Monday 14th February 2011

Ferrari 458 Vs McLaren 12C - The Verdict

So how does Britain's best fare against Italy's finest? Steve Sutcliffe has driven both...

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A tale of two supercars

Considering how similar the new McLaren MP4-12C and Ferrari 458 Italia are to one another in design template, and on price - the McLaren costs £168,500, the 458 £169,545 - it's intriguing to discover just how different they are to drive.

To begin with the McLaren seems far less edgy, and far less obviously exciting in its responses and is certainly less dramatic to listen to than the Ferrari, which feels more extrovert than the 12C in its personality, period. Yet the more time you spend with the 12C, the more impressive its monstrous dynamic capabilities become. In many ways it's quite a subtle car to begin with, because its ride is so well resolved, its gearchange less 'thumping' in its delivery (than a 458's), its engine more refined at low revs.

Once you've summoned the courage and found the right road on which to let rip in the 12C, though, a rather more fearsome side of its character becomes apparent. Truth is, the 12C can do things that the 458 driver cannot (or should not) even contemplate. It's that much faster in a straight line, that much more planted through corners taken at speed.

Sutters living it large in the McLaren 12C

And on paper the 458 would appear to be comfortably outgunned by the 12C. It has less power (562bhp to the 12C's 592bhp), less torque (442lb ft v 398lb ft) and weighs 50kg more. Its 4.5-litre atmospheric V8 also produces more g/km (307 v 279) and burns more fuel than the 12C's 3.8-litre twin turbo V8.

Whether all that makes the 12C a better car than the 458 overall is, of course, entirely up to the individual. The McLaren is a more capable car, no question, but whether it's as desirable is another matter entirely. Visually you could argue that it's not. But again the decision, as with all matters of style, is subjective.

Personally I prefer the look of the Ferrari but would go for the McLaren in just about every other department. The only certain conclusion is that if you have £170k to spend on a supercar right now, the choice just got a whole lot better.

(Read the full McLaren MP4-12C drive report on PH here)

	McLaren MP4-12C	Ferrari 458 Italia
Price	£168,500	£169,545
0-60mph	3.1sec (claimed)	3.4sec (claimed)
Top speed	205mph (claimed)	202mph (claimed)
Economy	24.1mpg (combined)	21.2mpg (combined)
CO2 emissions	279g/km	307g/km
Kerb weight	1434kg	1485kg
Engine layout	V8, 3799cc Twin turbo	V8, 4499cc
Installation	Mid Longitudinal Rear wheel-drive	Mid Longitudinal Rear wheel-drive
Power	592bhp at 7000rpm	562bhp at 9000rpm
Torque	442lb ft at 3000-7000rpm	398lb ft at 6000rpm
Power to weight	455bhp/tonne	413bhp/tonne
Specific output	155bhp/litre	125bhp/litre
Compression ratio	8.7:1	12.5:1
Gearbox	7-speed Dual clutch auto	7-speed Dual clutch auto
Length	4507mm	4527mm
Width	1909mm (ex mirrors)	1937mm (ex mirrors)
Height	1199mm	1213mm
Wheelbase	2670mm	2650mm
Fuel tank	72 litres	86 litres
Range	382 miles	401 miles
Front Suspension	Double wishbones Coil springs Hydraulic anti-roll Active dampers	Double wishbones Coil springs Anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension	Double wishbones Coil springs Hydraulic anti-roll Active dampers	Double wishbones Coil springs Anti-roll bar
Brakes	370mm front 350mm rear Steel ventilated discs	398mm front 360mm rear Carbon ceramic ventilated discs
Wheels	8.5Jx19in (front) 11.0J x20in (rear)	8.5Jx20in (front) 10.5J x20in (rear)
Tyres	235/35 ZR19 front 305/30 ZR 20 rear	235/35 ZR20 front 295/35 ZR 20 rear

[S1MMA]

McLaren for me please!

Did the car have carbon brakes? How do they compare with the Ferrari/Porsche/Lambo items? Interested in pedal feel and anything else you can tell us...