McLaren 12C

[baronbennyt]

Since I only collected my 2011 pre-owned McLaren 12C from McLaren Ascot in December last year, I thought I would share my ownership experiences with the PH community from almost the very start. The plan is to keep anyone who is interested on PH regularly updated on how I get on. I would certainly welcome contributions from other 12C owners as well as anyone generally interested in the car.

Here are a few pictures of my 12C just before I collected it from McLaren Ascot:

[baronbennyt]

Some further information on my 12C:

Colour: McLaren Blue
Date first registered: August 2011
Mileage to date: 17,200 miles
No. of former owners: 2
Full (McLaren official) service history
Warranty expiry date: December 2017

Optional extras:

Professional detail using Gtecniq applied at no cost
Paint protection film (Suntek) applied at cost
IRIS 2.0 infotainment fitted at cost
Reversing camera fitted at cost

Stat attack:

Engine: 8 cylinders / 3799cc twin-turbo
BHP / rpm: 616 / 7,500
LB FT / rpm: 442 / 3,000
Weight: 1434 kg
BHP / ton: 435
0-60 MPH: 3.1
Max MPH : 207

[baronbennyt]

Taita said:

Looks immense!

Thank you

[baronbennyt]

Phil Dicky said:

Lovely car OP

Thanks Phil

[baronbennyt]

12C plus and minus points to date:

Plus points: power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship - faster even than a Porsche 997 GT2 I used to own and that thing was RAPID); grip; braking (carbon discs); air brake; exceptional ride; steering; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; and, looks (subjective).

Minus points: engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some 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 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 swipe mechanism for the doors!

[baronbennyt]

DaveH23 said:

Gorgeous.

Didn't realise how big the inside sill was on these.

Thanks. The handy thing about the wide inside sill is that you can sit on it before sliding yourself into the car!

[baronbennyt]

Vroom101 said:

Congratulations on the new car! I think the 12C is aging quite well. I like that colour combination, especially with the silver wheels. Something to be said for supercars in non-in-yer-face colours.

How do you plan to use it? Daily driver or special occasion/weekend car? Plenty of these get used regularly, with many on relatively high miles for a supercar. What are your impressions on the drive?

That's kind of you to say, thanks Steve. I spent an age trying to find a pre-owned 12C in dark blue (I have a thing for dark blue!) and when one came up with McLaren Ascot I jumped on it. I'm also not a huge fan of black or anthracite wheels (although each to their own) and think the silver wheels and tan interior complement the dark blue exterior well.

I plan to use the 12C on weekend trips, continental blasts (heading to the Le Mans test day in June) and the odd track day - Nurburgring, Castle Combe and Goodwood already booked. I'll keep the car regularly inspected and serviced with McLaren Ascot so the car is maintained in tip-top condition.

[baronbennyt]

Riccardino said:

Very nice color combo and very nice car.

Congratulations

Thanks Riccardo, I appreciate it.

[baronbennyt]

Took the 12C on a Saturday blast to Goodwood just before Christmas but on the way back home I got stuck briefly behind a slow car taking an age to get past a gritter lorry on the A3. Arrgghhh! Luckily no damage done but it did mean I swiftly booked the car in at McLaren Ascot to have paint protection film (suntek) installed.

[baronbennyt]

aspirated said:

Looks very discreet, what made you choose one over a 458?

Thank you. Three simple reasons why I chose the 12C over the 458:

1. Cost (my 12C was approx. 25-30k less expensive than equivalent 458)
2. Noise level - the 458 has a fantastically characterful engine (unlike the 12C) but I'd struggle to get on most of the track days I enjoy.
3. I really wanted to buy British for a change (traditionally I've bought German).

[baronbennyt]

The 12C at McLaren Ascot before having a full valet and professional detail using Gtecniq and application of Suntek paint protection film (nose, front wings, a-pillars, wing mirrors, side skirt and rear wheel arches).

Edited by baronbennyt on Sunday 26th February 11:06

[baronbennyt]

Professional detail and Paint Protection Film (PPF) in progress at McLaren Ascot. I've also got them to provide the 12C with a full pre-track inspection since I'm taking it to the Nurburgring in April. Can't wait!

[baronbennyt]

0a said:

MrMoonyMan said:

That looks great, congratulations.

Nice choice of colour too. Those last pictures are the first time I've looked at one of these and noted the resemblance to the F1.

Enjoy!

Now you say it... there's a lot of F1 in there. I also like the colour.

OP how do you find the gearbox - ever desire a manual?!

Thank you. I'm a big fan of dark blue and silver wheels on most cars. I don't know how many dark blue UK registered 12Cs exist but it can't be many, so it look quite a bit of waiting for one to come onto the market.

