Crown

Okay guys, here is the formal intro for my car, as the other thread was kind of like my decision process :)

I think mine is the 3rd McLaren in this community, after Hugo and crayphile, unless Mike S forgot he bought one, then I will be 4th. :)

And now some interior shots:

This is one of my favorite angle of the car, showing off the sexy rear fender curve:

Unlike Ferrari where all the yellow badges has the Ferrari script, on the McLaren there are only 2 places in the whole car that shows alphabets:

This is the rear wing in 'downforce mode' :

Looks at the detail on the rear wing mechanism:

Here is a shot of the view through the rear view mirror:

You can't really see much at all, other than a full view of the engine cover trim piece. That stupid thing reflex A LOT in daylight so the rear view is pretty much non-existent.

The side view is a quite a bit better:

Here is a shot of the pedal box:

The brake pedal is under sized, and very close to the gas pedal. I can see the reason for being this way IF this car has a clutch pedal and want to promote heel and toe, but seriously, this car has a dual clutch box and the computer do the heel and toe for me, there is no need for close pedals.

This other part bugs me the most in the car:

A tiny little flap that's hinged the wrong way is called the sun visor. My left hand do a much better job in sunlight. Did someone at McLaren forgot to check the orientation of their parts?

Congrats mate! It's a beautiful spec car. Last time I checked, I don't have one in my garage. I'm only contemplating a spider at this stage, but that is about it. 

I hope you have many happy miles! Did you get the sports exhaust option?

Now that I have driven the car a bit more, I can comment more on the car:

The sports handling mode of the car is VERY compliant, much more than my Turbo S in Sports mode, the car is firmer but without the bobbling in the Porsche over bumps, and in track mode the car still refuses to bobble over bumps, there is one bounce and that's it, there is no residual oscillation after the initial impact, McLaren really nailed it with the suspension tuning, well my car has the latest software update so maybe they did finally perfected it as I haven't driven the initial release version. My wife rode in it first time today and she thinks it rides MUCH better than the Turbo S in normal mode, she also thinks the seats feels better than the Porsche.

The view forward as I said before is fantastic, BUT the driver side mirror really blocks a big chunk of the inside of a turn's visibility, I had to correct my initial turn in mid turn because of that, could be that the car turns in so fast that I mis-judged, but still I really can't see much of the inside corner because of the blockage.

Traction is great on dry pavements, even in low temperature, but I can't say the same thing on wet pavement, as I have been driving in the rain all day today. If I give it more than maybe 1/3 of the throttle the tires break traction. This is quite new to me as the Turbo S just suck it up and go, no drama no nothing, just forward momentum no matter how much i mash the throttle. The single wiper however works great in clearing the wind shield, I did treated the window with RainX to facilitate water dispersal.

For sure I can do without the artificial sound generator, in normal mode it's good enough, but in sports mode it was enhanced and more so in track mode, I really don't find it appealing at all. It is LOUD, no doubt, but sounds more like NOISE, unlike the symphony in a Ferrari.

I was stuck in traffic all afternoon and the car cope well with stop and go and slow creeps, AFTER I had master the art of controlling the super quick idle creep of the car.

I was surprise how HOT the car gets, I took the car out late evening, maybe around 5C ambient and raining heavily, after a 15 mins drive with rpm no greater than 3-4k, when I went home and park it , the fans for the side radiators were running and the rear deck was quite hot.

In way I love the semi-gull wing doors, there is no dirty sills for my pants to catch but it does require a deep climb to get in and out of the car, can't imagine the car with a conventional door as the side panel is really wide because of the carbon fiber tub, the gull wing IS a necessity. I have to admit, the gull wing doors was one of the draws for me to this car, so unique.

I have mastered the swipe to unlock doors already, or more importantly my wife got it on her first try, one let thing for her to bitch about me buying a new car. The swipe is REALLY cool, but at least I also mastered the double click to unlock driver door and long press to unlock passenger door for the times when the doors are wet and dirty.

Considered it's pretty much a hand made car, the build quality is superb, fit and finish is better than the last 2 Ferraris I drove, but it's still a bit off the benchmark set by Porsche, those Germans are really something, maybe it's in their genes to be so robot like.

