12C at Ascot / London
Discussion
I've lusted after a McLaren for a while now, only to watch them climb in price in the last couple of years. But after a weekend out with my son involving lots of car activities I've started trying to persuade my wife and I'm back on the classifieds...
I'll be restricted to the earlier cars in terms of budget, and total cost of ownership is more important than sticker price (within reason). Any opinions on this car in the dealer network?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Any recommendations for others I should look at or places to avoid? Very surprised just how many are outside the network already which makes me wonder if McLaren dealers are being too aggressive with their spreads? Also surprised its still only a 12m warranty included which seems tight.
I'll be restricted to the earlier cars in terms of budget, and total cost of ownership is more important than sticker price (within reason). Any opinions on this car in the dealer network?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Any recommendations for others I should look at or places to avoid? Very surprised just how many are outside the network already which makes me wonder if McLaren dealers are being too aggressive with their spreads? Also surprised its still only a 12m warranty included which seems tight.
That seems ok to me. I bought almost the exact same spec car from Alastair Bols a few months ago. Mine has upgraded wheels and a reversing camera. I would ask them to include a reversing camera and then offer on the asking.... Alastair Bols is great to deal with too.
Fantastic car to own, best of luck!
Fantastic car to own, best of luck!
I forgot to mention that my car came with a full PPF from Topaz, was also a 1 owner car, had 20,800 miles , iris 2 with reversing camera, lots of carbon and I got it for around the same price as the asking on the one you are looking at. It had 6 months warranty left on it at the time.
jmbdino said:
I forgot to mention that my car came with a full PPF from Topaz, was also a 1 owner car, had 20,800 miles , iris 2 with reversing camera, lots of carbon and I got it for around the same price as the asking on the one you are looking at. It had 6 months warranty left on it at the time.
How long ago was this? What's your spec like? Assume it was McLaren warranty?anissut said:
What's your budget and do you need finance? I know of a private car for sale that is a tad more but much better spec and lower miles.
I don't have a set budget and not decided on taking finance or not yet, it will depend on a few factors.I have my name down for the new TVR and hope that will be ready in about 15-18 months based on some estimates of where I think I am in the queue and whether they are on schedule. The 12C would be to bridge the gap until then. Hence cost of ownership is key.
If I bought a 12C today and sold the same car tomorrow back to the dealer, would £15k loss sound about right or would it be more than that?
TallMark said:
I've lusted after a McLaren for a while now, only to watch them climb in price in the last couple of years. But after a weekend out with my son involving lots of car activities I've started trying to persuade my wife and I'm back on the classifieds...
I'll be restricted to the earlier cars in terms of budget, and total cost of ownership is more important than sticker price (within reason). Any opinions on this car in the dealer network?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Any recommendations for others I should look at or places to avoid? Very surprised just how many are outside the network already which makes me wonder if McLaren dealers are being too aggressive with their spreads? Also surprised its still only a 12m warranty included which seems tight.
I bought my dark blue exterior and tan interior approved pre-owned 12C from McLaren Ascot in December 2016. It is a 2011 model and had one previous owner on 17,000 miles. The sticker price was the same as the one you're looking at. I got them to knock £1,000 off list price (big deal!). The car came with one year's official warranty (an absolute must in my opinion) which was to pay dividends when in April 2017 it blew a coolant hose at the Nurburgring. Long story short - after many emails to Ascot and Woking they fully repaired the car under warranty (I had also taken out a pre-track inspection at Ascot) but it did take them an age to fix. It seems they are good at selling cars but no so good at servicing and repairing them without significant advanced notice. I also paid for IRIS 2.0 infotainment, a reversing camera plus a 3/4 paint protection film to be installed. After the break down I fell out of love with the car but since I collected it again we've made up!I'll be restricted to the earlier cars in terms of budget, and total cost of ownership is more important than sticker price (within reason). Any opinions on this car in the dealer network?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Any recommendations for others I should look at or places to avoid? Very surprised just how many are outside the network already which makes me wonder if McLaren dealers are being too aggressive with their spreads? Also surprised its still only a 12m warranty included which seems tight.
The 12C plus points and minus points for me are as follows:
+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); "special-ness" (subjective); and, they seem to have bottomed out price-wise / very slowly appreciating so you shouldn't lose a bucket load of money.
-: post-purchase dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference with bluetooth and music streaming but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
Still, I would recommend one if you're prepared to accept the odd hiccup or two.
TallMark said:
If I bought a 12C today and sold the same car tomorrow back to the dealer, would £15k loss sound about right or would it be more than that?
When it comes to selling it, sell it via Alastair Bols and save yourself £11k or so of that spread!For reference, I bought a 12c last year (via AB) and made £10k when I sold it.........good cars are sought after!!
Sarnie said:
TallMark said:
If I bought a 12C today and sold the same car tomorrow back to the dealer, would £15k loss sound about right or would it be more than that?
When it comes to selling it, sell it via Alastair Bols and save yourself £11k or so of that spread!For reference, I bought a 12c last year (via AB) and made £10k when I sold it.........good cars are sought after!!
