McLaren MP12C (name's probably wrong)

[Scudetto]

God, i love this car.

I saw another one today in a colour that looked like - how can i say this - an electrified version of Alfa's 8C red. It looked and sounded sublime. To me, it is a jaw droppingly desirable car.

It's my Euro Lottery win car

[RSK]

Me too

Absolutely love these would so much rather one of these over the obvious Abu Dhabi prancing horse equivalent

" I drive a McLaren" just sounds so ridiculously cool to me.

[Shant Ole]

The mclaren is a great car but my heart says Ferrari 458 Italia. Just personal opinion of course

[Ant]

g, the name is MP4-12C, but I don't blame you for getting it wrong, it took me months to learn it! As Jeremy Clarckson said, "Why did they name it after a fax machine?".

Still, a pretty cool car. There's a poll in the Cool Wall about it. *wink, wink* *nudge, nudge*

[Scudetto]

oops; meant to start new thread!

[73GTVJim]

I'm not quite so convinced but then I haven't seen one in the flesh. I don't tend to see myself as a Ferrari buyer with my Euromillions win (which surely must be due soon) but I find myself with Shant on this and would gravitate more to the 458.

This will seem totally stupid, I know, but it is absolutely one of my favourite cars on GT5 (told you it was a silly reason) - if the real thing is remotely as good to drive as that compared to the well over 100 cars I have in myvirtual garage, then it'll do for me and I take back all - well maybe half - of what I always say about Fezzas being tacky, overpriced tart's handbags since the 1970's heyday and even they were nowt compared to the stupendously lovely 250SWB.

[Scudetto]

I've been lucky enough to see a lot of them in the flesh, Jim (McLaren uses a road that runs by my office en route to its factory...which brightens up most days as they thunder by ), and they really are very attractive, and worth a second, third or fourth look. Perhaps not as dramatic looking as the 458, but no less appealing or intriguing in their elegant flesh. And they sound building-shakingly good! I'm struggling to convey the beauty of the shade of red that I saw recently; it really took my breath away.

RSK - that's an interesting point about saying "I drive a McLaren". Never thought about that before, but there is indeed a coolness about it

[73GTVJim]

Ah, there's the rub. I don't like the shouty looks of Ferrari and you'd expect the McL to be a brilliant drive, and yet all -and I mean all - the roadtests have picked massive holes in all manner of dynamic shortcomings in the MP4-12C 1500Spin/Tumbler that you just don't expect in that class while the 458 has the subtle, delicate, malleable (sp?) chassis to die for.

[Scudetto]

I must admit Jim, i've not read many reviews of the McL, but i did read a news story saying that revisions were already afoot...which might explain why I've seen so many recently (some in disguise, oddly) going through shakedown testing.

Still...I like this car a lot

[Shant Ole]

Originally Posted by 73GTVJim

I'm not quite so convinced but then I haven't seen one in the flesh. I don't tend to see myself as a Ferrari buyer with my Euromillions win (which surely must be due soon) but I find myself with Shant on this and would gravitate more to the 458.

This will seem totally stupid, I know, but it is absolutely one of my favourite cars on GT5 (told you it was a silly reason) - if the real thing is remotely as good to drive as that compared to the well over 100 cars I have in myvirtual garage, then it'll do for me and I take back all - well maybe half - of what I always say about Fezzas being tacky, overpriced tart's handbags since the 1970's heyday and even they were nowt compared to the stupendously lovely 250SWB.

[RSK]

Originally Posted by 73GTVJim

Ah, there's the rub. I don't like the shouty looks of Ferrari and you'd expect the McL to be a brilliant drive, and yet all -and I mean all - the roadtests have picked massive holes in all manner of dynamic shortcomings in the MP4-12C 1500Spin/Tumbler that you just don't expect in that class while the 458 has the subtle, delicate, malleable (sp?) chassis to die for.

Yes it it did get poor reviews, although in the interests of balance much of this was driven by the fact that expectations were so high. Most reviews had as a 4 or 4.5 out of 5 versus the 5 star 458. McLaren have been pretty stung by this and issued some fairly substantial dynamic upgrades in the last month or two.

All that aside I'd still have one over Ferrari. Inverted snobbery I admit but I just think they are so crassly obvious.