I think after owning and driving the McLaren, I have found the perfect everyday super sports car. I am so glad I bought it, it's almost perfect in every way possible and only minor minor complaints on itsy bitsy little things. Nothing major and I ma glad to live with the defects everyday of my life. It is quite a revelation after all the cars I have driven.

it's my 997 Turbo S.

The Porsche occupied a space not much bigger than a Miata, has 550HP and unreal traction of awd in all weather conditions, It will out accelerate anything from 0 to whatever, it seats 4 and has relatively tons of space inside for storing stuff. Great all around visibility, doesn't attract attentions, service cost is extremely reasonable, gas mileage is also excellent. Together with GREAT racing heritage, extremely well engineered, what more could I asked for? I know the Turbo S lose out in ultimate handling and top speed, but really not by much, and unless I lived next to a unrestricted Autobahn the top speed question is academic and the handling at 10/10 only matters if I am the Stig and drives on a race course everyday.

Do I regret buying the McLaren? Not one bit, McLaren is one of my dream brand, it has the proven racing heritage and the obsessive engineering pedigree. There is no fat on a McLaren, it's all form follow function, kind of like Porsche the Germans, unlike the Italians' Ferrari, where the show off part has been advancing in priority in recent years.

I know there are a few around that will disagree, but this is my honest opinion and I will gladly accept others.

Nice car in a colour combo that really suits it, congrats. You're wrong about the Ferrari yellow badges though. The only yellow badge that also carries the Ferrari script is on the nose. The wheel centres and horn push have the cavallino only and, if ordered, the Scuderia shields on the front wings bear the script "SF" for Scuderia Ferrari. Other than that there is one small Ferrari script on the centre console in the interior, on the kickplates as you open the door and one on the rear deck lid.

stunning pictures ! white looks amazing on this car ! Congrats !

Mike S:

Congrats mate! It's a beautiful spec car. Last time I checked, I don't have one in my garage. I'm only contemplating a spider at this stage, but that is about it. 

I hope you have many happy miles! Did you get the sports exhaust option?

 

haha, 'contemplating' as in waiting for delivery?

Yes I did have the sports exhaust option. Together with the IRIS upgrade, carbon interior, lip, rear diffuser, side blades and mirrors, orange calibers and stitiching, No ceramic brakes. This car just happens to be around and has all the options I wanted. If I were to order one it might only be a spider version, and maybe with ceramic but the ceramic really doesn't make much of a difference in performance on the street. Color might be a darker shade of black just to hide the cut lines on the roof.

ISUK:

Nice car in a colour combo that really suits it, congrats. You're wrong about the Ferrari yellow badges though. The only yellow badge that also carries the Ferrari script is on the nose. The wheel centres and horn push have the cavallino only and, if ordered, the Scuderia shields on the front wings bear the script "SF" for Scuderia Ferrari. Other than that there is one small Ferrari script on the centre console in the interior, on the kickplates as you open the door and one on the rear deck lid.

I guess I stand corrected. But I think that's still 5 plus 2 initials vs 2. :) Actually 3, the center tech has one more I just realized.

458 was another one of my option and I did struggle for quite a bit on my choices, pictures of your purchases make my decisions quite a difficult one, you ordered your cars very very nicely.

Almost forgot:

@Peleton25, if you are still around, mine is #1276 produced in 05/12. I know you keep track of everything McLaren :)

Whoopsy:

I think after owning and driving the McLaren, I have found the perfect everyday super sports car. I am so glad I bought it, it's almost perfect in every way possible and only minor minor complaints on itsy bitsy little things. Nothing major and I ma glad to live with the defects everyday of my life. It is quite a revelation after all the cars I have driven.

it's my 997 Turbo S.

The Porsche occupied a space not much bigger than a Miata, has 550HP and unreal traction of awd in all weather conditions, It will out accelerate anything from 0 to whatever, it seats 4 and has relatively tons of space inside for storing stuff. Great all around visibility, doesn't attract attentions, service cost is extremely reasonable, gas mileage is also excellent. Together with GREAT racing heritage, extremely well engineered, what more could I asked for? I know the Turbo S lose out in ultimate handling and top speed, but really not by much, and unless I lived next to a unrestricted Autobahn the top speed question is academic and the handling at 10/10 only matters if I am the Stig and drives on a race course everyday.

I fully understand, really.

