McLaren MP4-12C - Opinions?

[Tuna]

I've just read the review in Autocar(?) comparing it with the Ferrari. Having seen the factory yesterday on the Evan Davis programme, and the attitude of Ron Dennis (demanding nothing less than perfection), it was interesting that the cars appear so evenly matched. Somehow I was expecting the McLaren to be a more disruptive entrant to the market.

Are we at a stage in automotive design that there just isn't much 'wriggle room' to distinguish one car from another at that level? Or is it a question of the niche being so tightly defined? Or was the review biased? With Lotus aiming for the same niche, is it going to come down to choosing the badge of your choice rather than radically different value/performance/handling propositions?

How many people have driven one so far?

[GKP]

Lotus aren't really aiming at the same niche. The 12C is £170k whereas the Esprit will be around £110-120k. So there's at least 50 grand of individuality right there.

[crusty]

I've driven one, their sh*t






Not really



I once drove a Talbot Solara 1.6GL though

[durbster]

crusty said:

I've driven one, their sh*t






Not really



I once drove a Talbot Solara 1.6GL though

No way!? bks to the Macca, what was the Talbot like?

[Tuna]

GKP said:

Lotus aren't really aiming at the same niche. The 12C is £170k whereas the Esprit will be around £110-120k. So there's at least 50 grand of individuality right there.

I'll be impressed if they do bring the Esprit out at that price, especially with an entirely new home grown V-8 in it. Bahar's gunning for McLaren and Ferrari, can he really launch a competitor at two-thirds the price?

[crusty]

durbster said:

No way!? bks to the Macca, what was the Talbot like?

Man, it was crazy

when the power kicked in, you started passing stationary pedestrians like they were standing still.

At one point I saw double digits on the speedo

[Garlick]

Another McLaren thread?

[GKP]

Tuna said:

Bahar's gunning for McLaren and Ferrari

No he's not. He's after the chap who might be considering a used one of those, but hoping to persuade them to consider a brand new Esprit instead.

But this is taking the thread away from the original subject.

[Plotloss]

Garlick said:

Another McLaren thread?

It's really dull.

So dull people can't stop talking about it.

[kambites]

Tuna said:

Bahar's gunning for McLaren and Ferrari

I think he's aiming straight at Porsche, by the looks of the models they're planning.

[Tuna]

Damn, found the other thread now... please shoot this one dead.

Actually, hold that thought. The question remains - why are the comparisons so even, when McLaren has every opportunity to introduce a car that distinguishes itself from the Ferrari in one way or another?

Edited by Tuna on Tuesday 21st June 22:20