pondering a mclaren
Discussion
haahha OP,
Your in the same position I was a few months back, previous car was a F type, F430 before this had a few Lotus etc and am down in the Cotswolds so welcome to come check out my new purchase I made this week.
I spent a lot of time reading horror stories etc , however the most important thing I did was speak to John at Thorny Motorsport so suggest you pick up the phone and have a chat, I asked him directly about the cars and repair costs to expect. He said above all else get the car inspected your looking at. This saved me from a poor car that looked good and viewed others etc.
This purchase is being inspected by McLaren next week and I have been given a warranty(Non-Mc) by the dealer selling the car, so feeling relaxed about it, John offered his warranty at £2850 however there was no hard sell and as it rightly said if they were massively unreliable he be bankrupted with all the claims. I never ran my F430 with a warranty and I don't plan to do the same with the 12c, I pay as I go ... if the worse happens I fix it, however most times the gearbox is a 3-4k fix now worse case 9k which is 997 Bore Scoring money if you think about it. Which coming from some of my previous Aston and Fezza bills its not that bad at a typical cost.
My plan is to keep her 2-3 years hopefully be worth 75ish but who knows? I think its priced inline with Gallardo's and F430's and unless there a massive market correction that's unlikely to change as these 12c must be worth close to 70k in parts alone. They are leap years ahead of those cars too however they have the brand and Indy networks , so I expect to lose in depreciation about the same as our XC90.
Your in the same position I was a few months back, previous car was a F type, F430 before this had a few Lotus etc and am down in the Cotswolds so welcome to come check out my new purchase I made this week.
I spent a lot of time reading horror stories etc , however the most important thing I did was speak to John at Thorny Motorsport so suggest you pick up the phone and have a chat, I asked him directly about the cars and repair costs to expect. He said above all else get the car inspected your looking at. This saved me from a poor car that looked good and viewed others etc.
This purchase is being inspected by McLaren next week and I have been given a warranty(Non-Mc) by the dealer selling the car, so feeling relaxed about it, John offered his warranty at £2850 however there was no hard sell and as it rightly said if they were massively unreliable he be bankrupted with all the claims. I never ran my F430 with a warranty and I don't plan to do the same with the 12c, I pay as I go ... if the worse happens I fix it, however most times the gearbox is a 3-4k fix now worse case 9k which is 997 Bore Scoring money if you think about it. Which coming from some of my previous Aston and Fezza bills its not that bad at a typical cost.
My plan is to keep her 2-3 years hopefully be worth 75ish but who knows? I think its priced inline with Gallardo's and F430's and unless there a massive market correction that's unlikely to change as these 12c must be worth close to 70k in parts alone. They are leap years ahead of those cars too however they have the brand and Indy networks , so I expect to lose in depreciation about the same as our XC90.
Edited by Paza3 on Friday 31st August 13:04
pilotprice said:
TP321 said:
isaldiri said:
My 12c was reliable, make that very reliable for 5 years, but the last year was let's just say, very trying. I couldn't say if it was just unlucky or something to do with the longevity or lack of engineered into the cars
This is the problem - all new components specific to the 2011 12C which have not been tested beforehand and can just go at any moment. Make sure you pay the £5k McLaren Warranty and the £1.5-2k service every year. There are no cheap ways around running one of these. I have heard many gearbox seals going, turbos, and also problems with the hydraulic suspension, so beware...There are more positive stories than negative imo. The cars also seem to get much higher use than the comparable Ferrari or Lambo. I regularly see Macs on track, rarely do I see a Lambo or Ferrari’s there.
When I’d ‘boot’ my f430, I spent more time looking in the rear view awaiting a cog to fly out the rear lid than I did looking ahead and enjoying the drive. The McLaren seems very solid in comparison.
I’m only a short stint into Mac ownership but my car has been faultless and it’s the quickest thing I’ve ever been behind the wheel of!
The gearbox issue is very real but not not every single 12c or 650 has had the issue, it seems about 10-15% of them have had it. There is now also a fix via Thorney motorsport for about 3k (not sure on the exact number).
