Any 458 owners driven the Mac 12C

I will not be tempted.

 

Please tell me the X1 is a practical joke. That's awful.

 

You may not like them BUT they are part of McLaren tradition. The F1 and the 12C have the dihedral doors.

The X1 has GOT TO BE A JOKE!! There is not way that can be real!

 

Imagine being the stylist who had to turn the "vision" into reality.

 

Actually no, have you even seen or driven the car? Necessary due to the carbon fibre tub. Check out the car and you will see the doors actually attach to the tub near the front wheel well.

 

I think you are correct. But, the CF tub has one big problem. It makes it a bit of a pain to get in and out of. And, the doors make it difficult to open and close.

As stupid as it sounds, these actually make a difference when you chose to buy even this kind of car today.

 

You are right. On my test drive of the Mac, my wife hated getting in and out of the car, and it took me several attempts to open and close the door. Either you get used to it or it annoys you to no end.

 

I didn't say I didn't like them. I said they have no place on this McLaren and are a gimmick to distract the viewer from how bland the rest of the car is.

And no, they're not a necessity due to the carbon tub. This is McLaren. If they had wanted regular doors you can bet the would have found a way to design them. And design them good. This is Ron's company, remember. Basically they're garish, tacky and naff in this instance and only serve to accentuate how bland the rest of the car is - which is ironic given they are supposed to elevate the design. And yes, I've seen it and sat in it but not driven it, though I'm sure it's a cracking car to drive

 

The Aventador is a little more difficult to get into but much easier than the Murcielago LP640 I owned. I am working on learning to touch my nose with my toes now...

 

I was said somewhat in jest, cause having both cars, in either form, would be fantastic. Having said that, I think the carbon fiber tub lends itself to a more rigid spider.

 

I had a Murciélago on loan for two weeks when my girlfriend was about 7 months pregnant. It took a bit of help but we got her in and out without too much bother. She was determined that she wasn't going to miss a ride like that, no mater what!

 

Haha! She is a sport! Funny because my wife was pregnant with our son while I had the Murci and she was ok with getting in and out of the car too! The sense of occasion with driving that car made you forgive any shortcomings!

 

I just had an opportunity to log 200+ miles in an MP4-12C driving under conditions that were far short of limit driving, but were perhaps representative of what an aggressively driving owner would do safely under the right conditions. The route was up and down the California coast with the Monterrey Historic Races and the Pebble Beach Concours in between.

I had noticed in a previous shorter drive earlier this year that the powertrain had surprising turbolag at all RPMs, not just at the low end. This was disconserting whether exiting a turn or just tooling around. In fact there are several features that make driving smoothly difficult in this car. The brakes are grabby and nervous, though very powerful. The steering has a bit of on-center deadness. And even engine braking is not a linear process -- there is a noticeable lag before the expected deceleration takes over. I think that this last issue may be a tip off that what I am noticing is not turbo lag at all but some kind of vacuum actuated control thing. It is even possible that this is a result of US emissions regulations, but that is only a suspicion.

The integrated impression is of a great deal of power and capability that is made difficult to access in a satisfying manner. Raw torque is nice but it is only one element of driving satisfaction.

There were other niggling problems such as door openers that worked only sporadically and what seemed like at least one nonfunctioning horn. They were probably peculiar to this particular car.

My sense is that these are issues of refinement, not fundamentals, and can be addressed by further development -- if McLaren wishes to. It is an excellent first car and it raises expectations for the future, and this can only spur more competition, which is good for everyone.

PS. I had a chance to meet and chat with designer Frank Stephenson at the McLaren hospitality tent at Pebble. He is an effusive man and willingly signed my McLaren poster.

 

Actually I did not hear knocking noises or thumps, but my hearing is pretty shot for certain sounds.

It does creep like an automatic, another refininement issue.

 

The knocking has been pretty well documented by a lot of owners. Some say it's the brake calipers but my feeling is that it's something in the suspension.

How did you feel about the pre-cog? Some like it, some think it's not so good. Also, the push-pull paddles seems odd to me.

 

I did hear what I think is a brake fill noise upon just touching the pedal at a stop. Our F430 does that occasionally.

I didn't like the paddle linkage set up including the pre-cog. It comes off as just less than positive. I "missed" a shift several times. But that may just take some getting used to. I much prefer the sharp positive set up of the 458.

 

pre-cog is history for 2013. even for 2012, you don't HAVE TO pre-cog, you just need a positive pull. My wife handled it in track mode just fine. Anyway, like I said, it history anyway. 2013 is a softer pull without pre-cog, much like the 458.

 

My wife just drove mine tonight and absolutely loves it, she actually smoked me in my 430. GO figure!

 

just had a test drive in a 12C today ! it is a good car no doubt!

looks : 458 looks much better ! the mac looks like a generic super car .
access : it is more difficult to get into than our 458's bcos of the doors and the carbon fiber tub.
handling: the car feels light and agile and it is physically smaller and sits lower than 458
noise: the engine noise is not that enjoyable when compared.
brakes: both CCBs behave in the same way: need plenty of force to activate and not so linear .
performance: on paper it is marginally faster than 458 but in reality i felt it was slower. of course it's fast but I always feel 458 has plenty in reserve but it's not the case in the mac . maybe turbo-lag is to blame?

In short, it is comparable but not better. the mac feels sterile while 458 feels passionate.
I have no second thoughts.

 

You shouldn't have second thoughts. The 458 is a great car. But there is a difference between feeling fast and *being* fast!

I did cancel my order for a 458 coupe after living with the 12c for a number of weeks. If you have spent anytime driving a race car, you will have an appreciation for the 12c. If you have never raced (I don't mean just track days) the 12c will probably not be for you.

That said, I am working on getting a 458 spider... and recognizing it will cost me dearly for one!

 

Looks are subjective but i must say more tend to prefer the 458 in this dept. On the emotional side perhaps the turbo engine does not produce the sound/exhaust note that may stir the emotions of the driver. I miss that but what the 12C can do from handling,brakes,acceleration,etc more than make up. I had the 458 and now the 12C and am happy i took the bold step of buying one without even test driving it.