McLaren MP4-12C Review By Teamspeed.com
#1
07-06-2011, 12:53 PM
McLaren MP4-12C Review By Teamspeed.com 
McLaren MP4-12C
An Exclusive Teamspeed.com Review
By Peter Burgess - Teamspeed Contributing Editor
What is it?
First of a four-model line-up already making Ferrari nervous
Why should I care?
A real opportunity to buy into cutting edge F1 technology in a road car
How fast and how much?
3,799cc twin turbo V8, 600ps (592bhp)@7,000rpm, 0-62mph 3.3sec/3.1sec, vmax 205mph, MSRP $229,000 plus taxes
Boy, how we want this to work. An alternative to the arrogant Italian and coldly efficient German supercars is what the world is crying out for. Well, if not the world then a good number of us bored or disillusioned with the status quo.
Ron Dennis is banking on his reputation in Formula 1 transferring into the design and production of one of the most ambitious road car programs ever. The MP4-12C is a direct hit on the Ferrari 458 Italia and the first of four models to emerge from a brand new factory alongside the F1 centre in Woking, 30 miles west of London.
The simple story is that this McLaren has more F1 technology poured into it than any rival. Even Ferrari. The carbon chassis tub is built by Austrian racecar specialists. The steering, suspension and engine are, while deviating from F1 specs, developed using the same expertise.
The power unit is likely to sound a little more contentious, at least until you drive the McLaren. The V8 is just 3.8 liters, the smallest capacity you’ll find in a serious supercar this side of a Porsche 911. With 6.2 liters in the Mercedes SLS and Corvette ZR1, and 4.5 liters in the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Brit sounds undernourished.
Twin turbochargers help correct the false image. McLaren extracts 600 European horsepower from its V8, topping every rival apart from the ZR1. And, goodness, how well it works. You really need to prepare your passenger for what happens next. Mash the throttle to the floor at 20mph and the McLaren simply destroys the road ahead, forcing driver and passenger back into the seats with something approaching violence.
It never tails off either, this enormous acceleration. There's so little time to look at the tacho to get the paddle shifts right, it's quicker and more dependable to keep the transmission in auto for instant changes at 8,500rpm.
Quicker than a Ferrari 458 Italia? The McLaren feels it, certainly, and though there's never that musical quality of the Italian engine, the British car develops a much more determined note as the revs rise. The numbers say the MP4-12C reaches 62mph in 3.3 seconds, which says it all, except you can lower that to 3.1 seconds by opting for the Corsa tires. Top speed is 205mph.
Active suspension dispenses with the usual anti-roll bars and instead pumps up the shock absorbers at the outside wheels to keep the car flat. This Pro Active Chassis Control has three selectable settings on the centre console, Normal, Sport and Track, the lower two being road friendly options according to your mood.
There's more. Brake Steer grabs an inside rear brake momentarily to correct wheel spin and remove the need for a mechanical limited-slip differential but can also counteract understeer if you attempt to turn into a corner too hot. Neat. There's an airbrake that flips up at the rear to add drag and downforce under braking too.
The result of this technology is a car that feels wieldy at low speeds but drives through high-speed bends with the degree of grip and well planted assurance that flatters the driver. There is little sense of body roll, while the steering is deliciously precise. And you’ve never been within a 100 miles of a supercar that rides this well.
For us the key question mark relates to the interior. Simple and purposeful, this car is for driving, not to impress passengers. The controls are small and discreet, the centre console narrow to place the seats close together, with only the beautiful air vents, like the exits to a jet engine, standing out as noteworthy. Access through the outrageous cantilevered doors takes some practice but this goes with the territory and it’s certainly a draw when you park up. The bucket seats provide superb levels of support and comfort, while up front the luggage compartment is bigger than a Porsche 911's.
The McLaren MP4-12C is a majestic, standout supercar, ownership of which proves you know about sports cars and haven’t just ticked the usual boxes. The fact it, in several respects, outperforms the establishment, is an amazing achievement for a new venture.