Of course it's highly dependent on personal preferences, but the Turbo S is one hell of a car. Only if you want or like to attract attention it's not the right car, all other aspects it wins hands down. Some say, it's even capable to kick out a 458...

The secret of life is to admire without desiring.

Congratulations, beautiful new toy. 

Drive safely. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche Panamera Turbo S, BMW X5M, Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe PP/DP, Mini Cooper S Countryman All4

Very cool detail pics, thanks for sharing!

Congratulations! Beautiful photos. You will need to be careful with that front splitter! I am having some work done on my garage so mine is away having the power upgrade etc - can't wait to get it back after seeing these photos. I have a track day with the Spider version next week  - will report back then.

ISUK:

Nice car in a colour combo that really suits it, congrats. You're wrong about the Ferrari yellow badges though. The only yellow badge that also carries the Ferrari script is on the nose. The wheel centres and horn push have the cavallino only and, if ordered, the Scuderia shields on the front wings bear the script "SF" for Scuderia Ferrari. Other than that there is one small Ferrari script on the centre console in the interior, on the kickplates as you open the door and one on the rear deck lid.

ISUK  - a Tifosi to the lastt  

Very nice report and pics, thanks for sharing.

J.Seven

Thanks guys, glad to share.

I have been on this board for 6 yrs and counting, I am member of numerous other boards but the only board that I regularly post is this one. I enjoy you guys the most. There are numerous members here that I envy, that somehow some day I wish I could be them, Mike S comes to mind as he buys cars like I go grocery shopping, ISUK the Ferrari connoisseur, RC the Overlord who started it all, intouch who has move on to even more expensive toys like yachts  :) and numerous others. I am just thankful that I am lucky and successful enough to be able to afford what I have and that I can share like others.

There are dramas on even board, but it seems here is where people are most mature and respectful and it is one of the reasons why I can't keep myself off here. Over the years I did have numerous 'confrontations' with members here, Markus on HvS, Eunice on Global warming, Carlos on Android and Alonso, Nick with his alternate view of Porsche and politics, etc, but each time the 'conflict' is nothing more than an exercise in intellectual applications, there was never any disrespect among us, unlike other boards' conflicts. 

There are many friends I made here, we may not have met in person but I do believe the friendship is not fake, some day somehow we might met in person and I think the friendship can continue in real life if it ever happens.

I envy all you European members who has access to the Autobahn, the ultimate highway, but on the same token I do not envy the tax you guys have to pay, which actually made me respect you guys more as it cost a lot more for you guys to buy the same cars.

There are members here who are not as well off, who may not own a title car for this community, ie Porsche or other 'dream cars', but that makes no difference to me, you guys are part of the 'family' and I still remember the days when I was one of those who dream of owning something special. To you guys I wish you all the best on your future and hope whatever you dream of can be fulfilled. 

It's a bit late for thanksgiving speeches and too early for Christmas but buying the McLaren and driving it and receiving  compliments and questions on the street gave me an epiphany today. I am thankful that I have the means to afford what I have, but I am even more thankful to have a wife who tolerate what 'toys' I buy. To have a community that i can share my joy is icing on the cake. 

crayphile:

 You will need to be careful with that front splitter! 

Haha, that's something I forgot to mention.

The McLaren is just that little bit lower than my Porsche and I had already experienced a rash from a speed bump. My Porsche is just high enough that i do not think twice about going over bumps but the first bump I encounter today I scratch the bottom of the McLaren, thinking it has the same clearance as the Porsche. Thankfully I only caught it on the rubber diverter just in front of the front wheels. After that initial scrape, I am crabbing over everything I see, pretty much taking over the whole 2 lanes while I try to find a proper angle to go over those annoying humps sideways. 

Oh well , another plus point for the practicality of the Porsche. 

@ Whoopsy,

Lovely post above, very genuine and self commendable.

Your car is absolutely gorgeous. Hope you and yours enjoy it in good health..

throt

"I didn't do it"

Whoopsy:

The Porsche occupied a space not much bigger than a Miata, has 550HP and unreal traction of awd in all weather conditions, It will out accelerate anything from 0 to whatever, it seats 4 and has relatively tons of space inside for storing stuff. Great all around visibility, doesn't attract attentions, service cost is extremely reasonable, gas mileage is also excellent. Together with GREAT racing heritage, extremely well engineered, what more could I asked for? I know the Turbo S lose out in ultimate handling and top speed, but really not by much, and unless I lived next to a unrestricted Autobahn the top speed question is academic and the handling at 10/10 only matters if I am the Stig and drives on a race course everyday.

