The official MP4-12C Thread

Thought as much. I have occasionally bought C+D and R+T when abroad, it seemed similar to their online content, but was amazed at the number of adverts.

 

Afraid not.

 

someone in the press that actually likes the look of the car.maybe they are just bucking the trend

 

Plus, the quality of paper, pictures, etc. is just not there. I still buy print CAR or EVO just for the 3-d experience. The only thing is that an annual subscriptions on any US mags is roughly the price of one EVO issue.

 

dont forget you can offset that by the cost of your gas (petrol),makes our mags cheap compared to what we have to pay for our juice

 

1st press day of Geneva tomorrow, hope the show car isn't Orange or Silver, something different would be nice. Either way there's sure to be some fresh pics and info circulating the interweb.

 

+1 the native Evo app for iPad is by far the best electronic magazine available. The dynamic content is amazing, even cost per issue is ~5 bucks.

And +1000 on the U.S. rags being ****. Can't believe how much they have deteriorated. Plus they all picked the Chevy Volt as COTY! WTF!! Some kind of conspiracy I think.

 

LOL...perhaps, but certainly not the performance COTY for anyone wanting to go faster than a moped.

On another note: dealer called and said there's a private viewing of the car on March 9...can't wait to see it, sit in it and hear it in person. I'm assuming a drive even as a passenger is unlikely but hey, I can always hope.

 

Awesome. Will this be the first time you have seen the car in person?

 

Yes. I'm very anxious to see it in person, see the interior and hear the engine. It's going to be exciting.

 

I'm jealous. I would love to see it again! Take pics!!

 

Would love to see those 2 different shades of blue. Even a red one with stealth trim perhaps. C'mon McLaren, bring it!

 

I'll be sure to take pics and I'll report back. Me, I think the black fire is it.

 

You can also get it on Zinio.

 

sure, we are not complaining here.

 

An engaging video, where he explains how they optimized performance, through ingenious design.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38S7IsxkEG0[/ame]

 

I have used Pirelli PZero Corsa System tires (same tires as on the track option tires on the MP4-12C) on my F430 at the track, and they are brilliant. Felt like I was on Hoosiers. Very grippy, very predictable, very controllable at the limit. Really great tires And they were basically gone after two hard days of track driving. I had added extra negative camber all around (but still only about 1.5-1.7 degrees). They could be salvaged for another track weekend by shaving them a little and flipping them on the wheels (they tread pattern direction really only matters in the wet), but I wouldn't expect them to last more than that unless you go with extreme camber (approx 2.5 degrees all around would work IMHO) and rotate the wheels side-to-side at the end of each day. And after than many heat cycles, they won't be as grippy even if you still have tread left. Figure on one really hard weekend of brilliance, and another weekend of "better than regular street tires" before you have to change them. For the F430 they were $1600 for the tires plus mounting and balancing.

For basic street driving they are overkill, but they will certainly stick like glue once they warm up.

As for the cost....well, if you want to play hard, expect it to cost some money.

 

Thanks for the link. The car continues to impress me. However I still want to see one and drive one before I pull the trigger.

 

Ah, the ongoing dilemma of tires... I know what you mean, it can be expensive. From my experience, most newby track drivers and others that drive around 6 or 7 tenths can get much longer wear out of street tires. It's only when you really start pushing the car to the limit that tires get used up fast. This is a generalization, of course. But I think most owners will get many days at a relatively lower intensity - i.e. they are just going to enjoy the car at the track but not exceeding grip in the corners.

My Z06 used to utterly destroy street tires (OEM Goodyears or Bridgestones) when I started hammering around. The best compromise I have found so far is the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. I did also put more neg camber in, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how many track days I can get out of them. They do lose some grip after a bunch of heat cycles, but overall a great compromise for a tire that you can still drive on the street.

I hope over the long term there will be tire choices available for the 12C and that McLaren will have a progressive attitude towards allowing different tires without affecting warranty. I'm not expecting this right away, but hopefully they move in that direction. Especially since I'm guessing that TireRack may not carry the 12C-specific Corsas and you may need to get them from the dealer.

 

Yes, it looks like the special tires are just corsa system tires.

I don't like them, though. I think Toyo r888's or the new Trofeo's are way better. Plus they are roughly half the price of corsas. They all go very quickly.

Another member here did an extensive comparison of various (track-focused) tires for the scud, and similar to my experience, corsas were the worst.

 

Lewis having fun for the camera.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr5IEEJU_nA[/ame]

 

Sport Cups have great reputation. I have not used them, but others report great results and much better longevity, especially compared to Pirellis.

As to general longevity, if you don't push hard, all of them will last much longer. I try to restrain myself on the track in the name of low running costs, but I never succeed.