McLaren MP4-12C

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The 12C's brief was pretty blunt: beat Ferrari.

And regards the Porsche, poeple dont buy them because they are "blingy". I would agree with the Cayenne and panamera travesties, but not Cayman or 911. Those 2 models arent as "blingy" as their opposition, but they are more focused bar the elise.
My observation of Porsche owners(911, cayman) increased due to my own track activities... And you know what? Theu werent the tossers i mistook them for. A generalisation, im sure youd agree but still.

With the hype surrounding the 12C, i expected total decimation. But what do we have instead? The stig complaining of excessive interference, then McLaren changing the tyres and driver to post a better time at a different time of day smacks of not hitting the designated brief.

And yes the 12C is mightily impressive. But Mclaren are more than capable of it when you look at what pagani can do in a shed.

[xpensive]

I'll get give you a hands-on as soon as Helena lets me have it JET.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

A 12C ???

They pay lawyers in sweden too damned much!

How you gonna make out in that?

[xpensive]

E-size as a matter of fact, if there's a will there's a way, not as if I cared anyway, she's rich.

[HampusA]

I believe it when i see it.

[xpensive]

Don't you worry Hampus, you will never get close, unless you happen to be the defendent of course?

On topic gents, as you are, the way I can fathom things, the MP4-12C is the ultimate enginer's supercar, the way Barnard and Murray would have created it if given free hands. As soon as they can get rid of those hairy-arse hex-heads that is.

What the rest of you fan-boys think, I honestly don't give a hoot!

[HampusA]

Ok so now you know what people i surround myself with or how/where i was brought up or even the economical state i have right now. That is funny

I call BS, just like the Silvstedt thing. But sure, i would love to see some video of this supercar a 50 year old lawyer is about to buy because she´s rich.

This is Sweden, you don´t get "rich" for being a lawyer. You get paid well but you don´t by any means get rich from it.

Unless of course we have different opinions on what being rich is.

[Muulka]

The only thing I don't like on Top Gear is their obsession with drifting and TC... Why would you want to turn it off anyway? Aren't the systems on sports cars now generally designed to make the driver faster?

I really find it funny how they talk about how a car feels to drive, its banance, with a picture of it sideways- how does something have balance sideways?

Just really annoys me... McLaren above Ferrari any day- it is just so much better!

[HampusA]

The only thing I don't like on Top Gear is their obsession with drifting and TC... Why would you want to turn it off anyway? Aren't the systems on sports cars now generally designed to make the driver faster?

I really find it funny how they talk about how a car feels to drive, its banance, with a picture of it sideways- how does something have balance sideways?

Just really annoys me... McLaren above Ferrari any day- it is just so much better!

well Top Gear is 100% entertainment. If you want better opinion on the cars then Fifth Gear is a good choice.
But, Jeremy has driven a few cars in his life so i think he´s more then qualified to speak of the balance of a particular car.
But it´s entertainment and more people like cars go sideways instead of a pure onboard shot.

Regarding electronics for road cars, even the most extreme ones it´s still possible to go faster without any help from computers.
But they are there for the average Joe who would kill himself with the systems turned off.

599 GTO is especially interesting when talking about electronics.
The car is designed with the same philosophy as modern fighter jets.
Fighter Jets of today are designed to be unstable. the reason is to make them more agile and let the computers keep it stable.

Same type of thinking is done with the 599 GTO but they said that a pro driver can go faster with the systems turned off.

[alelanza]

Surprised/dissapointed to hear about not being able to completely turn off TC.

Why disappointed? What use is there to turning it off other than killing tyres in a cloud of smoke?

What is the use of having a $200k+ car with no boot, only two seats, and a turbo V8?

What about the delicacy of feeling a car letting go and the ability to correct it without interference?

What JET said

I think TC makes sense in very slippery conditions, otherwise i find that all it does is make people put themselves more often in dangerous situations until they reach the new limit imposed by TC and they still crash. Like people who eat twice more ice cream than they usually would just because it's the low calorie variety.

Don't get me wrong, the car seems to be wonderful and i'd kill people to get a chance to drive the thing ( ) , but if i had the money and had to choose between it and the Italia, the mandatory TC would sway things heavily in the 458's favor.

[DM0407]

There can be balance even if all four wheels aren't going in the same direction of the car, they are probably talking about the predictability when grip is lost.

Anyway, Top Gear does not critque the cars purely on the numbers, they show how much fun it is to drive regardless of how technically proficient it is on the track. Hence turning off Traction and gliding it through the corners.

I for one am all for this. I will probably never own a MP4-12C or a 458, but if money were no object I would want the one that puts the biggest smile on my face in moments of pure chaos... Putting down amazing lap times would just be an added benefit!

[xpensive]

Ok so now you know what people i surround myself with or how/where i was brought up or even the economical state i have right now. That is funny

I call BS, just like the Silvstedt thing. But sure, i would love to see some video of this supercar a 50 year old lawyer is about to buy because she´s rich.

This is Sweden, you don´t get "rich" for being a lawyer. You get paid well but you don´t by any means get rich from it.

Unless of course we have different opinions on what being rich is.

She would have liked to respond that one, but she's far too aristorcrat to communicate with illiterates.

[HampusA]

say whatever you want

I still call this one BS because it actually is BS.

[Just_a_fan]

Surprised/dissapointed to hear about not being able to completely turn off TC.

Why disappointed? What use is there to turning it off other than killing tyres in a cloud of smoke?

What is the use of having a $200k+ car with no boot, only two seats, and a turbo V8?

There is a boot. It's in the nose and is bigger than you normally get in these sorts of cars.

What about the delicacy of feeling a car letting go and the ability to correct it without interference?

What JET said

I think TC makes sense in very slippery conditions, otherwise i find that all it does is make people put themselves more often in dangerous situations until they reach the new limit imposed by TC and they still crash. Like people who eat twice more ice cream than they usually would just because it's the low calorie variety.

Don't get me wrong, the car seems to be wonderful and i'd kill people to get a chance to drive the thing ( ) , but if i had the money and had to choose between it and the Italia, the mandatory TC would sway things heavily in the 458's favor.

That's your choice - if you someday have the money, enjoy your 458

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

We'd all of us give our left nad to have either car, anyone disputing the credentials of them should really be shot

But, I would save up and get a Zonda cinque instead!

Both nads if you must!