Insane Performance Stats MP4-12C

Wasn't the F50 slower than the F40? I know that car isn't as highly regarded as the F40 is by some, but I don't think it's considered a poser car.

 

Forgot to add, while the F50 was an exception I thought I'd point out, I do agree that a slower succesor to the Enzo would be branded a poser car on here.

 

F50 is faster flat out and around a track...

 

F50 had lower power to weight ratio.

Some argued that it was slower because of this, but even if it were (it wasn't) it's superior construction and aero were really the point anyway.

 

Here's My biggest issue with the MP4-12C:

I just don't see the passion in it as I do with the 458 Italia. Even the name sounds like a kitchen appliance or a new car stereo. I have no doubts whatsoever that it will be a technical tour de force, just as the McLaren F1 was before it, but I get the impression that the MP4 exists purely because the 458 exists, not because McLaren wanted to make it for the sake of making it.

I have similar views with the F1 when compared to the F40. It's like a science project being compared to an art project. The McLarens are made to show off the technical achievement, where as the Ferrari's are made to show off the passion involved in these types of cars (whilst incorporating new technologies). Jeremy Clarkson once said that when you compare the F1 to the F40, the F1 is technically far superior, but as a supercar for drivers, the F40 is the better car to drive because it feels rawer and more involving.

As with Honda and the NSX, you can make a superior car to a Ferrari, but in doing so, you may just miss the point of the Ferrari in the first place, it's about more than just performance figures.

 

As much as i like the weight and the technology, the car doesnt make me dream. But on the other hand, i havent driven one..maybe it is amazing on the road. I hope so because it sure looks bland.
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If we are solely judging by looks I find that Ferrari hasn't made a good looking car since the Challenge Stradale, everything since has been mediocore.

Someone mentioned Citroens, yes I own a C6, not many people on this planet can say the same, guess I like fugly cars....

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Mclaren stall the introduction of there car after the 458 came out and showed it's numbers first?

As for this new Mclaren being all the new rage, well i just don't see it. Mclaren had there spot in the sunlight with the F1. Now they want to start a boutique net work of dealers that supposedly is going to rival other super car show rooms? What are they going to offer hazelnut cream with there showroom coffee? Give me a break.

 

I find it very strange when people keep saying that the McLaren automotive lacks passion. I mean, come on!?! When you look at Ron Dennis, the only question is that do you call it passion or obsession? You can call the design of the car dull (initially I thought so too - not anymore), but the during the times when Enzo and Ferrucio are dead, Bugatti, Bentley, etc. are German, it´s a rare pleasure to see a birth of a supercar brand with such passion.

We have boutique enterprenuers, such as Pagani, Koenigsegg, etc. which are great, but this project seems to be much more ambitious, and all car fanatics should rejoice.

IMVHO...

-Finlnadese

 

I agree. I think when they say "lack of passion", it's in the look, not the overall package or philosophy behind it.

However, I do think all the emphasis on the exact nature of the factory design and layout or the technicians being trained to "speak out" is a bit over the top -- and pretentious. It's something I would expect more from Germany than the UK. Let's talk a little more about the car and less on the process-- please!

I wish they talked more about the engine in their presentation. Why it's turbo charged, how they avoided lag, how it's their first in house engine and what that means, etc. They barely touched it. In a Ferrari, the engine is the heart. In a McLaren, it's simply the means to an end -- yet another component in the total package. You can see the difference between the two makers right away.

I do rejoice this car. I think competition is great and improves the breed. And, I'm sure that McLaren will add some new ideas not just the engineering of the car but also the customer experience that others -- including Ferrari -- will mimic. McLaren is copying (or at least directly comparing themselves to) Ferrari already in many areas so all is fair. I don't see anything wrong in this, as I don't see anything wrong with what Zonda or Koenigssegg are doing.

Let the games begin!

 

That'd be me, amigo probably hands down the most consistently ugly car ever created by human hands. It's so strange and unrelatable as a car that it must have been made by aliens.

Because you like the Citroen and disparage recent Ferrari designs as mediocre, I sort of give you a passcard on that one, as you're clearly mentally challenged And I mean that in a friendly, sympathetic way

However, to each their own!

 

the C6 is a great car that few will experience because of there own egos unfortunately.

 

i believe Mclaren focuses on engineering excellence, instead of going for latest swoopy design they focus on form that matches the function of the car. The original F1 was not super sexy neither.

Compared to Koeignsegg and pagani which used off the shelf engines, in fact most 2nd and 3rd tier automakers use off the shelf engine, Mclaren purposed built this compact v8 to pair up with twin turbos. I reckon much of their F1 racing car technology dna is ingrained throughout this new car. This is the closest to a properly engineered f1 car for the road.

The last manufacturer to come close was the challenge stradale.

Again I am buying one for the engineering excellence, i'm less concern about the looks or what badge is on it.

 

Here are two great videos regarding the 12C:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grr9-FpJpH0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvjEQDNXlhU

 

I am very impressed by McLaren so far. Right from the beginning you realize that customer satisfaction is a top priority. Whenever you have a question, somebody picks up the phone and calls you to talk about it. They get right to the point and deal with your question or concern. No politics.

Heck, I ordered a book from their online store and a guy called me afterwards to thank me and confirm my shipping address.

