Test drove a McLaren MP4-12C today

Great post, pics and impressions. Thanks for all. I was, at one time, interested in the 12C over the 458 but at the end of the day it was the look and styling both inside and out that made me choose the 458. However, both are great cars to be certain and anyone would lucky to own either, IMHO.

 

Thanks for sharing your McLaren experience with us!
It seem that those who enjoy the 'tried and true' will gravitate toward a Ferrari and those more adventurous types might try the McLaren.
CH

 

Was this at Porsche of Main Line? I stopped by the McLaren building on Friday and didn't see any McLaren cars there yet.

Wish I saw the car, I'm only 15 minutes away from the dealer.

 

Terrific write up and an unbiased report.

I still have problem with the looks. Those black fins just don't do it for me. For 250K, I need something I like to look at. Call me old fashioned but it takes more than technology to turn me on.

But, like any work of art, the appreciation of it is in the eye of the beholder. There is no right or wrong answer to that question. It's all a matter of personal taste.

 

Kudos for the nice writeup. I would need to drive both cars back to back to see which I like better. I do prefer the looks of the 458 to the MP12-C.

 

I enjoyed that. Thanks for the post!


Onno

 

Good review. Let me add my perspective after having test-driven the Maccca last week. For those, who do not remember, I only test-drove Italia twice on the road, so my impression of Italia and the comparison to McLaren will, by necessity, be limited. A more interesting comparison could be made to my well-loved Scud, so I will try to draw some parallels to both cars.

Overall, I am now convinced that the Macca is the best exotic on the market. Especially for what I am looking for in a car like that. It is a fully dual function tool: it can be very comfortably driven every day on the street and to the track, while once there, it will have few street cars capable of running with it, while keeping the costs (relatively) low.

Handling-wise, Mp4 feels very much like the scud minus the soundtrack. One big advantage it has over the scud (and especially Italia) is the steering feel. Slightly light and numb at low speeds, it becomes very precise and, crucially, feel-some once you start pushing it. It is not up to Porsche standards, but it is definitely way ahead of current Ferraris.

Turn-in and grip are both tremendous, but not in a numb AWD manner. Not a hint of understeer (at least at speeds I could get up to on the backroads of Greenwich, CT), just a natural flow to it. Very light and responsive, but not hyper like Italia. It is very much a handling sweetheart the Scud is. Italia feels more immediately entertaining and eager and this makes it a ton of fun in the twisties. On the other hand, I am pretty sure, on the track, this will become an unsettling trait (especially coupled with the lack of steering feel). You will have to trust that the car will take care of you. Just the opposite to the feeling you get from the Macca (and the scud). I know, the early reviews said exactly the opposite, but I have to disagree.

One big fear I had was how the turbos would work. I am in general very suspicious of turbo cars, since they lack the precise throttle response of N/A engines (and especially Ferraris). When you roll on power from a stop, you can definitely feel some softness in the engine response. Mind you, not lag as such. Just softness compared to how crazy the power gets once at full boil. That, however, is non-issue to me. The biggest triumph of the car is that when you throw the car about in the turns and you come off and back on power to balance the car, the engine response is immediate. Basically, Ferrari-like. I was stunned that a thing like that was possible.

Demerits? The sound definitely does not measure up to Italia's (or the scud's). It's not bad, just not crazy great. Especially disappointing was the overrun and downshifts.
The brakes are grabby at low speeds, although not a problem in action.
The cabin quality is great, although not as luxurious feeling as Italia's. On the other hand, the layout is much more natural.

Ok, that should be enough. Fire away.

K.

P.S. I forgot to add one more demerit. The official curb weight is up to 3279 lbs (with lightweight options you can get it down to 3200 lbs). I think it's 50-100 lbs too much.

 

No firing...seems fair to me and after all it's you car and you're entitled to get what you like. I wasn't crazy about the cabin of the 12C and felt it was a bit kit car but that was my impression. I didn't care for the step down entering the car but did love the doors. I'm sure the 12C will be fantastic.

 

KRYZS:

If you were to ask me to state the "best exotic on the market", I probably would include a Jag E type.

