 95db limit,so 105 db would be a problem ,also most of us will be using the track mode on the powertrain most days which my dealer (who has done so at mclaren) says is very loud anyway.Standard brakes as they are as good as the ceramic with the airbrake and i only do 3 to 4 track days a year,but its nice to know they are so cheap to replace,so i will have them on my next one,Also scared myself a few times in the wet with cold ceramics ,nearly gone up the arse of a few cars when they dont work for the first few yards!
On that point as a DD i think using track powertrain and normal handling would be quite a buzz,will let you know in a couple of weeks on that one,
p.s sorry to bore you if ive posted this before
oh,also the carbon engine cover,but i like the metal mesh either side of the engine better than the carbon,sometimes less is more??.also taking the standard seats,wanted the sports,but can fit them later at cost when they come available

 

Sounds amazing..great choices. The volcano orange is a beautiful color and I went back and forth between that and the fire black...also in a mid life crisis LOL. Can't wait to hear from you when you get your 12C.

 

Mclaren orange, superlight wheels black, stealth, sport exhaust, carbon brakes orange calipers, full leather black primary mclaren orange secondary, orange stitching, iris. I passed on all the carbon options.

 

Carbon black - torn between this and fire black or mclaren orange, but ultimately did not think I could swing the Mc orange on a daily basis (still LOVE both mc orange and fire black, tho) Also considered graphite grey, but not enough photos out yet with the options I wanted to judge how it looks

CCBs with mc orange calipers (as a consolation)... many of my track days are at Mosport where cornering speeds are v high, so wanted the fade-free reassurance (plus when I finally got the expected wear and replacement cost data that sealed it)

lightweight forged wheels in stealth - may pick up another set of super-lightweight with corsas for track duty, depending on what aftermarket wheel & tire options are available later on

black leather and alcantara, w mclaren orange stitching, standard aluminum trim

sport exhaust (in standard finish as I wanted the exhaust tips and spoiler actuators to contrast with carbon black exterior and match interior trim)

IRIS, as my dealer says it is mandatory (as in no longer even an option) although given the choice, I may not take it (I don't really buy the dealer line about nav since these nav systems out-date themselves so fast, especially with iphone options - although perhaps the nav system itself will be upgradeable by McLaren)

 

Both are great colors and choices. When are your expected deliver dates?

 

I posted this not too long ago but think it got buried. In watching the videos of the 12C being driven each time the driver changes gear the paddles click almost like a computer mouse button, and really loudly! I've never heard other paddles make that noise, I guess it is because of the different way they are mounted. Does that bug any of you guys, it drives me mad. Obviously it's a little thing that doesn't amount to too much but has anyone else noticed this?

 

It possibley is the way the accutuator switch works,when ive sat in the car and used it it dosn;t sound loud and thats without the engine on,If it bugs you drive in auto or track and then you wont be able to hear it.dont forget you can also use track auto,dont press the manual switch.

 

Blame Jenson Button - he wanted a more positive click from the paddles in the 12C to better mimic the feeling he gets in his Formula One car.

McLaren Automotive's engineers agreed and now you get to be annoyed. Sorry...

>8^)
ER

 

Thanks for the info guys, that's a pretty cool reason behind it I guess!

 

I also noticed this in the videos, but have played with the paddles in the presentation car and it wasn't as loud. Not sure what it will end up like in production, but wondering if the sound is simply at a frequency that gets easily picked up and amplified by a recording mic - similar to rustling papers. In any case, I thought Jenson wanted the feel to be more accentuated, not the sound.

 

Late summer is all I've been told. Wish it was this week.

 

These pix make the 458 look dull.

 

You just know that there will be an Akrapovik pipe that will basically be a no cat, no muffler, with a crossover, titanium thing, but I doubt they can make it sound better than the stock sport setup. It is very hard to get any v8 sound to transmit out the pipes post turbo.

 

A positive and firm shift paddle is good, don't want to be making accidental shifts, especially downshifts, but it doesn't have to be audible or annoying. I guess if you don't want to hear it turn up the radio or go into auto mode, which I assume works quite well. Although it shouldn't be too hard to improve upon SMG and even PDK. I bet the audio in the videos just amplify the sound.

 

Judging on your experience it looks like it is just the mic picking up. Or maybe the car you were in has been broken in by people tugging on the paddles all day long

 

That's still before my dealer says he'll have the demo drivers for us here in LA. Says, that will be September.

 

I'm sure my dealer's definition of summer includes September and October! Honestly, I pressed him for info, but he just doesn't have a firm build date yet.

 

Can any of the UK guys tell us about this 30-page pullout of the Macca in Autocar? Which issue and is this all new material?

Many thanks.

 

march 16 issue,no reference to 12c on cover,supplement is separate at the back all in a plastic sleeve,autocar cover is a red rs3 audi,hope this helps but maybe the supplement is only avaliable in the uk,so check its not just a loose magazine

 

there is quite a bit of new material,makes an intersting read for us Anoraks