Do I regret buying the McLaren? Not one bit, McLaren is one of my dream brand, it has the proven racing heritage and the obsessive engineering pedigree. There is no fat on a McLaren, it's all form follow function, kind of like Porsche the Germans, unlike the Italians' Ferrari, where the show off part has been advancing in priority in recent years.

Thank you for your comments and pictures. May the new car give you tons of joy

The two paragraphs above reflect my own attitude towards cars and Porsche in particular. Coming from someone in a position to own and experience cars of this level counts for very much.

"Form follows function"

Whoopsy:

Thanks guys, glad to share.

I have been on this board for 6 yrs and counting, I am member of numerous other boards but the only board that I regularly post is this one. I enjoy you guys the most. There are numerous members here that I envy, that somehow some day I wish I could be them, Mike S comes to mind as he buys cars like I go grocery shopping, ISUK the Ferrari connoisseur, RC the Overlord who started it all, intouch who has move on to even more expensive toys like yachts  :) and numerous others. I am just thankful that I am lucky and successful enough to be able to afford what I have and that I can share like others.

There are dramas on even board, but it seems here is where people are most mature and respectful and it is one of the reasons why I can't keep myself off here. Over the years I did have numerous 'confrontations' with members here, Markus on HvS, Eunice on Global warming, Carlos on Android and Alonso, Nick with his alternate view of Porsche and politics, etc, but each time the 'conflict' is nothing more than an exercise in intellectual applications, there was never any disrespect among us, unlike other boards' conflicts. 

There are many friends I made here, we may not have met in person but I do believe the friendship is not fake, some day somehow we might met in person and I think the friendship can continue in real life if it ever happens.

I envy all you European members who has access to the Autobahn, the ultimate highway, but on the same token I do not envy the tax you guys have to pay, which actually made me respect you guys more as it cost a lot more for you guys to buy the same cars.

There are members here who are not as well off, who may not own a title car for this community, ie Porsche or other 'dream cars', but that makes no difference to me, you guys are part of the 'family' and I still remember the days when I was one of those who dream of owning something special. To you guys I wish you all the best on your future and hope whatever you dream of can be fulfilled. 

It's a bit late for thanksgiving speeches and too early for Christmas but buying the McLaren and driving it and receiving  compliments and questions on the street gave me an epiphany today. I am thankful that I have the means to afford what I have, but I am even more thankful to have a wife who tolerate what 'toys' I buy. To have a community that i can share my joy is icing on the cake. 

Blueflame

crayphile:

ISUK  - a Tifosi to the lastt  

Yep, none of that heavily depreciating Woking wannabee for me

Whoopsy, your candor is appreciated and why you are a very well respected member of this forum. Keep one thing in mind; both the McLaren and the TTS were built by union hands.

All kidding aside, you should take another look at a Ferrari. Based on your review, the sense I am getting is the McLaren and TTS are performance monsters but what I am not getting is the passion and excitement of driving them. A Ferrari will furnish that in spades. It is what distinguishes it from all other cars. Forget the nonsense of attention getter. It provides a driving experience and sense of occcasion beyond anything on the market today.

Fantastic car!!

Hope your really enjoy it!!

Best wishes.

Whoopsy:

Thanks guys, glad to share.

I have been on this board for 6 yrs and counting, I am member of numerous other boards but the only board that I regularly post is this one. I enjoy you guys the most. There are numerous members here that I envy, that somehow some day I wish I could be them, Mike S comes to mind as he buys cars like I go grocery shopping, ISUK the Ferrari connoisseur, RC the Overlord who started it all, intouch who has move on to even more expensive toys like yachts  :) and numerous others. I am just thankful that I am lucky and successful enough to be able to afford what I have and that I can share like others.

There are dramas on even board, but it seems here is where people are most mature and respectful and it is one of the reasons why I can't keep myself off here. Over the years I did have numerous 'confrontations' with members here, Markus on HvS, Eunice on Global warming, Carlos on Android and Alonso, Nick with his alternate view of Porsche and politics, etc, but each time the 'conflict' is nothing more than an exercise in intellectual applications, there was never any disrespect among us, unlike other boards' conflicts. 