Why? Because it's gorgeous. It's why Dino's cost $150+.

I think looks have something to make us love these exotic machines. To me, you can't ignore style and look only at substance and still call it "the best".

But, that's a matter of taste as I said.

The Mac is an amazing machine. It's just not my cup of afternoon tea and crumpets.

 

+1

As a 26 year old waiting for his first ferrari I would completely agree with Bob. If i wanted a car to beat all cars I would go for a GTR hands down. Styling is so so important to get the emotions flowing. No amount of adrenaline can compensate for the other emotions you get with driving an exotic that looks the part or in fact any car. for example if i was in the market for a £60k car - gtr would not be on my list at all. porsche cayman s, merc cls, mmerc e coupe, m3, s5 would be so much higher on the list. interior quality may be good on the mac, but it doesnnt to me feel special. its very minimalist which will appeal to plenty, but i just need a little bit more there. i love the doorss on the mac, but besst overall to me is the 458. having driven both before ordering, yes the mac has phenommenal ssussspension for the daily driving, but i dont mind the slighltly harsher one on the 458. and i plan on driving it ssplitting mmiles between the r8 and this- hence expecting 17-18k miles per year. i want it to feel sspecial every journey but also when its on the drive. for me only the 458 achieves that. gallardo would be an option but ssuccessor likely to come up next year or early 2013. plus i would rather a Ferrari - been a dream since ... well since i knew what a car was.

sunny

 

Very well written review. When do deliveries begin in the USA?

 

Great feedback!

 

I really enjoyed reading the comparison. It was simple for me, as the 458 really stirs my soul as do so many of the older Ferrari's! The F-430, 360, F-50 and F-40 and so forth!

 

+1. I do like the looks of the Le Mans spec prototype, but not the street version.

 

Nice post. Appreciate your apparently unbiased opinion.

That said...I think a 458 Scud wouldn't so much erase the differences between the two but rather would exacerbate them. The Scud will be more of everything the MP4 isn't. It will be louder, more direct, less comfortable, etc...etc...

It will be the most extreme "experience" Ferrari has on offer whereas the MP4 will seem even more like a "...truly a universal supercar that can be driven with ease anywhere and for any period of time over various road conditions. "

IMHO it would be like cross-shopping a GT3RS and a 911 Turbo...which someone might do but they will quickly discover which is exactly right for them.

 

+1. Lacks beauty and "wow" factor.

 

Great post and pictures, looks are of course subjective but in your pictures I did notice that rather sizeable sill one needs to clamber over to get into the seat. I wonder if this may be an issue for taller people?

Nice to read an unbiased report! I still prefer the 458 though.

 

Oops! A test drive gone wrong ----

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2101152_mclaren_sports_car_ends_first_test_run_in_bushes

A BRAND new McLaren sports car crashed outside the Formula One firm's Woking headquarters, just minutes after it had left the production line.

The MP4-12C road car was involved in a collision with a blue VW Passat at around 3pm on Tuesday (October 4) in Chertsey Road, not far from the McLaren Technology Centre.

The car was fresh off the production line, and on its test 'shake-down' run before being wheeled out to customers, when the driver lost control and smashed the front.

A passenger in the VW Passat said it was as they came up to a bridge that the McLaren hit their vehicle in the side, before coming to rest in the bushes.

He said: “We were on the A320 going towards Chertsey. The back end of the McLaren came out and the driver lost control.

“It hit into the barrier and bounced off into the air and the front of the car hit us. It carried on into the bushes on the other side of the road."
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Thankfully no fatalities.

 

Yes, the step down and getting out is more difficult IMHO than what's being mentioned. It's not as easy as getting in and out of the 458. It's one of the things that turned me off about the 12 C's interior. I do still love the way the doors swing open however, not enough in the final tally to actually buy one over the 458.

 

No, just a pink slip!

 

Not that I would even remotely consider a 12 C but think about living with the step down and the doors long term. I feel it would begin to really P**s me off as time went by and the novelty wore off.

 

Agree. My wife went with me to look at the car when they had the demo cars here in California. She didn't like the step down and up getting in and out and said, women couldn't wear dresses and get out of the car.