Pretty much every f430 owner had a manifold and ball joints every service!
I’ve also not seen more than one reported fault with the suspension system? People have had bushes but that’s about it.
The lack of Indy’s is an issue but they will come with time. My car is in for its first service (with me) at McManchester so I’m happy to report back next week (probably with egg of my face and a 10k bill)
I’m running my car with no warranty too. Gearbox issue seems the major reason people have the warranty. The fix is now less than the warranty so I’m happy to run the risk and put the 4K in a gamble pot.
Tyres are none MC rated
Rear park pads to be replaced due to age (not wear)
Tyre foam kit replacement due to age
Recommend clutch and trans fluid change
She was spot on apart from that!!
Was gone for a week. Missed it like crazy!!
I went from a F430 to a 650S. Chalk and cheese in terms of the cars as they are from different generations for one. I too agonised over the depreciation and having bought a 930 turbo at the right time and the F430 after that before they went up, I just thought I've had my run of 'luck' (and that's what it was) and I wanted a McLaren - well it was that, a 458 or Huracan but decided I was too tall for the Lambo. The 12c is probably a better buy value wise right now but I just prefer the look of the 650s spider, it was that simple. I'm sure the 570 and 540 are great cars too if you want a Mclaren.
Sure the car has depreciated and it will no doubt continue to do so but as many people say all the time on here, it's not an investment as such, buy what sets your heart racing, although I appreciate none of us want to throw money away if we can avoid it. The speed and poise blows my mind every time I get in and drive. It receives a far better reaction than the Ferrari did, not that the Ferrari was negative. I had a Radical for a few years and whilst that had amazing performance on track, on the road the 650 has that too.
As far as the warranty is concerned, I have one because I like the comfort of a warranty. I had one on the F430 for three years and used it once for a ball joint replacement so I lost out overall but so what, it meant I didn't have to worry about any major issues. And no I didn't have any issues with the factory manifolds! Sure the Mclaren warranty is about £1,000 more then the F430 but for me it's worth it for peace of mind. If I lived near John Thorne I'd probably take his warranty but it's too far away for me. And my experience with the McLaren Hatfield was first class and the annual service was £800.
Six months in and ownership has been fantastic and so far (touch wood) I can't fault the car, it's just an amazing piece of kit - go drive it.
Sure the car has depreciated and it will no doubt continue to do so but as many people say all the time on here, it's not an investment as such, buy what sets your heart racing, although I appreciate none of us want to throw money away if we can avoid it. The speed and poise blows my mind every time I get in and drive. It receives a far better reaction than the Ferrari did, not that the Ferrari was negative. I had a Radical for a few years and whilst that had amazing performance on track, on the road the 650 has that too.
As far as the warranty is concerned, I have one because I like the comfort of a warranty. I had one on the F430 for three years and used it once for a ball joint replacement so I lost out overall but so what, it meant I didn't have to worry about any major issues. And no I didn't have any issues with the factory manifolds! Sure the Mclaren warranty is about £1,000 more then the F430 but for me it's worth it for peace of mind. If I lived near John Thorne I'd probably take his warranty but it's too far away for me. And my experience with the McLaren Hatfield was first class and the annual service was £800.
Six months in and ownership has been fantastic and so far (touch wood) I can't fault the car, it's just an amazing piece of kit - go drive it.