There are many friends I made here, we may not have met in person but I do believe the friendship is not fake, some day somehow we might met in person and I think the friendship can continue in real life if it ever happens.

I envy all you European members who has access to the Autobahn, the ultimate highway, but on the same token I do not envy the tax you guys have to pay, which actually made me respect you guys more as it cost a lot more for you guys to buy the same cars.

There are members here who are not as well off, who may not own a title car for this community, ie Porsche or other 'dream cars', but that makes no difference to me, you guys are part of the 'family' and I still remember the days when I was one of those who dream of owning something special. To you guys I wish you all the best on your future and hope whatever you dream of can be fulfilled. 

It's a bit late for thanksgiving speeches and too early for Christmas but buying the McLaren and driving it and receiving  compliments and questions on the street gave me an epiphany today. I am thankful that I have the means to afford what I have, but I am even more thankful to have a wife who tolerate what 'toys' I buy. To have a community that i can share my joy is icing on the cake. 

You put it all together very well 

Enjoy your new "toy" in good health.  It looks much better with the right options as you have; especially the color and the carbon parts. I'm sure it is one hell of a car and you made the right choice for your shoes. 

--

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Whoopsy:

.........................

Do I regret buying the McLaren? Not one bit, McLaren is one of my dream brand, it has the proven racing heritage and the obsessive engineering pedigree. There is no fat on a McLaren, it's all form follow function, kind of like Porsche the Germans, unlike the Italians' Ferrari, where the show off part has been advancing in priority in recent years.

I think this is the one which counts the most. Even the thinking of what you have in the garage makes you excited and happy, then you make the right choice.

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Whoopsy:

I have been on this board for 6 yrs and counting, I am member of numerous other boards but the only board that I regularly post is this one. I enjoy you guys the most. There are numerous members here that I envy, that somehow some day I wish I could be them, Mike S comes to mind as he buys cars like I go grocery shopping, ISUK the Ferrari connoisseur, RC the Overlord who started it all, intouch who has move on to even more expensive toys like yachts  :) and numerous others. I am just thankful that I am lucky and successful enough to be able to afford what I have and that I can share like others.

There are dramas on even board, but it seems here is where people are most mature and respectful and it is one of the reasons why I can't keep myself off here. Over the years I did have numerous 'confrontations' with members here, Markus on HvS, Eunice on Global warming, Carlos on Android and Alonso, Nick with his alternate view of Porsche and politics, etc, but each time the 'conflict' is nothing more than an exercise in intellectual applications, there was never any disrespect among us, unlike other boards' conflicts. 

There are many friends I made here, we may not have met in person but I do believe the friendship is not fake, some day somehow we might met in person and I think the friendship can continue in real life if it ever happens.

I envy all you European members who has access to the Autobahn, the ultimate highway, but on the same token I do not envy the tax you guys have to pay, which actually made me respect you guys more as it cost a lot more for you guys to buy the same cars.

Whoopsy,

congratulations on your new car. I have seen the green 12C that ISUK mentioned recently and I have to agree with him that more prominent colours suit the car very well. In reality, those obtrusive styling items are less of an issue as the car still has the proportions of a supercar. I do believe that the 12C and Audi R8 are the two common supercars that were designed to look more "everyday-suitable" than any other model on purpose. I also believe that those black accents on your car hide the controversial parts perfectly, this is certainly one striking combination. Enjoy it! 

Funny enough, before I saw your thread today I kept wondering whether you find any discrepancy between the initial press opinions about the car (such as 5th Gear´s) and the experience you gained as an owner. If so, those updates have certainly worked.

I share your sentiment above and am glad that you mentioned it. Very happy that quite a few long-time members keep coming back, such as zzboba, atomic80 or yourself.

Regarding the Autobahn, please feel invited to come over next year. Maybe then there is a chance for an infamous RT meeting at the Nordschleife.

Absolutely stunning car ... congrats and enjoy!

997.1 C2S GT Silver/Cocoa, -20mm/LSD, PSE, short shifter, SportDesign rims, Zuffenhausen pickup, BMW Z4 2.5i Roadster Sterling Grey/Red