[keeno79]

Im a heating engineer and do new big new build mansions in the cheshire area. The customer ive just finished a house for just took delivery of a silver MP4-12C and i was lucky enough that he took me out for a spin in it. The acceleration was absolutly savage and in race mode the gear change is instant. Because it kind of looks understated compared to other supercars you dont think its going to be very loud but the exhaust is mega loud on full throttle. I was pretty gob smaked when i got out of it, its by far the fastest thing ive ever been in and when i got back in my 147 GTA afterwards it felt as slow as my Renault Kangoo van!!!

[Scudetto]

Originally Posted by keeno79

Im a heating engineer and do new big new build mansions in the cheshire area. The customer ive just finished a house for just took delivery of a silver MP4-12C and i was lucky enough that he took me out for a spin in it. The acceleration was absolutly savage and in race mode the gear change is instant. Because it kind of looks understated compared to other supercars you dont think its going to be very loud but the exhaust is mega loud on full throttle. I was pretty gob smaked when i got out of it, its by far the fastest thing ive ever been in and when i got back in my 147 GTA afterwards it felt as slow as my Renault Kangoo van!!!

you lucky, lucky man getting a spin in one! I bet it was a drive you won't forget in a hurry

[Shant Ole]

Originally Posted by keeno79

Im a heating engineer and do new big new build mansions in the cheshire area. The customer ive just finished a house for just took delivery of a silver MP4-12C and i was lucky enough that he took me out for a spin in it. The acceleration was absolutly savage and in race mode the gear change is instant. Because it kind of looks understated compared to other supercars you dont think its going to be very loud but the exhaust is mega loud on full throttle. I was pretty gob smaked when i got out of it, its by far the fastest thing ive ever been in and when i got back in my 147 GTA afterwards it felt as slow as my Renault Kangoo van!!!

Lucky man!

[keeno79]

Because i work on these big houses in one of the most affluent areas of the country im used to seeing these kind of cars on a daily basis but to actually get to go in in one was very special. He got a 12k discount because when it was delivered the sat-nav was faulty and would take a month or so to get the required part!!!!!! thats twice what i paid for my car!haha
He also asked me let him know when i next go on a track day because he'd like to come and see what its capable of, Thats gonna be some experiance!

[Shant Ole]

Originally Posted by keeno79

Because i work on these big houses in one of the most affluent areas of the country im used to seeing these kind of cars on a daily basis but to actually get to go in in one was very special. He got a 12k discount because when it was delivered the sat-nav was faulty and would take a month or so to get the required part!!!!!! thats twice what i paid for my car!haha
He also asked me let him know when i next go on a track day because he'd like to come and see what its capable of, Thats gonna be some experiance!

Thats gona be epic! Will you be in the car as a passenger while in the track?

[keeno79]

Yeah but I want to do some laps in my own car first! There's not a chance he'll let me behind the wheel tho!haha

[Shant Ole]

[bazza]

Is this one of them?

Saw it today parked at Costco. It raises 3 questions in my mind.


1) What on Earth is he buying at Costco which will fit in this car?
2) Why on Earth is he shopping at a money saving warehouse store anyway if he can afford a McLaren?
3) Who in their right mind would park a car like that right next to the trolley bay - screaming out for panel damage?

[bazza]

I'd never even heard of this site before, but the number of times this page has been viewed suggests this car gets spotted quite a bit (and presumably, people are curious as to whether it's owned by a celeb):
PlateWave - D33KAY / D33 KAY: McLaren MP4-12C

Oh - the other odd thing was that it seemed to have a half full tropical fishtank in the passenger footwell.

[Shant Ole]

I dont like it in black

[73GTVJim]

I absolutely know this is an utterly stupid comment but I've gone on GT5 today and "driven" it for the first time. It is sheeite compare to the 458 and while I accept this is the stupidist comparison it is as near as I'm ever going to get to trying both cars IRL. If there is any kind of semblance of real world performance in the GT5 virtual versions then I'd have to say "no contest" whatsoever. It is borderline inert with horrid understeer and a really "dead" feel about it (I realise this sounds daft being taken from a console game but it's all I have). And it isn't especially good looking either. More than a hint of kit car blandness about it .

[PR]

If you wait for the MY2013 then you can have the engine noise piped in through the stereo, as it didnt sound as good as the 458......!

[MikeX159]

Ferrari 458 for me every time - with the Gordon Murray McLaren F1 as an alternative.

Theres something a bit too clinical about the current McLaren for me - all too user-friendly and slightly dumbed down. Can't put my finger on it, and I know it will never affect me unless I donate my heart. lungs and both kidneys, maybe its the spectre of Ron Dennis hanging over it that puts me off.

[MalcQV]

458 all day, the Mac looks OK though