The Selfish Gene said:
chaps - is the McLaren warranty comprehensive and what are the parameters for allowing it to be renewed?
i.e. is there a mileage / age limit of when they'll give the warranty?
thanks
12 years, 100k miles or something more or less that iirc. It's pretty comprehensive although some elements like coolant hoses which are a problem in theory aren't covered and I think Mclaren are a bit more careful about warranty claims these days as some people were taking the mickey on some things a few years. It slightly depends on the dealer and individual relationships though I suspect.i.e. is there a mileage / age limit of when they'll give the warranty?
thanks
The Selfish Gene said:
chaps - is the McLaren warranty comprehensive and what are the parameters for allowing it to be renewed?
i.e. is there a mileage / age limit of when they'll give the warranty?
thanks
It is £5k for cars over 5 years old. The warranty is very comprehensive but there are things that wont be covered such as corrosion on non essential non body / structural elements such as rear spoiler brackets, delamination of headlight UV protection, condensation in rear lights (unless they don't function). All minor items. Anything that stops you should be covered as is pick up of the car at your home and return. You should also get a hire car but don't expect a McLaren they have been using 530d's lately.i.e. is there a mileage / age limit of when they'll give the warranty?
thanks
The parameters to renew are it must be a private sale or McDealer who will apply a fresh 12 months anyway. It MUST have been serviced in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations There is a fee, think its £80. THERE HAS TO BE 3 MONTHS UNEXPIRED AND YOU MUST APPLY WITHIN 7 DAYS OF DATE OF SALE. The capitialised bits are important, I have heard of transfers being refused on theses points. Therefore if less than 3 months are remaining you MUST get the current owner to extend and decide how to split the costs. The current owner can only extend if at least 30 days are remaining on the warranty, so check this too or he will need to pay the £700 inspection fee to extend and any extra to bring up to standard, don't leave that to chance and make sure you check.
My warranty was 10,000,000 miles. unlimited age, but I think it was a typo and its 100,000 mile and 12 years old (actually 10 years old and you can extend for 2 years in one go making it 12 in total).
Edited by Bispal on Tuesday 11th September 16:58
On the other hand, i just signed up for a warranty on my 650 spider with thorney motorsport. They know these cars very, very well and cover everything bar wear and tear and corrosion (which is covered for 10 yrs my Mclaren anyway).
Best bit is that it only costs 2850 which is cheaper than the official warranty as well as most ferrari and Lambo warranties. Being an Indy, they will look to repair rather than replace which is actually suits me because i hate that dealers spend weeks sourcing out of stock parts when a simple fix could solve the problem - and in many cases, done in a way that stops it from coming back i.e. fixed to a condition better than original.
Best bit is that it only costs 2850 which is cheaper than the official warranty as well as most ferrari and Lambo warranties. Being an Indy, they will look to repair rather than replace which is actually suits me because i hate that dealers spend weeks sourcing out of stock parts when a simple fix could solve the problem - and in many cases, done in a way that stops it from coming back i.e. fixed to a condition better than original.
slarti650 said:
On the other hand, i just signed up for a warranty on my 650 spider with thorney motorsport. They know these cars very, very well and cover everything bar wear and tear and corrosion (which is covered for 10 yrs my Mclaren anyway).
Best bit is that it only costs 2850 which is cheaper than the official warranty as well as most ferrari and Lambo warranties. Being an Indy, they will look to repair rather than replace which is actually suits me because i hate that dealers spend weeks sourcing out of stock parts when a simple fix could solve the problem - and in many cases, done in a way that stops it from coming back i.e. fixed to a condition better than original.
This is a great option for McLaren owners coming to the end of their manufacturers warranty, I have met John and been to see his impressive facilities, along with his and his teams knowledge we are in safe hands going forward.Best bit is that it only costs 2850 which is cheaper than the official warranty as well as most ferrari and Lambo warranties. Being an Indy, they will look to repair rather than replace which is actually suits me because i hate that dealers spend weeks sourcing out of stock parts when a simple fix could solve the problem - and in many cases, done in a way that stops it from coming back i.e. fixed to a condition better than original.
I am in no way connected to his business,other than a future customer when my warranty runs out.
swisstoni said:
I’m thinking of dipping my toe in 12C waters.
What sort of service schedule do they have and what are the rough costs?
Annual or 10k mile service, I'd reckon on basic £1500 per year that can escalate quite quickly if you're using the car on track as it can be pretty hard on consumables and other things (clutch/gearbox fluid etc)What sort of service schedule do they have and what are the rough costs?
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