RE: Driven: McLaren MP4-12C Spider

[f1colin]

THE original livery...

http://hunnylander.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/832...

[SimonOcean]

Question is:

Is the drivetrain update available to retrofit to 2011 MP4-12C's?

Thanks, Simon.

[Rawwr]

jl34 said:

Fabulous car. However what crap journalism!!
Read Steve Sutcliffe report in Autocar, he manages to convey the emotions felt when experiencing this car. Chris Harris is not driving a Porsche so is incapable of putting his personal preferences aside for the benefit of us less fortunate readers

The trouble is, if you take a man who has only ever driven a Ford Escort and then put him in any supercar, that car will automatically become THE BEST CAR IN THE WORLD EVER! If you take a man who has driven everything, he'll be harder to impress and a hell of a lot more likely to be objective about what he's driving. So, because Chris Harris hasn't filled his boxers with semen at just the thought of driving this, we can probably assume that it maybe isn't as exciting and interesting as other vehicles available.

Your mileage may vary.

[Hicksy]

The engine and gearbox upgrade is fee to all owners of the coupe.

[Ian974]

Seems it's as good as a convertible is going to get, no negatives in comparison to the coupe. Just a folding roof and some more luggage space when its up.
To be honest, considering it is McLarens first road going car without a roof, I'm not suprised he says there's a bit more wind noise than you might expect, but it hardly matters!

[Streetrod]

SimonOcean said:

Question is:

Is the drivetrain update available to retrofit to 2011 MP4-12C's?

Thanks, Simon.

Yes and for for free. There is also an upgrade to the gearbox software that means you just need to hold the left lever down to do multiply down changes instead of having to click it for each change

[NotNormal]

treadstone70one said:

...how about a paint job based on their F1 liveries rather than orange which seems to be the colour of every Lamborghini in London at the moment...

What like this you mean - http://www.mclarennb.com/assets/misc/4889/70072.JP...

I think i'll take the orange thanks

[M666 EVO]

SpudLink said:

This may seem trivial, but this is the 1st time I noticed that the running lights match the McLaren logo.

I never noticed that...

What are running lights for anyway?

[treadstone70one]

NotNormal said:

What like this you mean - http://www.mclarennb.com/assets/misc/4889/70072.JP...

I think i'll take the orange thanks

OOOh...I stand corrected!

[sgq89]

I'd still take the Ferrari 458 every single day of the week. The performance difference is nominal, the Ferrari is 100 times better looking in my opinion, both inside and out, and I'd look forward to getting in it. To me, this just looks like a big Lotus, pretty bland styling. Good luck to you if you have one, but doesn't move me in the slightest. Car design in general is at an all time low I feel!

[STiG911]

The only thing that would make this better would be someone bashing into Americans the reality that:
Chickens live in a Coop,
and that a car is a Coupe.

[rhinochopig]

I think it looks great. The colour and the loss of the roof inject some visual drama to the shape. Can't see why you'd have the hardtop if you really cannot tell the difference between the two.

[NRS]

Garlick said:

Codswallop said:

Fartgalen said:

What no vid ?

Looks like there will be one given the camera on the windsceen frame

Check back in later on...

So McLaren aren't allowed to update their car over time (it should be great straight away), but PH is allowed to add things later,

[Garlick]

NRS said:

So McLaren aren't allowed to update their car over time (it should be great straight away), but PH is allowed to add things later,

We'll add another video next week, but don't worry as we'll be offering all this weeks viewers the chance to upgrade...at a cost.

[SprintSpeciale]

I read the article about car radios in funny places, and it brought home how much of a petrolhead Mr Harris is. It is therefore worrying that this piece is so flat. It does suggest that he found the car less inspiring than the radio in an R5! Given that he just bought a 599, the accusation that he only likes Porsches seems a bit wide of the mark. But there ain't no love jumping off the page in this review!

