McLaren MP4-12C
 

2012 McLaren MP4-12C: The World's Best Sports Car, and Why to Skip It | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil - WSJ.com

dynamic anti-roll compensation (no sway bars here)

CF monocoque - that can be built in about 10% the time of others

10.9 in the 1/4 if you want to drag it

only 3,280 lbs.

only $230,000 - less than 1/4 the cost of the F1

Eh. As Porsche enthusiasts, we should be able to appreciate a care built by engineers.

Have you seen what the MP4-12C looks like under the skin? It's beautiful. No awkward bends in the brake lines, no funny-shaped exhaust to fit into a too-small engine bay.

Ferraris are notorious for having the oil filter under the exhaust manifold or having to drop the engine to change the spark plugs. They are not user-serviceable vehicles. I expect the MP4-12C is probably easier in that aspect as well.

The car is pretty amazing...the guy that wrote the article does a horrible job..doesn't flow well.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pvi21SFsf5c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It's about time they released a new car... Beautiful thing.

You gotta love those British boffins in their white coats. :D

EDIT: To bad they lost the central seating position for the driver. I always liked that about the F1.

Very nice, though slightly generic looking.

McLaren Automotive has already established pricing for the new 2012 MP4-12C supercar at $229,000 — but until now, we haven’t seen exactly how adding options affects the sticker price.

We’ve just had our first look at an official U.S. dealer guide, which provides current pricing for the U.S.-spec MP4-12C. Although many of the options were previously known thanks in part to McLaren’s online configuration web site, this list allows fans, enthusiasts, and perhaps even potential customers a chance to truly build and price their dream machine.

MP4-12Cs start at $229,000, excluding the $2400 destination and handling fee and any applicable gas guzzler taxes. Play your cards right, and you can easily have a car costing in excess of $330,000.

EXTERIOR OPTIONS:

Special Paint: $2290
Elite Paint: $5140
Body color splitter: $690
Contrasting color splitter: $1030
Carbon fiber splitter: $2680
Carbon fiber mirror casings: $2860
Carbon fiber tuning vanes: $2860
Carbon fiber diffuser: $4000
Carbon fiber engine covers: $2860
Carbon fiber engine bay panels: $4000
Sport exhaust: $5430
Stealth pack (black exhaust tips and airbrake trim): $1030
WHEEL AND BRAKE OPTIONS

Lightweight forged wheels: $4000
Super lightweight forged wheels $5140
Stealth wheel finish: $1430
Carbon ceramic brakes: $13,130
Special color brake calipers: $1150
INTERIOR OPTIONS

Full leather interior: $2290
Alcantara & leather interior: $2290
Custom zoned (two-tone) interior: $4000 — two
Driver zone (two-tone, with driver seat/surround in second color) interior: $4000
Custom zoned interior: $5710
Color coordinated steering wheel: $520
Contrast stitching on dashboard: $350
Carbon fiber interior upgrade (CF door switch panels, steering wheel spokes, center console trim): $4000
Electric and heated memory seats: $3430
Caron fiber seat backs: $4000
Carbon fiber sill panels: $2860
Carbon fiber wheel arches: $2860
Satellite navigation and Meridian surround-sound system: $6850
ELECTRONIC OPTIONS

Parking sensors (front and rear): $2060
Vehicle tracking system: $800
ACCESORIES

Branded floor mats: $400
Car cover: $580
Fire extinguisher: $180
Additional set of super-lightweight forged wheels with Pirelli Corsa tires: $11,420
Additional set of wheels with winter tires: $7430

it looks like they forgot to hire a body designer

Dang! At 229k I was ready to buy..... but with all those desirable options, looks like a no go ;)

did Gordon Murray design this one?

that guy is a genius

I think you can add 50% to a 911 by clicking option boxes too.

You're kidding.. After $230,000 they charge for frigging floor mats??
Yeah, all those cars will be sold in the middle east...

I bet it hauls ass really fast.
But I'm not exactely blown away by its looks. (and that's putting it politely)

Interesting but the body design really bores me. It looks really contrived and forced. I still wouldn't turn one down though... And for the money it sounds like one of the better supercar deals out there...

Sounds great to me. I'm curious how many they will make.
Gallardos and F430s are a dime a dozen around here these days.

Supercars these days are hidious anyway compared to the old supercars..
And this one is just a blend of all the worst looking parts.

It's nose looks like what you'de expect when an a AudiR8 humped an F430...
It has the big black air vents of the R8 and the bonnet/lights of an F430...

It's side vents and roof line are so Gallardo

The only thing i can't instantly find similarities with another supercar, is the rear end.

Well, it does have similarities, it kinda looks like what i would barf up after a night of sghetti, beer , beer, beer, shot's, beer shot's beer, kebab, more beer, beer, chicken tikka massala. Eg , nasty , with chunks.

No... and it shows.

Frank Somebody designed it.


IMO, Styling is disappointing. Dull. Way, way, South of the F456, F460, F360 Ferraris. Or the Lambo Gallardo.

As the driver in the video said... 'no sparkle'.


This has a McLaren V8 TT engine, but faster than the McLaren F1 that has the BMW V12.

Gordon Murray was the Chief designer for the F1 which was 'styled' by Peter Stephens.

This one has no input from Murray, but much of the knowledge and ambition that created the F1 remains... Ron Denis dedicated much of his time to this.. as he did the F1. It was styled by Frank Stapleton.. who IIRC is ex Ferrari....

Its not quite as quick as the F1...but a decade plus of progress in dynamics does go a long way to closing the hp/ torque gap.

thx

the price is 1/4 of the F1 - if they keep it up I'll buy one the next 1/4 price cut...

styling is nice, but function is what counts