The gearbox is fine really. I usually keep it in automatic mode when cruising on the motorway or through town but then pop it in manual (paddle) mode when pushing on. You also have three mode options ranging from relaxed to aggressive changes. In all cases the change is impressively smooth.

I do miss a manual 'box but, honestly, when you're really on it in the 12C I don't think you would have much time to shift manually! Given the car's accelerative capabilities it's just as well to focus on the road ahead and to judge your braking points.

[baronbennyt]

The 12C has now had its Paint Protection Film (PPF) applied. It's also received a pre-track day inspection. All the work was covered by McLaren Ascot.

The PPF wasn't cheap but it's piece of mind when you are following another vehicle on the road or on-track and it kicks up dirt or worse. Important to keep that dark blue paint protected!

[baronbennyt]

Vroom101 said:

Looks lovely . I was surprised to see they worked on the car in the middle of the showroom, so close to other cars. Thought they would have done it in a separate area.

Any video of the car at all?

Thanks Steve. The detailing (polishing part) was done in the showroom but the PPF was applied in a separate area. I'll try and load some video soon, hopefully next weekend.

[baronbennyt]

Thanks for all the complimentary messages fellow PH'ers!

I took the 12C out for a blast last weekend and the thing is, well...epic quick! I've been fortunate enough to have owned a Porsche 997 GT2 and Audi R8 V10, amongst other performance cars over the years, but none of these comes close to the straight line acceleration of the Mac. I thought I'd turn the TC off to see what effect it would have on the car's handling - by doing so I got the tyres to fizz up through 2-3-4 gears on an empty dual carriage way. TC is now back on! Brought the car home elated and, more importantly, all in one piece. Cleaned it (again) of course, before I put it back in the garage

[baronbennyt]

Fordo said:

Well that looks lovely - great in that colour too.

Enjoy the ring trip in April!

- whats been the most unusual thing you've discovered about the car, now you've had it a while?

Thank you. I'm just praying to the Eifel Mountain weather gods now for April!

Apart from the mind-bending performance, the most impressive part about the car for me is the way it rides - in "normal" mode it positively soaks up road imperfections, unlike some Porsches which I've owned. Everytime I got out of the GT3 I had to check if I had any teeth left!

The 12C has such a strong Jekyll and Hyde personality, more so than any performance car I've owned to date. If you want to take it easy, just put the powertrain and handling in "normal", sit back and enjoy the excellent (forward facing) visibility and relaxed driving. Then, when you're in the mood, just crank everything to "sport" or "track", keep it above 3,500rpm and you'll become mentally pretty exhausted, pretty quickly (in a good way)!

[baronbennyt]

iamAlegend said:

Amazing looking car! Had a soft spot for these since they came out, especially in blue and tan seats.
I've gotta keep dreaming...

Question is, which do you prefer, the Lotus or this?

Thank you. The Lotus 3-Eleven doesn't arrive until 18 March and they're totally different cars so it's almost impossible to name a favourite. Each will appeal at different times. Very happy to have both

[baronbennyt]

SirSquidalot said:

The perfect spec 12C? I think it is, lovely car OP.

Cheers. It's a 2011 car and the 27th built, which may have put some potential buyers off. It's also done 17,000 miles, which is deemed a little high amongst some McLaren aficionados. However, I think these types of car are all the better for being used regularly rather than sitting idle. The blue, tan and silver wheels are also particularly rare but just the spec I was looking for, and McLaren Ascot say it's in immaculate condition. It has 2 previous owners and came with a full official service history and warranty. I also upgraded the infotainment system from IRIS 1.0 to 2.0, which means I can stream music and the sat-nav is useable now!

I don't buy performance cars to make money, although I'm not unusual in not wanting my new pride and joy to depreciate like an anvil off a building! I can't think of many other alternatives to the 12C now that offer the same performance for the price? The lack of stiff competition at this price point plus the fact that the design seems to be ageing so well might mean it will hold its value. Fingers crossed anyway. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy it.

Edited by baronbennyt on Monday 27th February 21:59

[baronbennyt]

To be fair to mx-6, I think he posted his message with a but used the icon at the top of the message box rather than embed the wink in his post

The 12C has now received its first pre-track inspection with McLaren Ascot before my track day season starts with the Nurburgring on 11 April. Apart from preserving the official warranty, the pre-track inspection includes: "Check suspension, brakes and tyres for any damage that may be exacerbated through track use. Run diagnostics on all the operating systems to make sure the vehicle will perform to its full potential. Check (and top up if necessary) fluid levels". The pre-track inspection isn't cheap and I'm not convinced there is much to it, but if it protects the warranty frankly it's a necessary pain to take in the wallet!