McLaren MP4-12C

The TV programme showing the production facility and the car although impressive it did strike me that the car was boring to look at and not as pretty although similar to a 360.

In my opinion too much emphasis on management, planning, focus groups, consultants and that sort of thing and not passion and true interest in building a supercar for people like me.

From what I can remember from the programme the designer didnt come across very well his inspiration was a box of shells, toys and rubbish etc.

Andrew

 

When I see the Macca I have to say i get that "its just a car" sort of feeling whereas a Ferrari/Lambo etc just has 'something' about it! Its intangible. Maybe its character,passion?

 

Are you Tom Hartley Jnr? The exact same words appeared in one of his tweets this morning

 

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clearly you lot either have poor eye sight or no red blood in your veins, take it from me an owner that this car is spectacular, the only time a ferrari driver will see the front of this car is if it is coming towards you, other than that it wil be the back end getting ever smaller.
With regard cancelled orders thats probably more down to speculators who put down deposits hopping to nick a premium, but with the credit crunch and all the anti bonus going on premiums are a thing of the past.

 

Agree with you there 360,Robbie over here also has both cars and also agrees that the 12c will leave any Italian ,not the Aventador admittedly but thats in a different price bracket,and i suppose the 12c would leave that on anything other than a very wide road!!

 

I drive a 430 Scuderia and recently had an afternoon with Mclaren sales and an MP4 12C.
(This in itself is a nightmare as they just wont shut up about how good it is to the tune of 2 hours prior to a test drive. I nearly got up and left.)

I recently sold a 997 Turbo PDK and immediately I was reminded of it when driving the MP4.
At no time during the test drive did it do anything Ferrari like at all.

The salesman was amazed when i said after 1/2 mile that i didn't like it and even more amazed when at the end of the test drive i gave him a list of "problems" with the car.

I must hand it to him though, he did let me drive it as if were my own car and I did.
Incredibly fast and I know this because it said so on the speedo otherwise i wouldn't have known.

There is no sound in the cabin and when you open the window still no exhaust sound.
The flappy paddles are the worst ive used.
First of all they move with the wheel which Ferrari discovered years ago is the wrong way to do it on a road car. Then there's the actual amount of pressure needed to "click" the paddle into the next gear. Terrible set up.

The 3.8 felt small with a huge turbo charger, absolutely no match for a naturally aspirated Ferrari V8.

Then there's
the looks. Well the absolute lack of them.
BORING to the eye.

Jump in and you're in Lotus Elise land and again... BORING.

I fully expect to see the 15k mile 99K GBP MP4 12c in 2013/14
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You ordered one then?

 

Sadly the front looks like an Evora

 

Interesting write up, I wonder if any of the Mclaren sales guys have driven a 458?

 

Very similar to my experience with an MP4-12C a couple of weeks ago. My salesman also would not shut up about how good it was, but I did not mind too much. It was enjoyable to learn about the car, and all his claims were indeed true--no overselling, no hype like with most car salesmen.

My test drive was in a car with the sports exhaust, and it was fine, noise-wise. In fact, the whole car was just that, fine. The paddle shifters were great, I thought, with seamless shifting that was just about perfect. The acceleration was great, there was no discernible turbo lag, and the handling was divine. To me, it felt like a powerful Exige.

There was no flair in the styling. There was no uniqueness about the car, except little technological touches in the cabin. It is a boring car. For the amount of money they are asking, nobody wants boring. The gull-wing doors open in a beautiful manner--that is certainly fancy and distinctive. That's about it, though. The car is a very capable computer, and it takes away from the driving experience.

It needs branding and a personality. It's the Lexus of supercars. More distinctive styling, more unique touches, and a more involving driving experience.

I disagree about the paddle shifters rotating with the steering wheel being a bad thing. For wheels that have a lot of turns lock to lock, yes, you would lose track of where the paddles where. The MC12-4C allows you to keep your hands on the wheel lock to lock, except when parking. For this car, the paddles rotating with the wheel are a very good thing. You can shift at any time without lifting your hands from the driving position on the wheel. Awesome.

 

Clueless comments

 

Care to explain why?

 

m

 

I'm not a fan of the MP4-12C either, in fact the very name of it makes me bored, but I watched this video with Chris Harris last week, now I can at least respect the cars capabilities and Mclaren's Technical know how for making it.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mKB-8WUB5k&feature=g-u&context=G23000c7FUAAAAAAAOAA[/ame]

P.S. Looks nice in White.

 

I wanted to jump in here and throw a curveball into the mix.

Having not driven this car I can only comment from a different point of view, there is no "WOW" factor about this car........if you're as old as me you will remember the launch of the fabulous "McLaren F1".........when you first saw that car it took your breath away and to this day it still can!! It was a revolution and it really put McLaren on the map of Supercar World.

The follow up from McLaren the "MP4-12c" (The name sounds like a computer file and doesn't roll off the tongue like 'F1') looks like a jelly mould, there is no WOW factor as it were like the F1, as it has taken them so long to bring out the follow up to the legendary F1.....are other people like myself disappointed with the end result???

Personally I feel that McLaren have taken a step back from the F1 rather than a giant leap forward like they have done in the past.

The look of the car depends on each persons taste, its not a bad looking car however personally I feel it is not a great looking car, I really wish they had made something as great as the F1 and made their mark on Supercar World yet again!

 

Agree 100% well said

 

Well, it is a giant leap forward compared to the SLR.
Ed

 

+1
I sometimes see them being road tested on the A3 in the Guildford area and when approaching from behind you have to get pretty close to be sure it is a Mclaren rather than an Audi A8 or something else. It really isnt that special looks-wise especially from the rear.

 

Unfortunately the SLR was not built by McLaren however by Merecedes, this is like Binatone with Vauxhall all those years ago.

The MP4-12c is just a McLaren car like the F1......or should I say nothing like the F1.

I am sure it performs well but in comparison to the F1........it's a disappointment

 

Nonesense the F1 still sells for $5,000,000 the MP4 12 C $300,000 that is like comparing a 430 with an Enzo, or the 458 with the Enzo replacement.

Knock all you like but I have owned 458,430,360,355 and now the 12c And guess what they are or were all good but the best drivers car is imop undoubtedly the 12c. It is more of a sports car than the wonderful 458. Both are great and I wish I could afford both at the same time. Bet you havent driven one!!!!!!!

 

Slr was designed and concieved by mclaren. Doesnt matter who actually built it.
Ed