The personal attention to detail is truly refreshing.

I do have one concern though. Having everything bespoke with this car is cool, but I couldn't get the thought out of my mind that all this stuff from the hexagonal wire and special parts to save weight, the custom diagnostics hardware, SMS of engine codes to the factory/home dealership, etc. essentially makes you captive to the dealership network for everything. With the F1, McLaren was famous for flying a mechanic to your location if you ever had a problem. I wonder if they plan to deal with mechanical problems the same way for people who don't live anywhere near a dealership.

 

True, but it did have a swoopy design.

The famed Mclaren F1 which is far more of a drivers car than the MP4-12C could ever think of being came with an off the shelf BMW engine (Tweaked) but never the less a BMW.

What about the F430 Scudaria?

If that's the case then forget the MP4-12C and buy a Bugatti Veyron.

 

I'll consider buying one if they have a dealer close to me. I quite like the styling. Or rather, lack of it: as in aviation, allowing weight and aerodynamics to dictate the form has a timelessness in itself. Just like there are many beautiful airplane designs from every decade, I feel that the McLaren will always retain a sense of purpose to its look, like a fighter jet.

As for the name, get over it already. Not all that different from a "512 TR" or "MC12C".

It appears the performance will be incredible and I would take advantage of that on the track. Beyond that, being part of something new is also appealing to some buyers - I'm sure the ownership experience will be different than Ferrari, but perhaps in some ways more rewarding. That said, I'll bet that a significant number of buyers will be existing Ferrari owners.

 

That will be interesting to see. In the long run, I don't think that level of service will be feasible. However, they'll need to address it somehow while they build the company and brand.

I'm waiting anxiously for more news about the dealer network.

 

I agree with what's been said on the styling. I'm disappionted it's a concoction of everything that's out there.

However, I'm sure a quick drive and it won't matter what it looks like.

 

Based on where you live my friend, I think you will have more luck than I for convenient access to parts and service. It is my understanding that the flying doctors will be on call for the MP4-12C until the network is more established. I wonder if we will all get the McLaren toolbox when the car is delivered. I'm looking forward to those oil changes with the extra $pecial McLaren titanium ultralight oil filter.

 

Doesn't take a lot of exterior changes to make it look better and the interior looks good the way it is

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/247870/mclaren_mp412c_racer_images.html

If only they would have done the 3 seat thing...

 

I wonder if all the die hard Ferrari fans would still be trashing the Mclaren if the performance of the car were "slower" than the 458 i.e. if it were not a threat to the Ferrari.

We are comparing apples and oranges here people....

The Mclaren is made by the hands of the magicians at the factory, the Ferrari is made by robots. Mclaren design measure and redesign the parts that make up the car, Ferrari will design a part to a very high standard but ultimately putting the cart into production and therefore setting a timeline is of the essence, Mclaren have no timeline (look how fuzzy they are being on the release date) when the car is finished and beyond thier expectation then they will release it.

There is a chap on here that keeps reffering to the 328 and how looks are soooooo important, I think the Mclaren will age gracefully whilst the 458 will look like yesterdays throw away accessory.

Mclaren have stayed true to their ideology and will not sellout for the sake of a quick buck, the whole thing is about excellence not compromising the design and ideals just to get to market quickly. Ferrari have sold out long ago the more I think about it the more seems to me that Ferrari have no ideals, no reason for being other than to continue trading off the name. To me when Enzo died Ferrari died with it , every car past the 355,550,f50 etc has been pointless and irrelavent compare the sheer rawness and skill it takes to drive the 355 fast to the 458 and you will see what I mean.

 

I agree we are comparing unlike cars, but I think Ferrari fans are more disappointed in what the McLaren looks like. I think lots of us wanted to like this car. Some do like it and want to buy one. Those people are valid in their views and in their opinion and tastes, and they are expressing their opinions just as well, as counterpoints. But I think the general opinion is that of disappointment.

I think most car people would agree that the performance and the handling of the McLaren will be stellar. I think driving the McLaren would be an amazing feeling. I never doubted that nor disparaged that. I'm talking only about the visual.

But it would be nice if the car's sense of design were considered just as far as it's functioning. I understand this is an opinion of taste and is subjective. There are a lot of Ferrari fans, too, who still don't really like the 458's design. So in all fairness to McLaren, it's not just the 12C.

About the McLaren, I tried long and hard to like it, but it didn't find me. So now I have to accept how I feel, and now I just make fun of it. I find it hard to believe that they were passionate about making it when they faltered so severely on how it looks. How a car looks is most of what makes the car desirable.

I find it hard to believe that after all of the cars the McLaren design team studied and were aware of, from classics to the recent supercars, that the design they chose was just "awesome." It just isn't. You can pretend it is awesome and groundbreaking design, but I don't think it is. I've seen far better car designs from students using rendering software, cars that will never be built. But this car got built. Something is wrong.

I think at best, it's just mediocre. It's a generic looking supercar, made by anyone. It's very disappointing compared to the McLaren F1, which has looks to match it's performance. McLaren took a step backwards in my opinion, regardless of how advanced the engineering has gotten.

The video presentation mentions that the 12C is "just the beginning" so I have hope for their other models of cars.