Short Driving Report McLaren MP4-12C
Finally had the time to visit the McLaren dealer and do a short drive in the MP4-12C. Unfortunately, I just had like 30 minutes in pretty heavy traffic. As the overall impressions are quite positive I plan on doing another (longer) test drive which will also include some fast driven bends and a longer Autobahn distance.
I will just list my key findings in bullet form as to type as little text as possible
+ brake stability is excellent, the pedal feel is pretty binary, though (might be the result of a worn-off brake in the test car as the dealer indicated) - however, it seems obvious to me that the GT2RS brakes are much more refined
+ engine power at high revs is phantastic (I had no doubt that we are indeed talking about 600hp ); at lower revs the GT2RS has more torque to offer, and you can feel that; turbo lag seems to be bigger in the McLaren than in the GT2RS
+ very nice sound (perfect for my taste): not like a Ferrari, more like the GT2RS (maybe a bit louder - test car had the sports exhaust); I like this "mechanical" sytle engine sound
+ the double clutch system works very, very nicely (I just don't like the attached paddles which somehow feel a bit strange as the other paddle also moves if you use one). Overall, the very refined interaction of engine and gear-box impressed me quite a bit; the level of refinement is similar to the PDK in the turbo S
+ steering feel is more synthetic as in the GT2RS but much better than in the Ferraris; in particular, compared to a Scuderia (for example) the McLaren has a nice, rigid feel around the center position; only if you turn the steering wheel you get this synthetic feel the Ferraris offer all the time; the GT2RS steering is simply the best you can get
+ as mentioned I could not drive really fast; however, the suspension is pretty comfortable in standard mode (much more so than in the GT2RS) in the more sporty setup ride comfort is similar to the GT2RS; in bends you feel that the car is more stable (changing throttle input etc.) than the GT2RS (mid-engine car vs. rear engine); body roll in sport mode is very limited; also, body movements are minimal even under full brakes
+ you also feel that the precision o the GT2RS suspension has no rivals out there: you can feel that the McLaren's suspension depends on several electronical devices - in contrast, the GT2RS feels simple but just perfect and has this outstanding level of feed-back; it cannot get any better than in the GT2RS
+ interior: very nice (quality issues typical for a car shortly after lanuch of production are quite obvious, though); I would need different seats as the seating position is a bit high if you want to wear a helmet (similar problem as in most Feraris: if I want to wear a helmet I cannot properly adjust the seat any longer as my head touches the cealing...)
+ luggage compartment is rather big - but then there is no other space for luggage...
+ important options for a daily driver (speed control, navigation system etc.) are all available (except for other seats, as mentioned above...)
In summary, I was quite impressed by the McLaren
Assuming that the NBR and HHR lap times of GT2RS and McLaren will be very similar (and I look forward very much to the next issue of Sportauto - at least the HHR lap times are very close based on SportAuto) I would put the folloing verdict:
No doubt, the GT2RS is the more refined, more precise and more fun car to drive. Steering, brakes, suspension everthing is a tad better than in the McLaren. Power is the same. The McLaren has the more modern gear box. With the same gear-box technology I have no doubt that the GT2RS would be clearly faster on all tracks (while the two cars might be on par now).
But then, I would probably say that, compared to a turbo of turbo S the McLaren is the clealy superior car: you also have this very nice and refined double-clutch gear-box plus an additional performance (straight line and track) which is really stunning. I would also pick the McLaren over the Scuderia or 458 - simply as the McLaren is the faster car compared to the Ferraris. However, on this level this is clearly a matter of taste. Objectively speaking, the McLaren has the better steering than the Ferraris, has more power, better lap time performance and is more understated in terms of looks. The brakes might be on a similar level as the Ferrari's.
The McLaren is a great car - well done
(P.S.: Sorry for the poor pics...)