[pagani1]

A great ENGLISH car, outperforms the 458 everywhere-what's not to like?
I take issue with Chris Harris over the upgrades issue as no other maker provides these, you just have to buy a later model spec and pay more for it and lose money on your old car too, so why the criticism-Oh they didn't get it right first time-oh dear like the Porsche oil seals? or engine failures? or the Ferrari burn your own car wheelarch liners, yes Chris now I know how you feel, so you don't like upgrades or the car by your words-well I would if I had a McLaren and I am sure all the current owners do appreciate upgradeability too.
Well Done McLaren for establishing a new higher level of customer service!

[gaucimiura]

sgq89 said:

I'd still take the Ferrari 458 every single day of the week. The performance difference is nominal, the Ferrari is 100 times better looking in my opinion, both inside and out, and I'd look forward to getting in it. To me, this just looks like a big Lotus, pretty bland styling. Good luck to you if you have one, but doesn't move me in the slightest. Car design in general is at an all time low I feel!

Couldn't agree more. The MP4 does nothing for me. Don't know why exactly because the Mac F1 still ranks as one of the finest cars ever conceived and created. The MP4 just seems to lack soul. A car like this should move you just by looking at it. Also, I worry when you can start choosing how your car sounds from a list of three options. I know most modern supercars' exhaust notes are tuned but surely a car should sound how it sounds? A car as a PC. Upload the updates as and when. Give me a 458 every time. Or even an 355.

[toppstuff]

gaucimiura said:

sgq89 said:

I'd still take the Ferrari 458 every single day of the week. The performance difference is nominal, the Ferrari is 100 times better looking in my opinion, both inside and out, and I'd look forward to getting in it. To me, this just looks like a big Lotus, pretty bland styling. Good luck to you if you have one, but doesn't move me in the slightest. Car design in general is at an all time low I feel!

Couldn't agree more. The MP4 does nothing for me. Don't know why exactly because the Mac F1 still ranks as one of the finest cars ever conceived and created. The MP4 just seems to lack soul. A car like this should move you just by looking at it. Also, I worry when you can start choosing how your car sounds from a list of three options. I know most modern supercars' exhaust notes are tuned but surely a car should sound how it sounds? A car as a PC. Upload the updates as and when. Give me a 458 every time. Or even an 355.

Nope. I have precisely the opposite view. Totally the reverse.

I would never buy a modern Ferrari. Ever. Just don't like the image. Don't the like the whole Tifosi, bella machina, rosso red with creme, pasta carbonara , ciao baby bks that goes with the brand.

McLaren every time for me. Built by no-nonsense men in a factory in Surrey. Stiff upper lip, carry on chaps, upwards and onwards.

In short, McLaren are Ron Dennis in a grey suit, or Andy Green in his RAF overalls.

Ferrari is Borat in a lime green mankini and Sheikh Abdul Muhammed in Ferrari world in Abu Dhabi. Or 14 year old boys that never grow up.

McLaren every time. No contest.


Back on topic - I must say that this is not Chris Harris' finest work. He seems to have phoned it in.

[falconhoof]

gaucimiura said:

sgq89 said:

I'd still take the Ferrari 458 every single day of the week. The performance difference is nominal, the Ferrari is 100 times better looking in my opinion, both inside and out, and I'd look forward to getting in it. To me, this just looks like a big Lotus, pretty bland styling. Good luck to you if you have one, but doesn't move me in the slightest. Car design in general is at an all time low I feel!

Couldn't agree more. The MP4 does nothing for me. Don't know why exactly because the Mac F1 still ranks as one of the finest cars ever conceived and created. The MP4 just seems to lack soul. A car like this should move you just by looking at it. Also, I worry when you can start choosing how your car sounds from a list of three options. I know most modern supercars' exhaust notes are tuned but surely a car should sound how it sounds? A car as a PC. Upload the updates as and when. Give me a 458 every time. Or even an 355.

Have you actually seen one in the flesh and stood and studied it next to a 458, I think not.

[isaldiri]

gaucimiura said:

Also, I worry when you can start choosing how your car sounds from a list of three options. I know most modern supercars' exhaust notes are tuned but surely a car should sound how it sounds?

That only affects the volume of sound piped into the cabin as far as I'm aware. It's not synthetic sound like the new M5/991. Personally I think Mclaren should never have added the sound intake pipe to make the cabin louder but that might just be me...