TallMark said:
Hi Sarnie, I spoke to Alastair a few months ago when I was dipping my toe in, but looking at his site now he doesn't have anything quite right - all the cars that I like are starting to push the budget too far. How much have prices moved since you sold?
Prices are about similar since I sold last September........but there does seem to be a few more leggy cars around........suppose they are getting another year older......baronbennyt said:
I bought my dark blue exterior and tan interior approved pre-owned 12C from McLaren Ascot in December 2016. It is a 2011 model and had one previous owner on 17,000 miles. The sticker price was the same as the one you're looking at. I got them to knock £1,000 off list price (big deal!). The car came with one year's official warranty (an absolute must in my opinion) which was to pay dividends when in April 2017 it blew a coolant hose at the Nurburgring. Long story short - after many emails to Ascot and Woking they fully repaired the car under warranty (I had also taken out a pre-track inspection at Ascot) but it did take them an age to fix. It seems they are good at selling cars but no so good at servicing and repairing them without significant advanced notice. I also paid for IRIS 2.0 infotainment, a reversing camera plus a 3/4 paint protection film to be installed. After the break down I fell out of love with the car but since I collected it again we've made up!
The 12C plus points and minus points for me are as follows:
+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); "special-ness" (subjective); and, they seem to have bottomed out price-wise / very slowly appreciating so you shouldn't lose a bucket load of money.
-: post-purchase dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference with bluetooth and music streaming but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
Still, I would recommend one if you're prepared to accept the odd hiccup or two.
Thanks - that was very useful. I've had a few TVRs and got used to a somewhat less polished approach at different dealers & indies across the country but I was hoping a premium brand like McLaren would have got this all sorted by now.The 12C plus points and minus points for me are as follows:
+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); "special-ness" (subjective); and, they seem to have bottomed out price-wise / very slowly appreciating so you shouldn't lose a bucket load of money.
-: post-purchase dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference with bluetooth and music streaming but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
Still, I would recommend one if you're prepared to accept the odd hiccup or two.
If you are thinking about buying a 12C the Owner's Group have a helpful buyer's guide available covering all the things to look out for.
http://www.mclarenowners.org.uk/ Scroll down the home page.
Dealers can be a bit of a lottery, some are very stretched, but.....
The smile factor when driving and positive response everywhere you go makes up for any annoying niggles.
Plenty of support available from other owners if you make the step!
http://www.mclarenowners.org.uk/ Scroll down the home page.
Dealers can be a bit of a lottery, some are very stretched, but.....
The smile factor when driving and positive response everywhere you go makes up for any annoying niggles.
Plenty of support available from other owners if you make the step!
TallMark said:
Hi Sarnie, I spoke to Alastair a few months ago when I was dipping my toe in, but looking at his site now he doesn't have anything quite right - all the cars that I like are starting to push the budget too far. How much have prices moved since you sold?
Not trying to talk my own book but I really think high spec cars with under 20k miles will be nearer to 120k with cars under 10k miles in the mid 120s. Higher mileage cars with no Mac warranty and lower spec will be closer to 110k. That's just my opinion. When I say high spec I mean right colour combination, the right bits of carbon and a few other bits such as IRIS 2, Sports exhaust, stealth pack, memory seats, parking sensors, Meridien sound. Obviously not all of those would be important to everyone. Low spec is generally wrong wheels, dodgy colour combination, no carbon or very little and miles above 20k. Doesn't make them bad cars at all as some might not care about a car with 25k miles, red/brown interior. But you also find the cars in the lower price bracket to have independent warranties rather than McLaren warranty. Remember McLaren warranty is £3500 plus they will charge you circa £600 to inspect the car first before you add the warranty so that's 4k in itself.anissut said:
jmbdino said:
I forgot to mention that my car came with a full PPF from Topaz, was also a 1 owner car, had 20,800 miles , iris 2 with reversing camera, lots of carbon and I got it for around the same price as the asking on the one you are looking at. It had 6 months warranty left on it at the time.
How long ago was this? What's your spec like? Assume it was McLaren warranty?lightweight stealth alloys and McLaren warranty.
TallMark said:
Any opinions on this car in the dealer network?
That strikes me as a good price for a dealer approved car. Very sought after colour and reasonable/good spec.Don't worry about not having a reversing camera they're really not worth having (mounted too low and image is too narrow and distorted to be any use).
Be mindful that its being sold by the dealer with by far the worst reputation of all the McLaren Dealerships, so you'd be as well to send it to one of the other dealers for servicing.
[My car is one of a number in the SE that pass-by that dealership on their way to Birmingham to be looked after..... just sayin'(!)]
TallMark said:
If I bought a 12C today and sold the same car tomorrow back to the dealer, would £15k loss sound about right or would it be more than that?
Mark, one thing to bear in mind is that the car will cost you £5k a year doing nothing 3.5 for warranty and 1.5 for service.obviously your first year if from McLaren will be free.
Also check if your insurance requires a tracker ..... another £200 a year
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